Everyone Else is a Returnee

To think she’d mention YuNa and big brother without anything else… thinking that it may have been such a tempting offer, Yu IlHan laughed.

Yu IlHan and Kang MiRae had not talked about Na YuNa and Kang HaJin as of yet.

“It seems you’ve heard from them.”

[I wanted to thank you after I got to know that you’ve saved them, but since I judged that it would be inappropriate to do it over the phone, I was hesitating.]

That seemed to mean that she needed to meet up with him to thank him. Thinking that she was really an interesting person, Yu IlHan replied.

“If you give me a suitable compensation, then I have no reason to refuse. But I’m not so sure about magic, but I have no idea on how to amplify holy powers.”

[I will talk to YuNa about it. Breya, that’s the world she went to, and it probably has the materials to raise holy power.]

“Then I will request the smith as soon as I gather the materials for yours, miss Kang MiRae. I will consider it if you want any specific details.”

[Khm. If you have the time, then it will be better if we meet up to talk about it. I’m fine with right now too.]

Yu IlHan thought about it for a moment before nodding his head. He wasn’t that busy since he had evolved the Resting skill and advanced to his 2nd class.

“Very well then.”

After finishing the call, Yu IlHan washed himself and clothed himself. As always, he wore the decolorized jeans, and a leather jacket(this looked quite cool since it was made from the Highland Troll Boss’ skin.), then wore the newly repaired wolf skull mask. When Lita saw that, she heaved a sigh of relief.

[Phew, it seems you aren’t going on a date, looking at you like that.]

“That’s strange, I’m definitely not going on a date, but something’s boiling inside me now that I heard those words.”

Not to mention dates, Yu IlHan had never gone outside with any woman, for his entire life. No one recognized him anyway so there was no need for him to change clothes every day either. Since he wore a fixed set of clothing per season, he looked like [Friend A] from a stereotypical fantasy game.

Even so, that guy was at least friends with a main character from a game, but Yu IlHan had none of that. How blessed was the life inside a game, where they could count friends with ABC!

Meanwhile, Kang MiRae showed that she was extraordinary starting from her choice of venue. It was a high-class tea shop, where each group of customers were given rooms, and where Yu IlHan had never set foot inside before.

No, in fact, whether it’s high-class or normal, Yu IlHan had no friends so he never went to a café before anyway.

Yu IlHan arrived at the place, but the shop employees could not find his figure, so he could not be guided by them, but since he was too used to it, it didn’t even make him angry. Only after tapping the counter several times could he be guided into the room where Kang MiRae waited for him.

“Hello, it’s been a while.”

“Hello……Ah.”

Surprisingly, Kang MiRae faced him with her mask off. Her beauty, although it wasn’t as much as Na YuNa’s, who threatened those of higher existences’, despite being a lower one, with her neat and dignified aura, she was a beauty who gave an impression of proudness. Of course, to the mentally dysfunctile Yu IlHan, it could not affect him whatsoever.

“You do not have to take off your mask. I only took mine off to show you that I have nothing to hide from you. However, my trust and your trust doesn’t necessarily have to be on the same level. I’m giving you respect including that.”

“As you wish.”

The angels were wary against her, thinking that she was having black thoughts, but Kang MiRae herself just went straight into topic as soon as Yu IlHan sat down.

“You do know that mage’s weapons are different starting from the materials, right?”

“Yes.”

In fact, he didn’t know that, but he would ask the angels anyway, so that didn’t matter. She nodded at Yu IlHan’s acknowledgement and continued speaking.

“In fact, I was looking into various things to make a new weapon. However, rather than the blacksmithing skill or other productive skills, the mana crafting ability needs to be high in order to make a mage’s weapon. With my connections, I was hard pressed to find anyone with a level 20 mana crafting or above.”

“29.”

Level 20 was nothing. It was achievable with just making only tens of Traps of Destruction. The moment she heard his answer, Kang MiRae gripped her fists tight under the table. Her mouth was also curved into a smile.

“A basic increase in magic attack and an increase in lightning magic. These two are my two basic requirements. On top of that, if there’s another option attached, then it will help me out a lot in the future……”

“In other words, you also want a beta option?”

“It’s not compulsory. Beta options aren’t that easy to find.”

Although she said that, Kang MiRae’s eyes were glistening. After finding out the ‘smith that Yu IlHan was connected to’ had a level 29 mana crafting, her expectations were increasing.

Thinking that she had quite a cute side unlike her cold impression, Yu IlHan replied.

“Then shall I hear about that? To make a beta option that you want to have if there is one.”

“The decrease in magic skill reuse delay.”

