I Became an Almighty All-Master with EX-Rank Spirits - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 34
34
As my rest efficiency improved, the fatigue melted away completely.
With a good meal in my belly, I needed to sell off the byproducts and gather materials for the Mana Stone Reinforcement Desk.
I could craft furniture that produces a Set Effect if I just found one more material.
‘The Mana Stone Reinforcement Desk I’ve been putting off comes first.’
I couldn’t keep delaying it.
Mana Stones could be reinforced, they said.
If I kept putting it off, only I’d lose out.
The Set Effect was important, sure.
But not as important as the Mana Stone Reinforcement Desk.
First things first—I’d sell the byproducts.
There was no need to use public transportation.
Using Spirit Jump, I arrived at Namdaemun in an instant.
“Ah, a regular customer! Let me ring this up for you right away.”
“Here it is.”
After selling all the byproducts, my account—which had held barely ten million won—now showed
[Seoul Bank: 194,344,599]
A hundred-million-won figure appeared again.
And without taxes at that.
Like fresh air flooding into a space that had been suffocating and cramped.
Though it would probably evaporate just as quickly.
After selling the byproducts, I was about to go search for materials when I hesitated.
If I could buy things cheaply here, there was no need to go hunting for them elsewhere, was there?
It would save me time and effort.
The moment I asked the shop owner, my entire body went rigid at the answer.
“One Reinforcement Hammer and a hundred Reinforcement Stones? That’ll be 350 million won total.”
“…Does that include labor costs?”
“Nah, with labor it’s 400 million. I can get them, sure enough, but there are so many people looking for them. High demand, low supply, you see?”
Buy what?
I had to get them no matter what.
I’d need twice what I’d earned today just to afford it.
It’d be better to earn it through work instead.
I’d already figured out where to get them.
An underground cavern near Gangnam Station.
Think of it as similar to Gwanak Mountain or the Ghost House.
The difference was that it wasn’t particularly dangerous.
No scorching heat, no thick yin energy to cloud the mind.
That’s not all.
The underground cavern had no monsters at all.
Instead, Reinforcement Stone Gates appeared from time to time.
Exactly as the name suggests.
Defeating monsters usually yields byproducts and Mana Stones.
But the Gates that appeared in the Gangnam Station underground cavern were different.
True to the name “Reinforcement Stone Gate,” they rewarded you with Reinforcement Stones upon clearing.
The difficulty wasn’t particularly high either.
Just F-rank and E-rank Gates.
Hearing it like that, it sounds incredibly easy.
You’d think you could just go in, clear a few Gates, and come back with them.
There were even materials there to make Reinforcement Hammers.
But that’s only if you don’t know the current situation in the cavern.
“Don’t even think about going to mine them yourself. You’d be better off buying here. The Empire Guild controls that place.”
“I’ve heard as much. They monopolize it and mine everything there, don’t they?”
“That they do. Since you’re a regular, I can knock off about ten million won, so just buy from me here.”
Reinforcement Stones were solid materials.
You could reinforce items up to plus-five without destroying them, raising their power efficiently and cost-effectively.
That’s why numerous corporations had bitten at the bait.
The Association didn’t regulate it heavily because it wasn’t a dangerous place.
The Empire Guild had seized control over all the others.
Of course, they didn’t stop people from entering.
Blocking it would create legal complications.
But the boss has stationed guild members throughout the entire underground cavern, so the structure makes it virtually impossible for outsiders to locate a Reinforcement Stone Gate even if one appears at random.
The boss’s assessment is spot on.
Since he’s offering a discount, I could save up money and go slowly.
‘But it doesn’t matter to me.’
Whether the Empire Guild takes control of the cavern or not is none of my concern.
I just need to enter the Reinforcement Stone Gate.
I have the strength to do it on my own.
When I mentioned I’d scout it myself, worry etched across the boss’s face.
“Goodness, be careful. Those bastards are vicious.”
