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n22. Raise and build! (3)

n“Ugh… How many bottles did I drink yesterday…”

nThere was a drought in his neck. Ko Byeong-gap felt his thirst leave only after he emptied a 1.5-liter bottle of mineral water.

nHe plopped down on the bed and recalled last night. He remembered dancing shoulder to shoulder with the Goblins while blowing bottles. Anyway, his drinking was a problem.

n“Oh my God, woo.”

nHis head was throbbing, and he had a lot of work to do, but he couldn’t handle it with a hangover. He sat with his legs twisted and calmly collected his breath.

n‘Ancient Ki-breathing textbook.’

nHe practiced the breathing method described in the Ancient Ki-breathing Textbook. Soon, hot energy sprang up from his core and spread all over his body.

nHis sore stomach was refreshed, and his headache stopped. Ko Byeong-gap’s body quickly regained its peak condition.

n‘That was awesome.’

nWhy did the ancient kingdom perish when there were so many good techniques? What had they done to provoke the wrath of God?

nHe was lost in thought for a few seconds and then rose. It bothered him, but it wasn’t a question that could be answered if he thought about it at that time.

n“Let’s get ready.”

nHe was scheduled to be away for the next four days. Maybe he won’t be back for more than a week. So there was a lot to prepare.

nHe packed his baggage first. It didn’t have anything special inside. Toothpaste, toothbrush, and soap were the only three things a man needed. His bag also contained spare underwear, casual clothes, work clothes, and some towels.

nAfter that, he put cup noodles, bottled water, and instant rice in a large bag, enough to eat for a week.

n“Hmm… that’s enough, right? If I need anything, I can buy it.”

nKo Byeong-gap packed all his belongings and went to Ashvilam.

nThere was the smell of morning dew on the quiet rocky mountain. The grass was moist, and the gentle sound of water could be heard over the forest.

nChirp! Chirp!

nHe also heard birds chirping…

n‘Huh? Birds?’

nKo Byeong-gap turned his head reflexively. Some small birds were flying low in the sky. He lost his mind and looked at them, but they disappeared over the rocky mountain.

nIt was natural for birds to fly in the sky, but somehow it felt strange.

n‘There’s life here besides the Goblins and I. Come to think of it, there used to be fish in the river, right? It isn’t surprising at all. By the way, what’s beyond that rock wall? I’ll have to go up there later.’

n“Lord, you’re here.”

n“Oh, Gobung, Gobung, Gobung. You woke up so early?”

n“When the sun rises. I get up.”

n“Really?”

nThe Goblins prepared for their work early. They got a 100 out of 10 for diligence.

n“Last night, Lord. Did you sleep?”

n“Lord. Nice to see you.”

n“Lord. Hi.”

n“Uh, yeah, yeah. I have been struggling since morning.”

nThe Goblins that were headed to the cave saw Ko Byeong-gap and bowed politely.

n“By the way, you came out early today.”

n“I just dropped by. I have to bring my luggage, and I have business to do.”

n“Lord. You mean?”

n“Yeah, I’m staying here for a while.”

nYesterday, when they created a campsite, there was a part that Ko Byeong-gap was particularly concerned about. It was his own tent.

nTwo sofas were joined together to make a bed, and a desk with a broken leg was also brought in. Note that the desk was for ornamental purposes.

n“Gobung.”

n“Yes, Lord.”

n“Go and call Turka and Kiriyan.”

n“Turka. Kiriyan. You mean? Okay.”

nGobung headed toward the cave. Both Turka and Kiriyan seemed to be in the cave.

nKo Byeong-gap yelled after Gobung, “You know my private tent? I’ll be there, so take them there.”

n“Yes, sir!”

nHe went to his private tent with all his luggage, which was a short distance from the Goblins camp. It was in the middle of the forest, and he could see the river right away. The scenery was amazing since it was selected in consideration of the landscape.

nHe unpacked his luggage inside the tent and sat on a rocking chair outside.

n‘Ancient Shop’

nAncient Shop

n-Construction

n-Techniques

n– Miscellaneous Goods

n-Others

nCrystals on Hand: 5,998

n‘It’s nearly six thousand. Their digging speed is pretty fast, isn’t it?’

nMost of the Goblin manpower was put into the Crystal Cave. Even if they dug 20 crystals each, they could make 2,840 per day.

nMoreover, they hadn’t concentrated on crystal mining for the past few days due to various chores. Their production would be much higher in the future considering that.

n‘It feels just like yesterday that I had a hard time with 30 people.’

