Awakened as a Money-Spending Genius Enhancer - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 26

Chapter 26. [Dog Whistle +3]

The ‘Spirit Dog’ excited from its first summoning.

– Hek, hek!

It frolics around in front of Kang Hoon’s running shoes.

A fluffy creature with a long tail wagging back and forth.

Its body was about the size of Kang Hoon’s running shoes.

“Its weight… must be around 2kg.”

Tiny paws.

A body covered in soft baby fur.

Short legs and a chubby build.

From its gentle round eyes to its droopy ears.

‘It looks like something I’d see at a failing pet shop in the neighborhood outskirts…’

Like those behind glass walls on small display stands, leaving tear stains.

It looked like a pitiful, sickly puppy.

“It’s white like a snowflake. Aww, how cute.”

Seeming to like its appearance,

Seri made cooing sounds and smiled.

But Kang Hoon shook his head.

And spoke with determination.

“Alright, let’s enhance it again here!”

“Huh? Again here? But it’s already a rare item.”

Ji-seong muttered, worried about destruction upon failure,

“If it fails, this little one will disappear, won’t it?”

Seri grumbled while holding the ‘Spirit Dog’ in her arms.

Regardless,

Kang Hoon had no intention of stopping.

A different genre!

A new grade!

A brand-new item!

A summoner’s whistle he’d made for the first time as an Enhancement Specialist.

And it had even evolved to ‘Rare’!

He felt it instinctively.

That the ‘Rare’ grade item he created could be enhanced by his own hands!

No.

Rather.

─That this was an enhancement only ‘he’ could perform!

When he was this excited, how could he fear failure?

Kang Hoon had already felt it.

The ‘flow that seemed destined to succeed’!

Once he’d boarded this ‘flow’,

There was no way he could stop enhancing.

“Here I go! -Enhancement!”

Then it rushed to his eardrums.

A loud and clear sound!

Clang!!

Kang Hoon’s palm gripping the [Dog Whistle +3].

Small sparks bloomed once again within his palm lines.

Claaang!

That wasn’t all.

The Spirit Dog summoned by the [Dog Whistle +3].

Heat waves seemed to rise from its body as well,

– Kyauuung!

Orange light burst forth from it!

Claaaang-!!

Three hammering sounds.

Kang Hoon felt his palm growing hot.

Trembling.

Even his skin was shaking.

As if he had gripped a hammer in his own hands and struck down three times with all his might.

“…It’s a success.”

At the same time, the ‘information value’ appeared.

[Dog Whistle +4]: A whistle crafted for training companion dogs. It’s said to produce sounds that canine hearing responds to, though there’s no significant difference from ordinary whistles. However, this dog whistle possesses special abilities through enhancement and has evolved into an Epic item. * [When possessed, increases favorability with canine species by 30%] * [When used, increases loyalty of canine species by 15%] * [When used, summons a Spirit Dog.]

‘…Huh?’

The item’s grade had surpassed ‘Rare’ and evolved to ‘Epic’.

That alone

was enough to make an Enhancement Specialist’s heart race.

‘Wait. And also…’

What had become strange was the content of the options.

At a glance, nothing seemed different,

but ‘dog’ had changed to ‘canine species’.

That meant it would surely work on the Spirit Dog, which was a ‘canine species’ too.

‘Maybe it might even work on canine species monsters?’

If monsters were also included in ‘canine species’?

Depending on the situation, it could become an incredible option.

Before Kang Hoon could explain the information value,

“Ooooh!”

“Wow!”

Seri and Ji-seong were already busy exclaiming in admiration.

Only then did Kang Hoon check the Spirit Dog.

– Hek hek!

The Spirit Dog grinned widely, showing sharp fangs.

Its body had grown considerably larger.

From a build the size of running shoes, it had grown as large as a decent husky.

Its droopy ears and gentle eyes remained the same, but

even at a glance, it didn’t look like an ordinary dog.

Eyes that glowed purple.

Fur that looked pale and cold like a beast living on snow mountains.

Especially the fur around its neck had become as full as a lion’s mane.

Moreover, a mysterious light emanated from its sturdy four paws.

– Auuuuu!

Even its howling with chin raised sounded much more powerful.

‘Wow… Should I try enhancing it one more time?’

Though such thoughts briefly crossed his mind,

‘No. The failure rate is too high.’

He shook his head and gave up.

This was an ‘Epic’ grade item, no less.

It was the first time Kang Hoon had obtained an item of this grade.

Moreover, the options had become considerably better.

Most importantly,

‘It’s gotten quite cool-looking!’

He liked the Spirit Dog’s appearance.

‘It would be a waste to send it back after a failure.’

The Spirit Dog sat with its large rump planted on the floor.

– Huff, huff!

It was busy looking back at its own tail, which had become much fluffier.

Pat pat.

Stroking the creature’s head, Kang Hoon said.

“I tried this on a whim, but it actually worked.”

At that, Ji-seong and Seri began pouring out questions.

“Kang Hoon. You’re done with all the enhancement now, right?”

“Hyung, you’re really amazing. You become like a different person when enhancing. You looked so excited – not quite a Mad Scientist, but like a Mad Enhancer…”

“I never knew Kang Hoon was such a quick worker.”

“But what do you mean ‘tried this on a whim’? What exactly were you experimenting with, hyung?”

Chatter chatter chatter!

Faced with the barrage of words, Kang Hoon felt momentarily dizzy.

‘I don’t know which question to answer first.’

