I Make Them (5)
[It looks like a truly huge-scale dungeon will be born.]
[I don’t want to admit it, but this human has a talent as a Trap maker.]
It was truly a grand scene. Inside a range that was obviously larger than a single district, countless monsters were running towards the hill. Amongst them, there were some which were just confronting human military until just now.
Yu IlHan asked dumbfoundedly after looking at that scene.
“Just……What’s the principle?”
[The power that the Trap of Destruction is emitting is a magic that deceives all five senses of the monsters. The monsters arrive here looking for what they want, whatever it may be, and as a result, get trapped inside the dungeon.]
Erta spoke confidently, but it was a truly frightening magic. If one thought that it may be used against humans, then it wasn’t something to laugh about at all.
Is it possible for it to be used against humans – Yu IlHan was about to ask, but refrained from doing so in the end.
It was because he felt like he would be frightened if he heard the answer.
[It seems like it’s starting in other places as well.]
Next to Yu IlHan, who was dumbfounded after seeing the frightening ability of the Trap of Destruction and the stampede of monsters, another angel mumttered. Other places? When Yu IlHan creased his eyeborws, Erta made a small smile as she spoke.
[In your trap, there was also a magic that ccould change the aura of other Traps of Destruction scattered on Earth. We can’t just throw away the traps made in heaven just like that. Anyway, it seems like those have also started to lure monsters.]
“So that was it, I did know that the amount of harkanium was too little to be placed on Earth, but it was for that reason.”
[It’s a precious metal. Recycling is the first step to being environmentally friendly.].
The other angels were looking at Yu IlHan’s and Erta’s conversation with strange eyes. When were you so close? – at the question their eyes seemed to be asking, the two became awkward and turned their heads.
The monsters, which had acquired power for revenge after enduring one thousand years in a world where time was frozen, were truly futilely crawling into destruction with their own feet.
Until the day the dungeon is opened by a human, they would be trapped inside that prison.
Despite the fact that this was a result that Yu IlHan wanted, their figures of rus.h.i.+ng into the Trap of Destruction seemed as if he was looking at the humans not being able to escape destiny no matter how they struggled, so it didn’t feel that good.
‘No.’
Yu IlHan stopped his thoughts there, shaking his head. Just what could he do by sympathizing with the monsters. If he didn’t do that, then humans would just become their sacrifices.
It had only been a few days since the Great Cataclysm happened, during that time, didn’t Yu IlHan experience enough and realize it already? Monsters were always hostile to humans, and they wanted to evolve into something even more horrific.
So, it wasn’t that Yu IlHan sympathized with the monsters.
He shuddered as he confirmed that those ‘Heavenly existences’ have enough ability to do that to him even if they weren’t hostile. Even those frightening monsters had, in the end, become playthings for G.o.d and the angels.
Yu IlHan thoughtof his one thousand years of life. He thought of the overwhelming power that was used to send all of humanity to other worlds, with just the reason that they needed to prepare for the Great Cataclysm, and the fact that he had to spend one thousand years, even when he hadn’t done anything wrong, on Earth alone as he was left out.
He remembered that all of his pains and sufferings were summed up in just one word – ‘mistake’.
At that moment, something welled up inside his heart. The emotions he had hid with comical actions and positive thinking in order to maintain his human mentality during those countless years came up to the surface and shook him violently for a moment.
I want to become strong.
I want to become so strong that no one can tell me what to do anymore.
It was not to meet someone, or to trample on someone, or to survive right now.
He wanted to become strong only for his freedom.
For the first time, he thought that.
[The dungeon’s being made, Yu IlHan.]
Yu IlHan came to himself after hearing Erta’s words and lifted his head up.
Halfway up the hill, where the Trap of Destruction had been placed, after countless monsters that couldn’t be counted just by one or two thousand, gathered, the mana from the Trap and the mana from the monsters seemed to clash, and a strange mana current appeared to cover them.
[It’s done. We’ve done it.]
[Everything according to G.o.d’s will.]
[The other Traps are also smoothly attracting monsters and becoming dungeons. It’s a perfect success.]
The angels all expressed their delight. Some smiled lightly towards Yu IlHan but some ignored him. It was good that they were so individualistic.
[Looking at the size of Earth, we need to make about 27 more. We will give you the reward after confirming the activation of the last Trap of Destruction.]
“Then I’ll make them right away.”
[You don’t really have to. We’ll only make the second Trap of Destruction after 2 days at least.]
Yu IlHan tilted his head.
“Weren’t you in a hurry?”
[We are, but we don’t have the magic power.]
That was true, they did indeed pour out enormous amounts of mana in the mana crafting process.
Yu IlHan also didn’t need them to be quick. Just that.
