Chapter 11
Trainee Choi Bom (1)
After the commotion in the Small but Deadly World had finally settled down, Lee Shin returned to his original world and slept soundly without a care.
「The Sabbath has dawned.」
「Collecting Divine Power.」
When Lee Shin woke to the sunlight filtering through the curtains, the first thing he saw was the brightly glowing status window.
「Current Believers: 96」
「Low-Grade Believers: 95」
「Intermediate Believers: 1」
「A total of 100 Divine Power has been collected.」
「Current Divine Power: 100」
The light flowing from the status window soon seeped into Lee Shin.
As he absorbed it, he felt a strange sense of fulfillment, as though something within him were gradually filling up.
This must be Divine Power.
It said I could use this to help the Small but Deadly World. By using the skill called Creation.
Just as other Hunters fought by utilizing various resources such as mana or qi, Lee Shin had been given a special resource unique to himself.
「TIP: Try using Creation.」
The description under his status only contained the unhelpful phrase Creates things.
The best way to figure out what it actually did seemed to be trying it himself.
“Creation.”
A series of status windows immediately appeared.
「Select a Sanctuary or a world you possess in which to use ‘Creation’ by consuming Divine Power.」
「Current Sanctuaries Owned: 0」
「Current Worlds Owned: 1」
A Sanctuary...
It was a new concept, but since he didn’t own one yet, Lee Shin selected the [Worlds Owned] tab.
The scenery of the Small but Deadly World appeared on the screen.
「Select a category.」
「Divine Power Available: 100」
「Buildings」
「Sanctuaries」
「Items」
「Sacred Relics」
「Living Beings (Locked)」
「Souls (Locked)」
「Worlds (Locked)」
It looked like the interface of a strategy simulation game.
Watching the dwarves on the screen busily preparing for the next battle, Lee Shin scratched his head.
「TIP: Select the [Buildings] tab!」
「TIP: Buildings establish the foundations of a world during its early stages and provide excellent efficiency for relatively little investment.」
Lee Shin had once watched his father play strategy simulation games before. His father had also spent the money he was given by immediately throwing up buildings.
Following the status window’s advice, Lee Shin selected the Buildings tab.
「Building List」
「Blacksmith [Tier 5]: 100 Divine Power」
「Library [Tier 5]: 200 Divine Power」
「Training Ground [Tier 5]: 200 Divine Power」
「Fortress [Tier 5]: 500 Divine Power」
「Observatory [Tier 5]: 1,000 Divine Power」
「TIP: It is best to select buildings according to the characteristics of the world and its inhabitants. The benefits obtained from buildings differ depending on each world and its residents.」
「TIP: Buildings within the same category become higher-ranked as later stages are unlocked, progressing from Tier 5 to Tier 4 and beyond, and provide increasingly powerful effects. However, later buildings cannot be constructed unless the buildings from the previous stage have already been built.」
「TIP: To manage your world efficiently and obtain maximum results with minimal resources, it is important to thoroughly understand both the world you possess and its inhabitants.」
There were countless buildings available, but with the 100 Divine Power Lee Shin currently possessed, there was only one option he could afford.
「TIP: There’s no need to worry. I’ve already organized all the information and prepared a flawless tech tree for you!」
「TIP: (J·0·)J令」
「TIP: Try constructing the [Blacksmith]!」
「TIP: For the dwarves of the [Small but Deadly World], descendants of the ancient dwarf race, it can be considered an absolutely essential building!」
Following the status window’s recommendation, Lee Shin clicked on the Blacksmith and read its detailed description.
「Name: Blacksmith」
「Category: Building」
「Rank: Tier 5」
「A building capable of producing tools made from iron. Increases the probability of [Blacksmiths] appearing.」
If it could produce iron tools, then it could make everyday necessities as well as weapons that could immediately be used in war.
The dwarves had already been capable of producing armor and enormous ballistae without even having a proper blacksmith.
The synergy seemed obvious.
Without deliberating for long, Lee Shin created the Blacksmith.
