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n8. Emergency Subjugation

nKANG! KANG! KANG! KANG!

nThe sound of the pickaxes was deafening. Ko Byeong-gap liked the noise that periodically hit his ear. He brushed off his butt and entered the cave, and the interior was lit with ten lanterns.

nThe Goblins each held a pickaxe and diligently mined the crystals. One Normal Goblin worked on collecting the crystals dug by the other Goblins and putting them in the crystal slot.

n‘Ancient Shop.’ Ko Byeong-gap muttered internally. A window rose before his eyes.

nAncient Shop

n-Construction

n-Techniques

n– Miscellaneous Goods

n– Others

nCrystals on Hand: 501

n‘We got over 500 crystals.’

n“Come on, let’s take a break! Everyone, put down your tools, come out, and eat snacks!”

n“Yep!”

nThe Goblins had stopped working. They put their tools together, turned off the lanterns, and went out.

n“Come here. Take a drink and bread.”

nTwo large ice boxes each contained a sandwich and an ionized beverage. The Goblins took bread and drank one by one according to Ko Byeong-gap’s instructions.

nThe Goblins sat on the floor and ate their snacks. Ko Byeong-gap smiled and forgot to get a sandwich himself.

nAs he did so, he looked carefully at the ancient shop.

n‘What can I buy with 500 crystals?’

nThere were four categories in the ancient shop: Construction, Techniques, Miscellaneous goods, etc.

nThere were only a few items that could be purchased with 500 crystals. In particular, not a single “other” item could be bought, starting with 500,000 crystals at the lowest price.

n‘For now, I’ll skip construction and the others.’

nHe focused on the products in the categories ‘Techniques’ and ‘Miscellaneous.’ Since the goods were limited, his shopping didn’t take long.

nTechniques

n– Ancient Swordsmanship Textbook – Low-grade (320 Crystals)

n– Ancient Martial Arts Textbook – Low-grade (320 Crystals)

n– Ancient Qi-flow Textbook – Low-grade (350 modifications)

n– Ancient Alchemy Textbook – Low-grade (350 Modifications)

nMiscellaneous Goods

n– Warrior’s Potion (300 Crystals)

n– Sage’s Potion (300 Crystals)

n– Potion of Hardening (300 Crystals)

n– Potion of Swiftness (300 crystals)

n– Growth Potion (500 Crystals)

nThat was all he could buy with 500 crystals.

n‘Hmm…’

nwas the growth potion that drew Ko Byeong-gap’s attention. He sighed as he touched his chin.

n‘What would it grow? Maybe it raises the level of karma in the body?’

nKarma.

nIt was the unknown energy that was the basis of all awakeners and monsters. The karma level in the body was divided according to levels, and the higher the level of karma, the greater the power.

nThe lower awakeners, including Ko Byeong-gap, had a karma level of 5 to 11 percent in the body. Thanks to that, they could survive the force field of the cracks and the world behind them, and they were stronger than other ordinary people.

nHowever, that was it. Unlike the top awakeners, it was impossible to strengthen the body using karma or perform a stunt like that of a superpower.

nThat was why the lower awakeners could never cross the upper wall. In addition, it was the reason why the top awakeners didn’t use firearms like guns.

n‘If that really increases karma…’

nAfter a brief consideration, Ko Byeong-gap soon made up his mind and bought a growth potion.

nOne glass bottle emerged simultaneously as the number of crystals in his possession decreased from 501 to one. He quickly reached out and snatched it.

nIt wasn’t long before a hologram came to his mind.

nGrowth Potion

n– A potion that permanently increases all physical abilities.

n‘Boosts all physical abilities? And forever?’

nHe let out a gentle exclamation.

nKo Byeong-gap opened the palm-sized glass bottle that was full of green liquid and smelled it. It had no scent.

n‘What if I get sick after drinking it?’

nThat was his worry for a while. Ko Byeong-gap poured the growth potion into his mouth.

n‘Hmm? It’s worth eating.’

nContrary to its awkward appearance, the taste remained the same. The subtle sweetness spread over his tongue and around his mouth. It felt like a sap.

nHe got through it all with all his might, and the effect came immediately.

nPound!

nHis heart started pounding. His breathing was short, and his body began sweating. The muscles of his whole body relaxed and contracted repeatedly.

n‘What, what’s this?!’

n“Ugh!”

nKo Byeong-gap grabbed his turbulent heart and sat down. The Goblins, who had been laughing while forgetting their sandwiches, ran to him with surprised eyes.

n“L-Lord?!”

n“Are you okay?”

n“Ughhhh! Whoa!”

nThe Goblins helped him with bewildered faces as Ko Byeong-gap trembled without lifting a finger. His body trembled even more. The Goblins didn’t know what to do and spat out, ‘Lord! Lord!’ over and over again.

n‘Damn it, I picked up a piece of **, and it went like this!’

nDid he seriously pick up something he didn’t know and ate it to enjoy some wealth and glory? He sighed for a while. He quickly began to regain his composure.

nThe turbulence of his heart and the tremors of his body died down like a lie.

n“Lord, sir, are you alright?”

n“…”

nKo Byeong-gap slowly lifted himself. He then looked down at himself in disbelief. It wasn’t long before he stuttered like a crazy person.

n“Wow…”

nHis body had changed.

n* * *

nKo Byeong-gap clenched his fists and felt the force of each finger. He felt a great power that he couldn’t possibly feel like his own. It wasn’t a power obtained by exploding the karma in his body, but the body’s power with 100% purity.

n‘Is this my body now?’

nAfter taking the growth potion, he became almost a new person. His physique grew bigger, and his body was full of muscles. Not only that, but his mind was cleared, and his senses of sight and hearing were astonishingly high.

