"Snort—!"
The excited orc warrior swung at the apple tree.
…That thing's worth a fortune!
Kim Ji-hoon, who had been secretly watching the scene, gritted his teeth and unrolled a scroll.
[Magic Scroll: Neutral Magic Bullet | Base Damage: 0.46 | Mana Cost: 43 | Attribute: Neutral]
A 0-circle neutral magic bullet.
Realistically, it'd be tough to take down a C-rank monster.
There were limits to what a 0-circle spell could do.
Still, it should be enough to draw its attention.
He wasn't entirely sure.
In truth, Kim Ji-hoon had never even used a 0-circle scroll with stats like this before.
"..."
Kim Ji-hoon carefully took position.
He held his breath and aimed the scroll at the orc warrior's head.
And waited for the right moment.
No matter how much his stomach churned, he held out until the orc warrior went to bite into an apple.
The moment arrived sooner than expected. The orc warrior picked up an apple. It sniffed clumsily.
…That smells killer, huh? But that's a poison apple, you bastard.
Spitting curses inwardly nonstop, Kim Ji-hoon channeled mana into the scroll.
Fwaaah.
A blue glow ran through the circuit. Soon, a sphere burst from the parchment.
The moment the orc warrior bit into the apple, the magic bullet surged forward. But then—
Boom—!
Something exploded.
"...Huh?"
Kim Ji-hoon, who had planned to bolt after activating the scroll, turned around awkwardly in his half-crouched stance.
What just blew up…?
Thud.
The orc warrior collapsed limply. Its head was gone.
Kim Ji-hoon processed what happened. No doubt about it. A 0-circle neutral magic bullet had one-shot a C-rank monster.
"I did hit the weak spot, its head, but still…"
A C-rank monster for 17,000G? With a 0-circle scroll? Did that even make sense?
"Hah…"
A hollow laugh escaped him. The clean result filled him with confidence.
I can definitely hold out with this…
asd123's scrolls—he still had two left.
And if he timed them right, like using a 2-circle Ice Spear to hinder the enemy's movements.
I can minimize damage until backup arrives.
But the moment Kim Ji-hoon made that call, a roar echoed from somewhere.
"Snort—!!!"
The ground shook at the same time.
Thud… Thud…!
Growing louder. A monster far larger than the orc warrior was approaching the fields.
Startled, Kim Ji-hoon dropped low.
In the distance, he could make out the monster's hazy silhouette.
"...I'm screwed."
An ominous size. The orc chieftain, sensing one of its underlings' death, charged forward snorting in rage.
He sensed it was too late to run. The thing swung its staff.
Flames trailed its arc.
Whoosh!
The ring of fire coalesced into a "fireball."
Kim Ji-hoon's mind went blank as he frantically rummaged through his subspatial storage.
"Water attribute…!"
He tore through the scrolls like a madman, but nothing suitable came to hand.
And the fireball didn't wait.
"Damn it!!!"
The flames closed in.
In desperation, Kim Ji-hoon tossed aside the storage and unrolled a prepped scroll.
[Magic Scroll: Neutral Magic Bullet | Base Damage: 0.64 | Mana Cost: 31 | Attribute: Neutral | Creator: asd123]
The best neutral scroll he'd bought for 25,000G. He poured mana into it.
Fwaaah.
The moment the blue glow lit the circuit, the fireball engulfed the scroll. The parchment caught fire. The flames leaped to Kim Ji-hoon's hand.
"Argh!"
Searing pain. Kim Ji-hoon dropped the scroll and squeezed his eyes shut.
But the magic bullet fired from the scroll.
That much hung in the air.
Kraaack—!!
The two spells collided.
...In magic, information and structure equate to power.
The fire-attribute fireball.
It held more information and structure than a neutral magic bullet.
…Am I dying here?
His mind unraveling, Kim Ji-hoon accepted the outcome. A lifetime of thoughts flashed by.
I was an idiot. Trusting my life to a scroll.
His brother's words—Don't skimp on stupid stuff—hit home now.
Why was I so damn cheap…
May he awaken something better next life. He consoled himself as death loomed.
But.
"...?"
Time passed, yet his thoughts persisted. The burning pain didn't spread up his arm.
What?
Kim Ji-hoon cautiously opened his eyes. What he saw:
"Holy…"
Not a fireball engulfing him, but a neutral magic bullet flying toward the orc.
This mere 0-circle spell crushed the C-rank named monster's attack.
Krunch!
And dealt real damage to the chieftain itself!
Witnessing this, Kim Ji-hoon pulled himself together. He realized what scroll he'd used.
asd123's overwhelmingly superior scroll. A magic bullet that crushed with sheer perfection in information and structure.
"Hah…"
Kim Ji-hoon let out an exclamation. His breath carried complex emotions. But the thought crossing his mind was simple.
"I'm alive. Fuck, I'm alive…"
His heart pounded wildly. He scrambled up and rummaged through his subspatial storage again.
"Grrr."
The recovered orc chieftain swung its staff.
This time, ice spears rose above it.
But Kim Ji-hoon had a scroll unrolled too.
[Magic Scroll: Explosion | Base Damage: 0.35 | Mana Cost: 210 | Attribute: Fire]
A 3-circle magic scroll.
One made by some unknown creator. Kim Ji-hoon unrolled it.
This isn't the time to hold back.
The moment he tried to activate it.
Someone leaped from behind him, shattered the ice spears, and cleaved the orc chieftain's head clean off.