At once, it turned into a game talk.

“The Palace Magic Chief of Palladia empire had a unique-rank staff, and the option attached to that staff was the decrease in magic skill reuse delay. With that ability, when he killed a 4th class monster alone… I still cannot forget the overwhelming scene.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Of course, it’s just a wish. I don’t want such an absurd option, so please just consider it.”

Whether it’s the passion contained in her words, or her shining expression, it wasn’t just that much, but Yu IlHan decided not to retort. Moreover, he was thinking of a beta option as the basics, so he was confident in satisfying her puffed up wish.

While Yu IlHan was writing down Kang MiRae’s requirements, she asked in careful tone.

“You also said this over the phone, but can you make a robe for a mage?”

“Of course.”

“The materials don’t matter whether it’s cloth or leather, but if possible, I want an option to increase magic ability. The robe I’m wearing right now also has that ability, so if the results are lower than that, I would have to apologize but I won’t trade.”

“That much is obvious. If there’s a beta option, then what would it be…?”

“The robe too!? According to the legends of the Magic Empire, Illta (T/N: That’s one I and two Ls), the robe that the hero was wearing had an option to increase magic recovery. No, it’s not like I want such an exaggerated option……!”

Yu IlHan had to listen to a 5 minute sermon of how great that hero was, from her. Perhaps, the fact that she became a lightning magician was not related to her aptitude, but the heart of a legendary hero-admiring little girl – Yu IlHan carefully threw away that delusion.

Next came the negotiation of price. How much should be call? Was a billion won (≈870,000USD) for the combined price of the staff and the robe too expensive? But it wasn’t like a smith at the level of Yu IlHan could be seen easily, so couldn’t he just ask for that much? She might not have that amount of cash so should he ask for another thing?

While Yu IlHan was rolling his brains, Kang MiRae spoke up.

“Let’s start from 3 billion with the weapon with an alpha option as the basis.”

“Sorry?”

“If somehow a beta option with a decrease in reuse delay appears, then I’ll give you 10 billion even if the magic abilities lack a little. Of course, I can give you more according to the option.”

Yu IlHan lost his words when he heard her words which were in a different scale from his own. She lives in a good environment, she’s not ordinary. He did think that, but he had never thought that she was able to give 10 billion won for a single weapon.

Kang MiRae wasn’t just well off. She was extraordinarily well off on an earthly scale.

“2 billion for the robe. But if it has the beta option I want, then I’ll give you seven. Is it too little? I don’t have a lot of money I can use yet, so if you think it’s too little, then I’ll give you other things as well.”

“No, it’s enough.”

It wasn’t like he had not thought of stripping her whole (T/N: NOT literally), at this opportunity, but the things she offered were of too high level, so his greed wasn’t provoked. Just what was the identity of this woman? He just found it absurd.

“I will contact you again about YuNa and my brother’s equipments.”

“Okay, then I’ll request for yours first, miss Kang MiRae. It won’t be long.”

After a clean farwell, the two parted ways. However, as they parted, Yu IlHan’s head was seriously complex.

“Is my ability kinda amazing?”

[To think you’d think about that now, you’re quite amazing as always.](Erta)

[Even when you have seen the absurd amount of results you’ve done until now… You only accept when money is offered, eh?](Lita)

Yu IlHan’s actions, after his eyes flipped the moment he got to know of 15 billion won, changed explosively.

There were two dungeons he had to conquer starting now. Quegna’s dungeon, in which, Quegnae, known for preserving magic power in its bones, were living, and the dungeon where mutated species, due to lightning power being concentrated in it, appeared. (T/N: Should the plural of Quegna be Quegnae? My inferior latin tells me so.)

The bones of Quegnae were currently at the top of the pyramid of the materials to make a magic staff as of now on Earth. It was only unfortunate that the dungeon was in China, but as it was in a place that was hard to find by other humans, it was also fortunate that it would be cleared out before he went there.

Fortunately, the dungeon with the mutated species was in Korea, so he headed there first.

“Although I’m slightly bothered by the word mutated, but it should be alright, right?”

[If any dungeons connected to Abandoned Worlds, then Earth would be ruined.](Erta)

[Even the reports of other angels say that there are no dungeons connecting to Abandoned Worlds other than the troll dungeon in which Reta Kar’iha was in. So relax.](Lita)

The angels were guaranteeing themselves, but Yu IlHan would get more and more worried the more they ensured as such. He’d rather believe in the weather forecast than the angels!

Whether she knew what he was thinking or not, Lita only urged him to run faster while grabbing onto his hair.

