Episode 76

Jin Chang-hoon chose to keep himself busy with hospital work.

He couldnt imagine why Sung-wook would even call him down to the buildings basement. However, when he finally reached the training room in the basement, his jaw dropped.

You his eyes were wide open in shock.

How do I look? Sung-wook asked innocently.

You crazy bastard! He immediately ran to Sung-wook and supported his friends body.

Sung-wooks complexion looked very pale.

You damn bastard! Why dont you just cut off your wrists if you wanted to kill yourself?

He couldnt help but get upset, immediately going to check Sung-wooks limbs. Blood vessels were protruding his body.

Come on, its not that bad, Sung-wook reasoned.

Fortunately, it seemed that he only suffered from a temporary shock.

Its been four years since Ive been in this shape. Getting sick for a day is not bad at all.

Sung-wook took out a pill with his trembling hands and swallowed it.

Jin Chang-hoon found this absurd.

Why are you doing this? You said youve moved on? Youve already been an instructor, an agent, but in the end

I promised him, Sung-wook cut him off.

At this, Jin Chang-hoon fell silent. He knew who made Sung-wook promise.

Yoo-seong.

Nonsense, Jin Chang-hoon thought. He was a doctor.

If there was any way to fix broken veins, he would have done it for Sung-wook already.

Although he wasnt considered the best in the industry, he was still among the elite ones.

He had squeezed everything he could grab his hands on to try helping Sung-wook. His bookshelf at the Hospital Directors office was full of various studies related to the recovery of fine veins.

In short, there was simply no way.

Its not that I dont believe Yoo-seong, Jin Chang-hoon lied. But you can only focus on training your body.

Ive been doing it, Sung-wook replied to him.

Since Yoo-seong had left, Sung-wook had trained hard to restore his physical condition back to what it was four years ago.

But I still have a lot of time left every day. I cant just warm up and play around, Sung-wook explained.

Play around? Jin Chang-hoon snorted at this. The training Sung-wook did daily was harsher than even those in active duty had gone through.

However, it was still natural to have time left after training. The problem was only Sung-wooks body was exhausted.

The fire that Yoo-seong had revived never left Sung-wooks eyes.

He wanted to prove that his abilities had not been lost. They had just been repressed all these years. After watching the broadcast a few days ago, it was as if oil was poured over the already blazing fire.

It was a live broadcast from China.

Lee Hwi-min didnt think Yoo-seong would appear in the Dive briefing. That was why he had handed over the broadcasting rights to everyone, even to public broadcasts overseas.

He wanted to embarrass Yoo-seong not only in China, but also in his homeland.

However, Yoo-seong had showed up.

He remembered Yoo-seongs firm face as he declared that hes participating in the Dive.

Yoo-seong ended up burying Lee Hwi-min in the very trap that was made for him.

In Korea, there was a heated debate over Yoo-seongs appearance at the briefing event.

What kind of activities would be assigned to him?

What was the Tech he used to overpower a former Ship Zone hunter?

How did Yoo-seong get that Tech?

The social networks were buzzing with opinions and more questions about Yoo-seong.

-Oh Yoo-seong VS Lee Jae-hak: Whos better?

-Honestly, if Yoo-seong was back in Korea, he would take first place in the rankings.

Even the patients who had come to Jin Chang-hoons hospital asked him if he was indeed Yoo-seongs doctor. Jin Chang-hoon also felt unspeakable pride.

Sung-wook removed Jin Chang-hoons hand and struggled to stand without help.

There is no one who has his back. Hes all alone there. Sung-wook said in a low voice.

But hes doing such a great job, Jin Chang-hoon tried to reassure him.

No, Sung-wooks voice was firm. We only see his success. He must have gone through unknown difficulties to achieve that.

So, I cant stay here and wait around, he added resolutely.

Jin Chang-hoon was silent.

By the way Sung-wook tried to break the ice. How do I look? Ive asked you earlier.

Jin Chang-hoon shook his head and smiled. Like a madman, he teased his friend.

As he did, he prayed earnestly.

May Yoo-seong find the miracle he promised Sung-wook.

He has to.

***

Yoo-seong watched the briefing video once again.

No matter how many times I listen to it, he thought. It sounds like it was just for show.