"You dumb little bro, that's why I told you not to skimp on the wrong things."
Backup had arrived. His big brother, Kim Ji-seok, a Hunter with the Association.
"Bro!"
Kim Ji-called out in relief and joy, but Kim Ji-seok eyed his brother's hand with a sour look.
He'd seen the whole thing.
"But… what was that magic bullet just now?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Around that time.
Park Ha-jun finally finished drawing his fifth scroll.
Gold on Hand: 6,000G
He hadn't listed it on the Auction House yet.
He stared at the freshly made scroll, lost in thought for a moment.
[Magic Scroll: Neutral Magic Bullet | Base Damage: 0.68 | Mana Cost: 29 | Attribute: Neutral | Circuit Completion: 3.5-circle]
[High circuit completion boosts final efficiency by 70%!]
The result of 70% completion.
The numbers keep improving with each one.
A satisfying outcome, but.
Park Ha-jun clicked his tongue.
…I'm hitting my limit.
He'd already drawn nine scrolls.
Park Ha-jun had grasped the basics of his ability, and that explained why completion rates kept rising.
The quill's effect—drawing precision.
The dictionary definition of "drawing" here: copying another image.
So, what image was the magic quill copying?
…My mind.
In other words, it copied the circuit in Park Ha-jun's head. Not the system-provided one.
Meaning my understanding of the circuit directly boosts completion.
The clarity of the mental circuit.
Better memory and grasp of stroke order improved results.
Accepting this, Park Ha-jun confronted his limit.
My understanding isn't low by any means…
Yet completion topped out at 70%.
"..."
Leaning back in his chair, Park Ha-jun opened the [Exclusive Shop].
[Exclusive Shop: Low-grade Magic Quill - Drawing Precision: 3 | 1,000,000G]
"...I need this now."
One million gold. Ten million won in cash.
But dipping into his own pocket wasn't feasible yet.
He needed to earn from scroll sales.
I need to accurately gauge my scrolls' value and sell them for more than they're worth if possible.
With that, he entered the [Auction House].
Searched for Magic Scroll—Neutral Magic Bullet.
This time, not skimming prices—he cross-checked options and costs.
[Auction Listing: Magic Scroll—Neutral Magic Bullet | Price: 18,000G | Base Damage: 0.15 | Mana Cost: 60 | Attribute: Neutral | Circuit Completion: 0.8-circle]
…The stats.
Ridiculously low compared to his.
Huh? These sell?
Curious, he browsed others. Most had similar stats.
A few even sold while he looked.
"..."
It stung. He rationalized—I can make scrolls anytime—but it still stung.
There's a reason they sold fast.
It burned, but what's done was done. Time to sell smart from now on.
But how much should I list for?
No comparisons.
Just that his scrolls dominated the stats.
In cases like this, demand set the price.
Pondering briefly.
Let's try double last sale price first.
If it sells, inch up gradually. He listed one at 50,000G.
A minute passed. Not as quick as before.
Too high?
But as worry hit, a system message appeared.
[Auction House: Magic Scroll—Magic Bullet has sold.]
Demand at this price, huh.
Then one more at 60,000G.
[Auction House: Magic Scroll—Magic Bullet has sold.]
It sold too.
"..."
How much was he making just doodling with a quill in his room?
Exhaling in awe, Park Ha-jun's gaze drifted to the remaining scrolls.
…How much more can these fetch?
Of course, converting gold to cash wasn't immediate.
He needed to register as an Awakener with the Association first.
I enjoy this, but not sure about registering yet.
Park Ha-jun's hesitation stemmed from villains.
With physical stats like a normal person, operating as an Awakener required group protection.
He couldn't tell if his ability warranted Association or guild safeguarding.
My scrolls have solid stats, but they're still 0-circle.
Good enough to attract villains without full protection.
Paying gold for safety felt like a loss too.
Hold off on registration for now. But…
Ramen packets filled the fridge drawer. He was starting to gag at the sight.
With gold piling up, he craved new lecture gear too.
Thus, Park Ha-jun decided.
…Sinking all this gold just into my ability would be a waste.
Didn't someone mention a 2-circle Barrier?
At 2-circle, I'll know my ability's worth.
He'd seriously consider registration then.
If it merited group backing, or if Barrier ensured his safety.
Until then, reinvest in the ability freely.
Growth meant more gold income.
Having sorted his thoughts, as Park Ha-jun went to list the third scroll.
[Sponsorship Arrived!]
"?"
He blinked at the unfamiliar message.
…Sponsorship?
Something an F-rank like him shouldn't get.
Sponsorships were typically for guilds or the Association recruiting promising Hunters.
Gold tied directly to growth, so it wasn't handed out lightly.
Why me?
His scrolls outshone Auction House ones, but still 0-circle.
Worth sponsoring?
Resting his chin, Park Ha-jun checked the amount. Probably pocket change.
But seeing it, he sat up straight and counted the zeros uncharacteristically.
"One, ten, hundred…"
[Sponsorship Details: #1 | Sponsor: 50 Billion Farmer | Amount: 1,500,000G]
"?"
15 million won. He gasped. Stared blankly for a while. As time passed, one word remained in his head.
"Why?"
A farmer? Guild master raising members like crops? Plausible.
"…There's a message too."
Dazed, he checked the sponsorship message.
[Sponsorship Message: Creator, I love you so much. You saved my life. I run a farm in Gangwon Province—come visit anytime…]
Too bewildering for Park Ha-jun, who'd just been doodling in his room.
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