nKo Byeong-gap’s goal was to reach 500 Goblins before breaking through the fog zone. He was immersed in brief sentiments and focused on the shop window.

n‘Buy this, buy that…’

nfrom the ancient shop. The items he bought were:

nAncient Martial Arts Textbook – Low-grade 1 piece.

nAncient Alchemy Textbook – Low-grade 1 piece.

nAncient Ki-breathing Textbook – Low-grade 2 pieces.

nAncient Physical Training Textbook – Low-grade 3 pieces.

nThree growth potions.

nAnd one Ancient Swordsmanship Textbook – Intermediate.

nIn total, it was worth 5,930 crystals.

nCrystals on Hand: 68

n‘In an instant, it was all spent.’

nHe felt sorry for spending nearly 6,000 crystals in one batch. However. he decided not to mind too much. The crystals had to be used anyway, and the crystals could be gathered again.

nHe left the purchased items at his feet and picked up only one textbook.

nAncient Swordsmanship Textbook – Intermediate. It was an expensive product that cost 1,500 crystals.

n“The low-level textbook was great, but how strong would I become if I mastered the intermediate level?’

nWith a pounding heart, he opened the textbook. A hologram flashed right before his eyes.

nDo you want to engrave ‘Ancient Swordsmanship Textbook – Intermediate’?

n‘I’m going to get carrots.’

nOf course, he would!

nKo Byeong-gap quickly gave his consent, but something unexpected happened. He didn’t absorb the textbook.

nCurrently, due to the low achievement rate of ‘Ancient Swordsmanship Textbook – Low-grade’, the engraving of “Ancient Swordsmanship Textbook – Intermediate” has failed.

nCurrent achievement rate of ‘Ancient Swordsmanship Textbook – Low-grade’: 2.21%

n“What?” Ko Byeong-gap groaned and let out a sigh. The point of the hologram was reasonable. He lacked internal skills to move from lower to intermediate. Where could he find his progress?

nEven so, he couldn’t help but be embarrassed because he hadn’t thought about it at all.

n‘Well, it would be too much of a scam to learn the whole textbook just by swinging a sword.’

nHe was disappointed, but on the contrary, he also gained excitement. The fact that his achievement so far was only 2.21% meant that he had room for growth in the future.

nHe smiled bitterly and kept the textbook on the desk inside the tent.

n“Lord, sir, we’re here.”

nIn the meantime, Gobung brought in Turka and Kiriyan. First of all, he handed over the growth potions to them one by one.

n“Now, grab one and take a shot.”

n“Lord?”

n“Do you mean drink?”

n“Uh, drink it up.”

nThe three Goblins looked at each other and said, “Are we allowed to drink this?”

nKiriyan asked on their behalf. Ko Byeong-gap nodded willingly with his arms crossed.

n“From now on, Kiriyan and Turka will hunt with me as professional combat agents. To do that, you need to be stronger than you are now.”

n“Ah…”

n“Gobung is the head of the workforce, and you’re going to need more stamina than others because I order a lot of things. So hurry up and drink.”

nThe Goblins pursed their lips. Ko Byeong-gap frowned slightly.

n“What are you doing, stupid? I told you to drink.”

n“Oh, I see!”

nGobung drank the Growth Potion. Kiriyan and Turka followed suit straight away. As he looked at them, Ko Byeong-gap smirked and said, “It’s going to hurt a bit.”

n“Turn it off…”

n“Ugh!”

nThe effect came immediately. The three Goblins clasped their hearts and sweated profusely. Naturally, turbulent change was accompanied by pain.

nKo Byeong-gap waited patiently until they regained their stability. Ten minutes later, the Goblins were back to normal.

n“What do you think? Do you think something’s changed?”

n“Huh… it’s amazing.”

n“Energy! It overflows!”

nThe muscles in their bodies had grown in size. The change was particularly noticeable in Turka, the Giant Goblin.

n‘It wouldn’t be a problem if I put three more heads on my shoulder.’

nKo Byeong-gap was satisfied and nodded his head. Afterward, he handed out a textbook to each of them.

nFor Gobung, only the textbook on physical training. For Kiriyan, the alchemy, physical training, and Ki-breathing textbooks. He gave Turka the martial arts, physical training, and Ki-breathing textbooks.

n“Come on, open the textbook in your hands.”

n“Oh, I see.”

n“Do you see anything in front of you?”

n“That’s right.”

n“Now say yes to that.”

nKo Byeong-gap taught them how to imprint the textbooks. The Goblins did as they were told. After a while, each textbook began to be absorbed by the Goblins.