Lee Hwi-mins voice flowed out of the tablet PC.

-With this operation, we will find out the root cause of the undetected rift. A complete defense of the country and the safety of the people

Any hunter would recognize the problem right away.

There is no definite purpose for this Dive. If there is, Lee Hwi-min does not say it.

Yoo-seong definitely had Dive experience.

He had prepared for it and studied with top-secret materials provided by the Korean Special Defense Agency.

Why did hunters Dive in the first place?

It was because humanity was still clueless about the land beyond the cracks. Hunters were professionals, but they were trained to hunt monsters. Research was not their main strength.

In the past, professional engineers were even brought inside the cracks to operate pulse breakers. The only reason hunters in a rush team could operate it now was because the machines had been simplified enough with the advances in technology.

The same went for investigating the alien world.

If there is no specific goal set and a Dive was made just for exploration purposes, Yoo-seong thought, They shouldnt send a party composed of just hunters.

It was yet another reason why only rankers were chosen to Dive in Korea. They only chose people who had the highest chance of survival.

The Agency could only hope that the hunters could bring something, anything, back. That was, if they ever got back at all.

Still, there was a clear goal to bring back samples.

Not on this Dive. It was pure propaganda. This was an event to make people forget about the Shanghai Shock.

It was also a promotion to show that China was not putting its hands down.

It doesnt matter to me, Yoo-seong thought.

Rather, the Dive would be a great opportunity for him. He turned off the tablet PC and looked at something else.

Five utility slots.

There were several by-products in them. These were raw materials Yoo-seong purchased from the Chinese market.

12 teeth of grinder bird-,

3 kg of khaki baobab stems that live beyond the cracks.

There were also 200g of beeswax, and two sheets of 30cm x 30cm leather.

After checking the four ingredients, Yoo-seongs gaze went to the shape below the slots.

He stared at the Combination button, the one with the hammer and fist icon. He blinked. In an instant, the four raw materials disappeared.

Then, a message flashed underneath.

-Combination complete.

On the first slot, a brown object shaped like a human hand appeared.

Yoo-seong took it out of the slot to observe it more closely.

The Crusher Glove.

It was a piece of simple equipment that can be made using the environment inside the rift in case of emergencies. It was designed as striking equipment with more destructive power than most brass knuckles.

Yoo-seong turned it over, then threw it onto the bed.

Chaeng-!

It landed atop a pile of equipment that Yoo-seong had experimented with.

He had been testing the Combination button for a while now. The principle was simple.

All that was needed were enough raw materials. They needed to be placed in the slots.

The Combination button needed to be pressed by blinking.

Then, the raw materials would disappear, and the finished product would appear on an empty slot.

Combination only needed Yoo-seong to satisfy two conditions:

One he must have enough raw materials.

Two must also know the product he wanted to create.

Once the two conditions are met, the Combination is made successfully.

With the new function, Yoo-seong could create not only handmade objects, but also equipment that required the help of machines.

For him, the limit of utility slots was indeed the most important.

He only had five. Thus, he could only make simple equipment because other complex equipment required more ingredients.

It would be nice if I had more slots, he thought.

But for what he wanted to do, five seemed to be enough.

Yoo-seong picked up a book placed on the desk. It was Yang Woo-jins book, which he picked up in the forbidden library of Jeokryong-dong.

The magic bullet that Yang Woo-jin wanted to make required only five ingredients.

Yoo-seong had decided to take those ingredients while on the Dive. Tomorrow, he would create the Red Dragon Magic Bullet.

Just as he was about to open Yang Woo-jins book, he heard a knock.

Tuk-!

Tuk-!

Yoo-seong quickly hid the ancient book in his slot.

Come in, he called out.

The door slowly opened.

It was Seoyu. She was pale and trembling.

Boss

Whats wrong? Yoo-seong was genuinely worried for her.

From the outside, he heard footsteps coming from behind her.

Yoo-seong pressed the button.

Hoh!

It was a familiar voice. However, it wasnt a face he wanted to see right now.

I didnt know that crafting was your hobby?

It was Jin Wei-baek.

The old man had a strange smile as Yoo-seong greeted him with purple blossoms unfolded.