So he decided to just answer the last question.

“…Well, you see.”

The prediction Kang Hoon had tested ‘on a whim’ was actually simple.

“As you know, I can enhance ordinary objects to turn them into items. The peculiarity is that the options that appear are based on common knowledge or preconceptions.”

Just a moment ago.

The Kang Hoon Shop bestseller that made Seri doubt her ears.

The [Virility-Enhancing Germanium Jade Bracelet] was a perfect example.

The folk belief that germanium jade bracelets help with virility enhancement.

It’s nothing more than unsubstantiated pseudoscience.

However, many people commonly believe it,

And such strong preconceptions are attached to it.

Therefore.

During enhancement, effects like ‘vitality increase’ and ‘vitality status possession’ actually manifested.

“So I thought about it. Then… what about a dog whistle?”

‘Dog whistle’.

An object used to call, train, and handle dogs.

There were no other particularly bothersome preconceptions with different meanings.

In other words.

─It was perfect for limiting the options that could appear!

If such a ‘dog whistle’ were

enhanced and turned into an item?

“I wondered if it might summon not an ordinary dog, but a dog-shaped summoned creature. So I tried it.”

‘Calling forth’.

Isn’t that essentially ‘summoning’?

Since the meanings were connected, I thought it might work—

“…And you succeeded?”

“That’s right.”

The Spirit Dog that had luckily grown without being reverse-summoned.

Displaying its majestic appearance, it rubbed its head against Kang Hoon’s hand.

Its docile and affectionate attitude.

Judging by this display of friendship, the options had clearly been applied well.

The ‘Increased favorability and loyalty from canine species’ effect!

The large, snow-white head.

Pat pat! Rub rub rub!

Kang Hoon petted it vigorously.

Ji-seong clicked his tongue in amazement.

“An item that enables summoning even for non-summoners… That’s really amazing, hyung!”

“And it’s Rare grade too.”

At the siblings’ admiration, Kang Hoon corrected them.

“With the enhancement I just did, it became Epic grade.”

It was an item he had created with his own hands.

As an Enhancer, he couldn’t tolerate undervaluation.

“What did you say?”

“The grade increased with each enhancement!?”

The reaction was satisfying.

Looking up at Kang Hoon with admiring eyes, Seri asked.

“That whistle. Can others use it too?”

At that, Kang Hoon gripped the [Dog Whistle +3] in his fist.

And as he narrowed his eyes in concentration.

Knowledge about the item,

The ‘information value’ flowed into his mind.

[Item Property: Bind on Use – Permanently binds to the user upon first use.]

‘I see.’

Nodding, Kang Hoon said.

“It permanently binds to whoever uses it first.”

At the same time.

‘Huh? Wait.’

Kang Hoon’s merchant soul awakened with gleaming eyes.

“Then selling this one would be impossible. But if I craft a few more new items, they’d be worth selling.”

“…You’re thinking about making money first?”

“…Right. Hyung, you’re the owner of an enhancement market, aren’t you?”

Humming cheerfully.

Kang Hoon returned to the display counter.

And the three dog whistles on display.

Then, even the dog whistles stuffed in the box!

He gathered up all the available inventory.

As he tried to force an amount too large for his two hands into his arms,

– Huff.

Cool breath touched his elbow.

“Hm?”

It was the Spirit Dog that had followed its master, Kang Hoon.

The creature opened its large mouth wide and,

– Chomp!

It firmly bit the ‘Dog Whistle’ held in Kang Hoon’s hand.

Then it turned around and headed toward the checkout counter.

Thump thump thump! Step step step!

The Spirit Dog’s actions were smarter than expected.

Kang Hoon blinked his eyes.

“…You’re well-behaved, aren’t you?”

Then he returned to the self-checkout and began scanning the barcodes one by one.

He started scanning the ‘Dog Whistle’ barcodes.

The Spirit Dog sat quietly, pressing its body close against Kang Hoon’s shin.

Watching them(?) curiously, Ji-seong asked.

“Hyung. Just how many are you planning to enhance?”

“I’ll make as many as I can. Why?”

“Don’t you know why I’m asking?”

The following question came in Seri’s voice.

“If you make and sell even one, it’ll cause ecosystem destruction.”

“Ecosystem destruction? Uh, the spirit ecosystem?”

“No!”

With her arms crossed and pointing at the reliable Spirit Dog.

Seri asked.

“An epic item that allows non-summoners to summon? How much do you think just one of these would sell for?”

Kang Hoon, the actual crafter, couldn’t readily put a price on it.

Summoner-related items?

He hadn’t even done market research.

The fact that items for summoning spirits existed.

Honestly, he had only learned that today.

‘How much do I think it would be. Hmmmm…’

Kang Hoon tilted his head with a thoughtful expression.

Then Seri chuckled.

“At minimum, 1 billion won.”

And she declared with certainty.

“Even if someone asked me to pay that much, I would buy it.”

“…?”

What she meant was.

“The moment this item goes on the market, it’ll destroy the market ecosystem.”

“!”

Immediately.

Kang Hoon’s gaze fixed on the pure white Spirit Dog.

‘1 billion won!’

An enormous amount of value.

Whether it knew its body was worth that much or not.

The Spirit Dog was busy scratching its ear with its hind leg.

“You… were you such an expensive creature?”

Kang Hoon was dumbfounded.

He hadn’t even been able to buy a 1 billion won apartment yet!

Now he was about to raise a 1 billion won pet.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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