“It’s not like you’re the only angels up there…….Yeah, like Rita.”
Yes. Can’t they just rotate the members!? He just wanted to finish the quest as soon as possible and it wasn’t like he wanted to see Rita, not at all!
In truth, he really wanted to see her, but Yu IlHan’s trained pokerface didn’t show any ripple on the outside.
[Not all angels are so free. These angels are have work related to the dungeons on Earth, and other angels have work to do in other worlds. So, we have no choice but to wait until our mana recovers to proceed.]
“Your work environments are tough too, eh.”
[Rita especially has a lot of work as she accommodated a lot for you and is suffering. For a while, she won’t be able to be dispatched on Earth.]
Of course, his pokerface didn’t work on Erta. Erta’s mischievous smile, as if she knew everything, made him want to punch her.
After Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders, he turned his gaze away from her and looked at the scene where the Trap of Destruction used on Earth changed into its dungeon form before speaking with a sigh.
“Let’s go back. I’ll do the form creation process first.”
[You really know nothing other than work……]
That night, after the ma.s.s moving of the monsters which occurred in Seoul, the capital of Korea, the world became noisy. The scene of huge numbers of monsters gathering at a hill and disappearing into a fissure in s.p.a.ce was captured by a camera and was broadcasted through the news.
What remained was the appearance of a dungeon that all the humans on Earth that have been to other worlds, were familiar with. With the first occurrence of a dungeon as the center, they could observe that dungeons were appearing in all of Korea, j.a.pan over the sea, and parts of China over the borders.
After looking at that, some rejoiced that this was a proof that Earth was starting to stabilize, and some complained why the stabilization occurred in an Asian country, which had nothing much to it.
Various humans, who hadn’t received quests from other worlds, or those who came back after finis.h.i.+ng one or two, were spewing bulls.h.i.+t through the internet.
[Experts are warning that the animals may become monsters even if they haven’t become monsters yet. Meanwhile, under government supervision, work is progressing in regards to picking livestock which have no possibility to become monsters using database from other worlds as basis, and as it was found out to be possible to bring suitable livestock back to Earth as quest reward from other worlds, we’re expecting that there won’t be any serious impacts in future……]
Yu IlHan turned off the TV. His mother and father hadn’t come back yet. It wasn’t that he was not worried about the two of them, but he consoled himself thinking that they would cope well in any situation as they didn’t have militant tendencies, and above all, possessed a plethora of experience in ‘society’.
He then stood up and headed to the workshop.
“Shall I make about five by tomorrow!?”
[No, Yu IlHan. Well, although this can’t be called a reward, but as a bonus for achieving something above my imagination, there is something I want to do for you. If you receive that, then there won’t be any time to make the traps.]
“You’re going to give me some of that harkanium!?”
[Keep your dreams for when you’re asleep.]
Erta’s bonus was none other than the processing of the leather that was currently in the middle of tanning inside his workshop. When all the leather from the bear, Direwolf, and other wolves were perfectly dried and sterilized with a wave of her hand, Yu IlHan couldn’t close his mouth. Moreover, it seemed like it became harder and more durable.
“Perfect. No, I think the quality became better.”
[How is it? Now you have something to work on, right?]
It was as Erta said. There was no time to cling on to the Traps of Destruction which couldn’t even be activated. Because there were so many materials waiting for him to work on them!
He immediately went into making a leather armor.
First, he made an inner wear with the thin Direwolf leather, enhancing it with a few magic stones. To Yu IlHan, who had even created a Trap of Destruction, despite the fact that angels were the one leading him, this level of mana crafting had become something he could do with his eyes closed.
Especially, Erta was considerably surprised after Yu IlHan added a ‘ventilation’ option using magic stones.
[When did you become so proficient?]
“Didn’t I say labor is finding the trick to it?”
He also made boots and gloves using the Direwolf’s leather. He added a ventilation option to these as well, but the thing he thought of as more important was an attacking option. He made sharp teeth protrude out from the end of the boots and the nails of the gloves when he wanted by consuming the wolves’ teeth in order to transform them into an artifact.
[Direwolf Leather Gloves]
[Rank – Rare]
[Defense – 600]
[Attack Power – 700]
[Direwolf Leather Boots]
[Rank – Rare]
[Defense – 550]
[Attack Power – 750]
After that, he made a leather armor with the entire hide of the brown bear. He put special materials into boiling oil, and proceeded to boil the leather several times in order the increas the already st.u.r.dy defense. By the time that he had created a piece of armor that fit him, a day had already gone by.
However, to Yu IlHan, who had acquired superhuman strength, this kind of overnight labor was at a laugable level. He showed extreme concentration as he kept in mind that he was making an amor to protect his body, and in the end, when the sun rose, he had created a boiled leather armor that he could boast as his most exceptional work after his steel spear.