“It’s fine. I have my ways. Oh, and could you get me a few pickaxes?”
“How many?”
“Five should be enough. No need for safety gear.”
I gathered five pickaxes and headed for a deserted alley.
I summoned the five orcs from yesterday and distributed the pickaxes among them.
They tilted their heads, puzzled.
They’d probably assumed they were only good for combat.
Truth is, they’re useless in a fight.
Fire snaps his fingers and it’s over—there’s no point using these creatures for that.
Unless they’re just pack animals.
Mining materials is what they’re good for.
As for the Gate, Jin Arin will handle it fine once I give her the word.
“Start with Gwanak Mountain! Got it?”
“Squeak!”
“Good. Now we’re heading to Gangnam Station.”
Using Spirit Jump, I arrived at my destination in an instant.
I use it every time, and it’s genuinely too convenient.
The only inconvenience is that several spirits cling to me when I use the spirit corridor.
‘Though with Water and Fire around, there’s not much real trouble.’
Those two handle everything themselves.
The real problem is trifling.
-Kyiya! Squee!
[Water (EX) says the taste of soju from the contractor’s embrace is absolutely exquisite!]
-Squee.
Crunch-crunch.
[Fire (EX) is sneaking Energy Bars from the contractor’s inventory and eating them!]
Eating them endlessly.
Still, I’ve gathered plenty of Mana Stones these past few days, so there’s no—
“Hey? Wait a minute. Who said you could take stuff without permission?”
Not even a card sharp has hands that quick.
This happened last time too.
I snatched one away before it could eat another.
“After we’re done. Both of you!”
-Squee? Squee!
[Water (EX) tilts its head.]
[Water (EX) asks whether there’s a problem with drinking.]
“What do you mean no problem? You get drunk and become completely senseless. After we’re done, then you can drink.”
-Squee…….
[Water (EX) whimpers.]
“Crying won’t help. Give it here.”
I’m not about to let a whimper be the end of this.
You have to be firm about these things.
Only then did the creatures hand it over.
“Wait a little longer and I’ll give it back once we’re finished.”
Anyone watching would think I’m a ruthless contractor who doesn’t feed them.
Even though they eat more and drink more than any other spirit.
Once the small commotion settled, my destination came into view.
Unlike what I’d expected—that there’d be many Awakened Ones—Gangnam Station was crowded with ordinary people.
It felt completely different from Gwanak Mountain.
I’d even seen people putting on protective gear on the way to Ghost House.
“That’s why it’s essentially pointless. They’re the ones managing it.”
As I descended, the underground cavern came into view.
Two Empire Guild members stood guard at its entrance.
It wasn’t that entry was forbidden—more that they’d alert someone the moment anyone went in.
There were alarm items set up, so most methods wouldn’t let me slip through undetected.
‘But Light and Shadow changes the equation.’
I activated the shadow I’d kept dormant.
People passing by didn’t recognize me at all.
In that state, I used Spirit Jump toward the underground cavern.
The alarm item didn’t react—apparently it wasn’t particularly sensitive.
An S-Rank skill isn’t S-Rank for nothing, after all.
Who’d come to a place like this carrying an S-Rank skill?
The interior was exactly what you’d picture from an underground cavern.
About three times as wide as the Kobold den I’d seen in the Tower of Trials?
There was plenty of room to pass with a few people.
Which meant security was tight.
At least two guards circulated through each corridor.
It didn’t matter.
I was faster than them.
Using Spirit Eye, I took in the entire underground cavern at a glance.
Even if I couldn’t see every corner, something would come into focus.
It did.
‘Found it!’
There it was, exactly one kilometer to the west.
Spirit Jump before anyone saw me!
Since I couldn’t enter inside the Gate itself, I arrived at its threshold and went straight through.
A system message appeared, but I had no time to read it.
“Fire!”
—Squeal!
[Fire (EX) lets out a cry!]
[Fire’s (EX) possessed skill, ‘Hellfire (EX)’, activates.]