n“Wow! Lord! Oh, my head! I think it’s going to break!”

n“Don’t worry, man. You won’t die.”

n“Ugh!”

nOf course, it was hard. Still, they managed everything. About 10 minutes later, the Goblins acquired their last textbook. However, they were exhausted and limp.

n‘Alright, Ashvilam’s first elite army.’

nTheir aura was different from just a few minutes ago, but that was just the beginning. Ko Byeong-gap’s final goal was to be the best of all the Goblins.

n“You guys get plenty of rest in the morning. In particular, keep Kiriyan and Turka ready so that they can come out whenever I call.”

n“Yes, yes, yes, sir!”

n“Go, see you later.”

n“Already. Are you leaving?”

n“Yes, I have to work. What would you do if you played?”

nKo Byeong-gap returned to his room after being sent off by the three Goblins. He immediately changed into his work clothes and packed his gear. After that, he left the house and locked the front door tightly.

n‘It’s like going on a trip for a few days, huh?’

nHis steps down the stairs were light.

n* * *

nMim! Mim! Mim!

nIt was still early July, but cicadas had already been raging. Ko Byeong-gap sat in a coin laundry room and listened to the sad courtship song.

n“Should I cry like that?”

nHe was just sad that he hadn’t had a humble relationship for 25 years.

nCome to think of it; they were always good people. The problem was that he followed bad situations like a shadow.

nRing ring!

nThe machine rang out a signal that the dryer was complete. He took out his clothes, put them in plastic bags, and left the coin laundry.

nHe checked his cell phone as soon as he got in the car. The cell phone screen displayed a map of cracks nationwide.

n“One D-class in Cheongju City. It’ll take about 30 minutes.”

nKo Byeong-gap, who had set his target, drove straight away.

n‘It’s already been three days.’

nIt had been three days since he left the house. What Ko Byeong-gap did over the past three days was search for Goblins.

nHe roamed at least three or four, up to five or six cracks a day, and chased after the Goblins. At night, he parked his car anywhere and went to Ashvilam to sleep.

nHe wasn’t subjugating. There were many cases where he went into the cracks and came back without Goblins.

nAnyway, the goal of that journey was to capture Goblins, not hunt. His short-term goal was to fill Ashvilam with up to 300 Goblins, but life wasn’t always so giving. In the past three days, he had harvested only 47 Normal Goblins and one Hob Goblin.

n‘Shall I raise the search range to C-rank? It wouldn’t be that dangerous if I were just looking around anyway.’

nWhile he agonized over one thing or another, he arrived at the crack that he had targeted. There seemed to be no occupiers. Ko Byeong-gap hurriedly packed his things and dipped himself into the crack.

nIt was crazy!

n“Ah man, Gabris again?”

nNo Goblins came out. Instead, the monsters with four jaws greeted him. He thought about leaving but changed his mind and decided to clear them for food.

n‘Did the kids say they ran out of meat? Let’s unwind for a while.’

nHe pulled out his long sword. The blade made of a Rake Wolf’s tail radiated a harsh purple light.

n“Kiriyan! Turka! come out!”

nHe opened the door to Ashvilam and shouted. The two Goblins appeared as if they had waited.

n“Yes, Lord!”

n“Did you say we ran out of meat? Today’s dinner is monster meat.”

n“Alright!”

n“Hi!”

nThe swarm of Gabris rushed in with fighting spirit.

n“They’re begging to be eaten. Turka, Kiriyan. Show me your skills.”

n“Yep!”

n“Wooooo!”

nTurka ran out with his fists clenched. The guy snatched two Gabris in an instant. When he grabbed their necks and threw them on the floor, their necks broke, and they died instantly.

n“Ha!”

nKiriyan gathered an electric current into a harpoon. Soon, five lightning bolts were fired. One Gabri was broken for each shot.

n‘Should I build up some skills too?’

nKo Byeong-gap shook off his cigarette and took a posture. Three Gabris were aiming for Ko Byeong-gap with their mouths wide open.

n‘From the one on the left!’

nKo Byeong-gap smashed the ground. At about the same time, one of Gabri’s necks fell off. Immediately after that, he fired a slash, and the guy in the middle was cut in half.

n“Heee-eee-eee-eee!”

nThe blade in his open mouth struck the last Gabri. It floundered its limbs even when it was dead.

n‘Now, E-class monsters are no longer a problem. C is also worth a try.’

nHe smiled fiercely and slaughtered the rest of the Gabris.

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