The mutated species dungeon was in Gangwon-do. When Yu IlHan arrived at the mountain on which the dungeon was located, the sky was already becoming darker.

Yu IlHan found the dungeon, checked the scale of the vortex, and confirmed that there wasn’t a trace of anything around the dungeon before heaving a sigh of relief.

“Good, I saw through it.”

[I already said I won’t tackle that any more.](Erta)

[Just how dramatic of a life did IlHan live to the point that he’s happy to see a normal dungeon? Just what did you do?](Lita)

[It will just make me sadder to talk about it so please don’t touch on that topic, Lita](Erta)

The level requirement for entering the dungeon was level 70 but Yu IlHan was currently with two angels. When they manipulated, the text on his retina instantly changed into 50.

[Change it so that it would change back after IlHan enters, and… done.](Lita)

[Considering the rate of growth that Earth is undergoing, the fact that such a high level dungeon has appeared is not a good thing. It’s way higher compared to the average of other worlds.]

“I decided not to consider that damn ‘average’ the moment I fought the Shadow Leopard.”

After Yu IlHan entered the dungeon with the two angels, the level 50 requirement changed into level 70 again. This was the proof that no outside interferences would be able to affect him. This dungeon was one where he could hunt without worries!

However, at that moment, in China, something which would make Yu IlHan tired again, just as he found an ‘ordinary life’, was occurring.

If the distance was a little far apart, then they would meet at least at a later time, but this was occurring in a nearby dungeon to the Quegna’s dungeon which Yu IlHan would go to after clearing the mutated species dungeon!

“Yes, sir Dakié. The dungeon mutation is going as you ordered. I guarantee that it would be successful this time. There won’t be any interference like last time.”

[Did you find out who that damn seed was? Earth is a precious land. Even I do not want it to be invaded by an Abandoned World.]

“There are a lot of worlds connected to Earth. There might be some idiot who might be thinking something crazy.”

[The moment you confirm that the dimensional connection is successful, then conceal the dungeon immediately. To perfectly connect dimensions, we need a lot of time. You can do that much, right?]

“Of course. We have an exceptional ally on this side.”

After the the interdimensional talk through the artifact was finished, the owner of that voice carefully stood up and grumbled.

“Fuck, I don’t know what suffering I’m going through.”

There was definitely one ‘human’ at this place, but there was a voice which replied to his voice. It was an entity which was floating in the air, with a pair of wings behind the back. A male angel.

[Even though he’s barely on the same boat as a Heavenly power with all the support of the empire, that puny mage think he’s the center of the world. Humans really are disgusting.]

“You’re saying that a historical 4th class mage is puny?”

[HA! Us higher existences exist above 4th class.]

It seemed that bragging about being higher existences were the same with any angel. However, the man snorted when he heard the angel’s words.

“You’re not that different since you’re relying on mere higher existences without being able to do anything by yourselves. Anyway, you’ll conceal the dungeon properly, right?”

[I said relax. Last time, it became like that since something unexpected happened, but concealing a dungeon with just 1st class monsters is nothing. Unless a higher angel comes near here.]

Despite the guarantee of the angel, the man shouted in shock.

“A higher angel? You’re saying we may get discovered by them?”

[You don’t need to worry.]

The male angel declared proudly.

[There are no higher angels who would come down to Earth, which has only gone through its first Great Cataclysm, on their own accord!]

“That’s true. No matter how many things are occurring here on Earth, this is just one of the many lower worlds.”

Earth was just a small well. It was just that the fact that it was connected to many other worlds made it a little special. A small world that’s not damaged, from a bigger world’s view, Earth was just a small world worthy to be treated as a useful colony!

As he realized that, as he wanted a bigger world, the man contracted with a mage from another world. The day that contract was fulfilled, the man would earn the world!

Of course, they did not know…

…that, like there was a damned angel who worked against Heaven, despite belong to it, that there was an angel who came down of her own accord to see a man, despite being of a higher rank.

Author’s notes

1. At the initial stages of the Great Cataclysm, there was a time when Yu IlHan sold some ordinary wild dogs’ skin to the government for a high price. That’s because it was the initial stages, because of Yu IlHan’s dismantling abilities, and the fact that the government wanted to make a tie with Yu IlHan, and some other complex elements that made the price so high. Now, that wouldn’t work.

2. Every time I look at the weather forecast, I think – Adults are liars!

3. Mages are great. If there’s a knight to protect them, then they will become the ruler of the battefield!

Translator’s notes

Regular chapter for Thursday(sorry for being late)

1150KRW = 1USD, you do the maths, I can’t be bothered.

Translator : Chamber