「100 Divine Power consumed.」
「Current Divine Power: 0」
「You have created a [Blacksmith].」
A pillar of light descended upon the center of the Red City, Gepetto, on the screen.
A moment later, a large blacksmith appeared there.
Every dwarf—from those training under Santiago to those occupied elsewhere—stared at it with their eyes wide open.
「TIP: From now on, the ‘Red City, Gepetto’ will exist as the first Holy Land serving you, and as sacred ground that will spread your name far and wide.」
「TIP: Use this city as your foundation and make every living being in the [Small but Deadly World] your servant!」
While everyone stood frozen in shock, Eve came racing over from the distance in a frenzy.
Covered in dust, she shouted with her star-shaped eyes sparkling brightly.
“GOD HAS GIVEN US A GIIIIIFT! WORSHIIIIIP!!”
At her shout, the stunned residents finally came to their senses and began prostrating themselves.
Some of them even shed tears, overwhelmed by the divine grace they had received.
「The productivity of the ‘Red City, Gepetto’ greatly increases.」
「The faith of the believers greatly increases.」
「The dwarves living under the doctrine of [Self-Reliance] will strive even harder and continue to develop as their faith grows stronger.」
「All for you alone.」
Watching an impromptu festival suddenly erupt throughout the city, Lee Shin unconsciously smiled.
He didn’t particularly care how much the city developed or how magnificent it eventually became.
He was simply happy that the dwarves who had been starving and miserable until only recently had finally regained their joy and happiness.
Truly happy.
「TIP: Fighting!!」
「TIP: (A·ω*円)♡」
***
With the residents of the Small but Deadly World having regained their vitality and everyone working enthusiastically, there wasn’t much for Lee Shin to do.
Until the invaders attacked again, it would be difficult for him to provide any dramatic assistance.
Aside from occasionally giving them food or water, there was little else he could do.
Watching the tiny dwarves scurrying around busily, Lee Shin thought it felt strangely like playing an idle mobile game.
“Lee Shin, why are you spacing out in front of me?”
Since there was nothing he needed to do there for the time being, Lee Shin could finally focus on reality again.
As promised, he had returned to the Academy to meet Choi Bom.
This time, he had contacted her beforehand, so Choi Bom had applied for permission to go out.
Instead of her training uniform, she had dressed herself up nicely in a denim jacket and denim skirt.
“Sorry. I was thinking about the small world.”
“Hmph. You know how precious my time outside is, right?”
Choi Bom turned her head away, pretending to sulk.
Lee Shin gave her an awkward smile, but fortunately, her irritation vanished the moment they entered the restaurant.
“Five servings of samgyeopsal, please!”
The meat hadn’t even arrived yet, but the instant Choi Bom smelled pork belly, her face lit up with a bright smile.
Sitting across the table from each other, she spoke first.
“Lee Shin, that armor you gave me is seriously amazing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! Its rank couldn’t even be measured, and I couldn’t see any of its options, so I was just hoping it wasn’t some useless hunk of metal. But it’s absolutely insane. During our last combat exercise, I completely crushed the pride of one of the senior trainees...”
Whenever practical training came up, she had usually looked gloomy and complained about making lots of mistakes.
If she had been satisfied this time, Lee Shin was glad.
He decided that if he came across any other useful items in the future, he should occasionally give them to Choi Bom as gifts.
“Actually, it stood out a little too much. Someone almost took it away from me, saying a little chick trainee had no business using personal equipment like that...”
“...What?”
“N-No, it’s fine! You think this noona would actually let anyone take it from me? Don’t worry!”
Choi Bom smiled, pretending to be tough.
“I told you to pray if something like that happens.”
“No thanks. If I did that, you’d obviously go berserk like last time... I’m a Hunter trainee too, you know? I can handle things myself. Worry about yourself!”
Like last time...
“Anyway, I’d heard that people with abilities related to exploring other worlds sometimes bring back useful stuff, but yours is on a completely different level. The other trainees kept asking me where I got it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! So I was thinking—if you get more stuff like that, why don’t you try selling it?”