[Hard Bear Leather Armor]
[Rank – Unique]
[Defense – 2,100]
[Durability – 850/850]
[A boiled leather armor made by a peak level master using the hide of the 2nd cla.s.s monster, Brown Big Bear. It’s the strongest of its level, and it will be able to endure the teeth of a high cla.s.s monster once.]
Of course, Yu IlHan didn’t stop there. He started putting the sharp teeth and the sharpened bones of the Direwolf and the Brown Big Bear in one place. Then, he used all his magic stones to mana craft.
He was aiming for one thing. Like the leather gloves and the leather boots, he wanted bones to protrude out from various places of the leather armor when he wanted.
His final objective was a hedge hog. A super strong one that ccould send a tiger to its grave with one spike!
[Mana crafting has become level 8.]
[‘Secretive’ ‘Sharp’ Hard Bear Critical Leather Armor was completed.]
Erta, who saw the entire process of armor creation from start to finish was dumbfounded after looking at the result. Just how could he do something strange so consistently!?
[Yu IlHan, why do you like blades popping out from nowhere so much?]
“It’s because it’s a man’s romance!”
There was not a shred of embarra.s.sment in Yu IlHan’s answer. He spoke so confidently and coolly that Erta momentarily thought ‘Hey, didn’t this guy just say something cool?’
[Secretive Sharp Hard Bear Critical Leather Armor]
[Rank – Unique]
[Defense – 2,200]
[Attack Power – 750]
[Durability – 900/900]
[A super weapon made by going through a special process on top of the boiled leather armor produced by a peak level master using the hide of the 2nd cla.s.s monster, Brown Big Bear.]
The completed armor was truly perfect. Not only did the armor do its job faithfully as a piece of armor, it also had attacking capabilities optimized for Yu IlHan, who could fight with all of his body. On top of that, there was both an alpha and a beta option to enhance it. If someone saw it, they might think that it was obvious for an option to be attached as a result of mana crafting. Even though reality was far from that!
After making a few bone knives to use when dismantling by sharpening the remaining bones, he lastly made a mask using the Direwolf’s skull to replace the Ir*nm*n mask, becoming refreshed as if he had just finished a number of piled up chorse.
[Bear Bone Knife]
[Rank – Rare]
[Attack Power – 500]
[Durability – 450/450]
[Direwolf Skull Mask]
[Rank – Rare]
[Defense – 600]
[Durability – 660/660]
[A mask made from a wolf’s skull that once posessed a large amount of mana. It has an unexpectedly high amount of defensive power.]
Now, he was planning to hold out with these until he acquired even stronger monster bones or new metals. He would probably be able to hold out. It was instead a problem that it would hold out for a longer time than he thought.
After Yu IlHan put on the leather inner wear, armor, boots, and gloves, he slotted the bone knife into the leather belt. When looking at the reflection of his figure after equipping the bone mask that he made to fit his head, he thought that he might look quite cool.
As expected, I look good when I hide my face! s.h.i.+t!
“How is it?”
[Amazing. I don’t know what you did to that mask but your presence is becoming even weaker!]
“I didn’t do anything to the mask!”
To Erta, who definitely said that even when she knew the truth, Yu IlHan tried to make her pay when he realized that outside was getting noisy.
The sound of something breaking, the sounds of hundreds and thousands of bullets, screams and shouts…… It was to the point that it made one wonder if this was from playing all of the action movies in the world at the same time.
“……What’s this noise?”
[It’s probably the military fighting against a monster. It’s not like all monsters would be lured by the dungeon.]
Immediately after the two spoke, a siren came with a good timing. The notice that he only heard when it rained a lot and the river flooded, tickled his ears.
[Ladies and Gentleman of JongNo district! Please evacuate to other worlds if you’re still inside the buildings! There’s danger of being attacked by a large 2nd cla.s.s monster! I repeat!]
“……”
[……]
The alarm that a large 2nd cla.s.s monster had appeared repeated itself continuously after that.
While Erta was facepalming at the fact that there was a 2nd cla.s.s monster that hadn’t been trapped by the dungeon, Yu IlHan muttered while sighing.
“Please let it be weaker than the Brown Big Bear……”
[Are you afraid of the fight? If it’s the you I’ve seen so far, then against 2nd cla.s.s monsters……]
“No.”
Yu IlHan’s shoulders drooped.
“If it’s stronger than that bear, then I need to strip its hide and make a new armor.”
[……]
Here was a master who was afraid of shovelling more than fighting. (T/N: ‘shovelling’ in Korean can mean different things: 1. literally digging the ground 2. hard labor 3. grinding)