n“I don’t think my karma increased.”

nThere was no change in the karma flowing through his body. It just felt like the muscles, bones, blood, and all other cells that made up his body had undergone a metamorphosis.

nA stone came into Ko Byeong-gap’s sight. He picked it up with an unbearable curiosity.

n‘Will it work?’

nHe tightened his grip, and the stone broke so helplessly.

nIn fact, he could crush stones before. He was an awakener, after all. However, it wasn’t something that could be done as easily as crushing tofu.

n‘This is crazy…’

nKo Byeong-gap jumped to his feet and went into the cave. The Goblins’ crystal mining work was in full swing.

n“Lord, sir, you need to rest a little longer…”

n“Alright, give me a pickaxe.”

nHe took away the pickaxe regardless of Gobung’s retort. The thick iron-headed pickaxe felt too light.

nHe swung the pickaxe with only one hand.

nFlick!

nStone shards bounced in all directions with a loud noise. One more swing and a lump of crystal fell out without a hitch.

nLast time, he needed to do it several times to get a crystal.

n“Come on, use your pickaxes.”

n“Ah, yes!”

n“I’ll be out for a while, so take it easy.”

n“Okay, sir.

nKo Byeong-gap escaped Ashvilam. A shabby, six-pyeong room welcomed him.

nHe headed straight for the veranda. There was a pile of supplies that were used to suppress cracks. He picked up a dusty longsword from one corner.

n‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.’

nLongsword. When he first started his job as a hunter, he bought it because he needed it as a secondary, but it was just a nuisance to put on.

nIt was common knowledge to prepare for when their ammunition would run out or when their gun would break down, but in fact, the right answer was to just run away within 36 seconds.

nA lower awakener could never win in a sword match against a higher awakener.

nHe pulled out his cell phone and searched for cracks.

nOriginally, he was going to rest that day, but he couldn’t stay still due to the urge to test his changed body.

n“Well, there’s one nearby.”

nThere was a crack near Sillim Station. The phrase “emergency” was written next to the crack on the map.

nEmergency subjugation.

nCracks in the city center were dangerous. That was because monsters might not pop out, but the force field created by the crack could cause casualties.

nTherefore, the association would bring together hunters to carry out an emergency subjugation.

nIt was a subjugation method that aimed first to destroy the crack by defeating the boss monster, rather than the usual subjugation of collecting magic stones to loot around the back world.

n‘Time of occurrence… Nine minutes ago?’

nThe rank of the crack was only E. Without any hesitation, Ko Byeong-gap packed his longsword, rifle, and 90 rounds of ammunition and headed to Sillim Station.

nThe emergency subjugation paid considerably just for participation. If he was lucky, he could receive a reward just to dip his body in and out of the crack.

nSillim Station was a 15-minute walk from Ko Byeong-gap’s room. It would take about 5-7 minutes if he ran. It would’ve been the case if he was normal.

n‘I feel so light!’

nHe felt light, as if he was flying. In addition, the thrust of his lower body muscles was explosive.

nHe arrived at Sillim Station in less than three minutes. Employees dispatched from the association were occupying the crack with no trespassing signs.

nThe staff wore special protective clothing that blocked the crack’s force field, yet they struggled in a cold sweat.

nKo Byeong-gap approached the crack, ignoring the no trespassing signs. Lee Seung-heon, a member of the association, approached him.

n“Are you a hunter?”

n“Yes, I came to see the emergency subjugation notification.”

n“I see.”

n“Has anyone already entered?”

n“Two people came in before you.”

nLee Seung-heon glanced at Ko Byeong-gap up and down. Armed with a gun, he thought he wasn’t a top hunter.

n“Can you tell me your hunter number?”

n“It’s 447095.”

n“Oh, four-fourths. Are you Hunter Ko Byeong-gap?”

n“That’s right. How much is the reward?”

n“It’s a million won.”

n“I see.”

nIt wasn’t a bad price. Actually, he had to sell all the magic stones he could get from E-class cracks to get about 1 million won.

n“As you know, the association isn’t responsible for any accidents that occur in the crack—”

n“Yes, I know. I will go in.”

n“… I wish you good luck.”

nKo Byeong-gap left the staff behind and immersed himself in the crack. As soon as he entered the back world, everyone around him disappeared.

nOnly the gloomy sky and heavy air welcomed him.

nAs soon as he entered, what he saw was an F-class monster. A bizarre creature with the body of a fish and the legs of a wild beast.

nIt jumped around like a grasshopper, and it was a pesky monster with sharp teeth. Above all, it was disgusting.

n“Kegigi geek!”

nThe Squid jumped up and thrust its teeth into Ko Byeong-gap, but he quickly drew his sword and swung it.

nThe blade bisected the body of the Squid too easily. Its red blood spurted out and soaked the air.

n‘Huh.’

nThe monster’s movements seemed so slow. Ko Byeong-gap ran without cutting out the magic stone from the dead Squid.

nThe main goal of an emergency subjugation was to destroy the back world as quickly as possible.

nTadadadadadang!

nGunfire rang out in the basement. Was the boss monster over there? He didn’t know, but he headed there.

nEven as he went down the stairs, the Squids came for him. With his rifle in his back, Ko Byeong-gap swung his sword and threw them all away. The shredded corpse of the Squids fell to the floor.

nAs he entered the station, he saw two people. One was a middle-aged man, and the other was a woman the age of Ko Byeong-gap, and both were armed with guns.

nInside the station, a colony of monsters roamed around. There were 50 or 60 Squids over at the ticket gate, and the two of them were shooting random bullets towards them.

nKo Byeong-gap also held his rifle while holding his sword. It wasn’t long before his gun let out its shots.

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