In an instant, everything in the Reinforcement Stone Gate turned to ash.
Rewards came through, but I skipped them as well.
I just confirmed the clear and left.
I seeped into shadow just as Empire Guild members arrived—they didn’t notice a thing.
All they could see was the cleared Gate.
“A Reinforcement Stone Gate cle—wait, why is this already cleared?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Did you eat something bad yesterday?”
“I’m telling you, it’s real! Look with your own eyes!”
“Huh? No, wait—it really is?”
I kept repeating this performance.
This sneaking around thing is surprisingly fun.
“What the hell! What is this!”
Watching the Empire Guild members’ reactions was genuinely satisfying.
After clearing about ten Gates altogether.
Reinforcement Stones × 205
“That’s everything.”
Including the materials needed for the Reinforcement Hammer.
I’d gathered more than necessary.
I quietly slipped away from my spot, leaving the flustered guild members behind.
A truly perfect infiltration.
Back at Jin Hui Shop.
The manager tilted her head when she saw me return.
I’d said I’d be gone for an hour, but here I was twenty minutes early.
She probably thought I’d forgotten something, but what emerged from my inventory were materials.
“Where on earth did you get all of these?”
“Ha, I got lucky. Just the labor fee is fine, right?”
“I’ll do it for four thousand.”
“Thank you.”
* * *
I got home the moment the crafting finished.
Fortunately, making the Reinforcement Hammer only took an hour.
I ate, drank, and waited nearby, so the work was done in a flash.
Once I had the apartment to myself, I started crafting right away.
[Burning Stone Tree: (50/50)]
[Reinforcement Hammer: (1/1)]
[Reinforcement Stone: (100/100)]
[Conditions met successfully!]
[Mana Stone Reinforcement Desk (C-) has been crafted!]
I set it up across from the sofa.
For the highest-grade furniture in the Spirit Shelter, there was nothing particularly striking about its appearance.
Just a red desk with a single hammer resting on it.
At first glance, it was nothing more than a plain desk with red paint — nothing special.
But the real power lay in its ability itself.
I placed an F-rank Mana Stone on it and swung the Reinforcement Hammer.
A satisfying clang rang out, and a system message appeared.
[F-rank Mana Stone reinforcement successful!]
[F-rank Mana Stone has become +1!]

Description: All stats increase by 1.5x.
“Oh! It works!”
With a 1.5x multiplier, my Hunger value would reach fifteen.
It wasn’t just the Hunger multiplier that went up.
Everything increased by 1.5x.
So what about +2?
[F-rank Mana Stone +1 reinforcement successful!]
[F-rank Mana Stone has become +2!]

Description: All stats increase by 4x.
“Yes! Four times!”
That’s forty Hunger.
+3 gave 8x — eighty.
It kept climbing.
There was a real thrill to reinforcing.
I was pushing steadily toward +10 when it happened.
Boom!
“What?!”
The Mana Stone, which had been gleaming brightly, exploded with a sharp crack and shattered.
And then the system message appeared.
[F-rank Mana Stone +9 reinforcement has failed!]
[F-rank Mana Stone +9 has oxidized!]
“No!”
Greed truly is poison.
Looking at the Mana Stone Reinforcement Desk’s description, it said the success rate drops as the Mana Stone’s rank increases.
The same applies as the reinforcement number goes up.
If F-rank behaves like this, S-rank probably caps out at around +2.
But one thing was certain.
“The performance bracket for low-rank Mana Stones has gone up.”
Reinforcement is just tedious.
I don’t have to worry about that part.
I can just have the undead summoned from the Undead Legion Commander’s Necklace handle it.
I only need to reinforce to my desired level.
And there’s more.
When I gave Fire a +5 F-rank Mana Stone, his eyes went wide.
-Chirp!
[Fire (EX) says it’s become insanely delicious, even for a basic-rank stone!]
I really should reinforce at least to +1 as standard.

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