“They’re your classmates. I could just give them some as gifts.”
“Idiot. Why would you give it away for free? Those kids are loaded. I awakened late and joined afterward, but most Academy trainees are from military academies. They’re all born with silver spoons in their mouths. They’re rich. Rich.”
Choi Bom’s eyes sparkled.
“You know how obsessive the parents of future Hunters are, right? Kids who awaken young get sent to expensive academies and private tutors from childhood. Apparently, their parents don’t hesitate to spend a fortune on equipment either. If word gets around among the trainees, you’ll become famous in no time. You could seriously get rich overnight.”
Rich overnight.
Unlike the excited Choi Bom, Lee Shin’s reaction was lukewarm.
He had lived his entire life without much interest in money.
Listening to her, Lee Shin gave a faint smile as an old memory surfaced.
There certainly had been something like that before.
“Hey, you’re twenty-five now. It’s about time you moved out and found your own path. How long are you planning to keep living at home?”
“I was planning to take over Father’s jokbal restaurant.”
“Yeah, right. I can’t even imagine you serving customers properly...”
Lee Shin couldn’t argue.
When he actually imagined himself doing it, all he could picture was spacing out while carrying plates and side dishes and spilling everything onto the floor.
“Anyway, think about it! You need to move out so I can have a hideout too. I’m going to come over all the time and laze around. Oh, and if you make lots of money, let’s get a really good computer and buy tons of comic books. We’ll make our own paradise so we never need to go to a PC café or comic café again.”
“Sounds good.”
“Hmph. Don’t you have an opinion of your own? You always just say everything sounds good.”
“If you like it, then I like it too.”
At Lee Shin’s words, Choi Bom made a small groaning sound and fiddled with the ends of her hair.
Maybe it was because of the heat rising from the grill, or perhaps because the restaurant was unusually crowded, but her cheeks were slightly redder than before.
“How much would something like the armor I gave you cost?”
“I’m not really sure. But considering it’s way better than our training equipment, wouldn’t it be at least three million won? Academy training gear costs around that much.”
“...”
“Yeah! Where are the tongs?”
“Three million won...”
When Lee Shin had been young, the shaman who kept following him around had offered him one billion won if he would just undergo the initiation ritual.
To Lee Shin, who could have made as much money as he wanted if he had actually tried, three million won didn’t feel particularly significant.
“Let’s just eat. Let me know later.”
“...”
“Ah, I’ll grill it.”
“...You?”
The moment Lee Shin said he would grill the meat, Choi Bom’s face twisted into a deep frown.
There was a reason.
The last time Lee Shin had confidently grabbed the tongs, he had turned every single piece of meat into charcoal.
“I got a new ability this time. Trust me.”
“What kind of ability?”
Lee Shin glanced at the status window that had appeared when he picked up the tongs.
「The faith levels of numerous believers are extremely high!」
「The souls of numerous believers are influencing you.」
「You share the unique ability engraved into the souls of the dwarves, descendants of flame and steel.」
「Unique Trait: Friend of Flame and Steel」
「“Flame and steel flow through our bodies.”」
「You become extremely proficient in all actions involving iron and fire. Flames can no longer injure you, and your dexterity becomes ‘considerably’ better.」
「Shared traits will disappear if the believers’ faith decreases.」
How was he supposed to explain that?
If he was good at handling iron, then surely he would be good with metal tongs.
And if he was good at handling fire, he should probably be able to grill meat fairly well too.
Should he just call it an ability that made him good at grilling meat?
After scratching his head for a moment, Lee Shin gave a vague answer.
“You’ll see.”
“Oh, whatever. Give me the tongs.”
“I’m serious.”
After bickering for a while, Choi Bom eventually surrendered the tongs to Lee Shin.
She stared at him with blatant distrust.
「An unbeliever has appeared!」
Well.
It wasn’t exactly wrong.