Chapter 133: Their Leisurely Daily Life (1)
"Now then, everyone, this is the famous World Tree. The World Tree is the only tree in the world that possesses full sentience, just like a human. Hello, World Tree."
As the beautiful female tour guide waved in greeting, the tree—still less than a meter tall—shook its branches in response. It looked just like someone waving hello.
The foreign tourists began chattering excitedly as they gazed at the World Tree.
"Oh my, how amazing."
"I've seen it in videos, but it's even more incredible in person."
"I feel like my body is getting lighter."
"That's right, you're not imagining it. Your bodies really are feeling lighter because the World Tree automatically blesses everyone who enters its territory," the tour guide explained with a smile. "I'm sure some of you probably already know this, but the tree planted behind DG Guild headquarters will keep growing until it surpasses the building itself. According to Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok, its blessings will eventually spread across the entire Republic of Korea."
"Wow!"
The tourists let out exclamations as they turned their eyes back to the tree, still less than a meter tall. Sensing their attention, the World Tree shook its branches again, just as it had done for the tour guide.
"Now then, shall we move on to see the only permanent Gate in the Republic of Korea—no, in the entire world, remaining even after countless raids?" the tour guide suggested brightly.
It had been three months since the World Tree sprouted and the permanent Gate was established. Since then, the DG Guild had become a must-visit destination for tourists in South Korea.
When the DG Guild was first founded, Kim Ki-Rok didn't purchase an existing building. He bought the land and had the guild headquarters built from the ground up, making all the surrounding area private property. Still, as Guildmaster and landowner, he had granted the tourists permission to enter.
When the government initially approached him with the idea, Kim Ki-Rok had said, "You want to use our place as a tourist attraction...? Alright. But I have just one request. You need to pay the salaries for the tour guides as well as the staff of our tourist relations department."
That was the only condition he had set.
Just as the beautiful tour guide was leading the group toward the Gate, a sudden explosion of light from behind halted her steps.
"Ah?" A female tourist's eyes widened in shock as a blue light began to engulf her body.
"The World Tree grants five blessings in total," the tour guide quickly explained. "One of those blessings is to germinate the talents of those who have the potential to become an Elementalist."
"An Elementalist!"
The surrounding tourists all turned in surprise to look at the woman now glowing with light.
Then, a second explosion of light made everyone instinctively shut their eyes. When they opened them again, a hazy cloud of light was descending onto the female tourist.
"It's an Awakening!"
"Wow!"
Now that the female tourist's potential as an Elementalist had sprouted, her Awakening was only natural.
The beautiful tour guide approached her gently and asked, "Are you feeling a little confused?"
The tourist blinked in shock and slowly replied, "Ah, yes. I am..."
"A lot of people feel that way when their talent suddenly blooms and they awaken. That's why the DG Guild has rented out an office in their main building to the government and the Hunters Association. The staff there can answer any questions you might have. If you go through the emergency exit over there, you'll reach the lobby and can find your way to their office."
"Ah, yes!" the female tourist responded loudly, bowed in thanks, and ran toward the indicated exit.
The tour guide turned back to the rest of the group. "Now then, let's keep heading over to the permanent Gate."
"Hold on!" A young male tourist raised his hand. "Can we go back to see the World Tree one last time?"
The beautiful tour guide could tell exactly what he was thinking. After witnessing someone awaken right beside him, it was only natural for him to feel like he might've missed his own chance.
"The World Tree grants its blessings equally to all. That includes the blessing of talent germination," the beautiful tour guide informed him.
"St-still though..." the young man stammered.
Seeing it was pointless to argue further, the tour guide said, "After I escort everyone to the permanent Gate, I plan to give you a thirty-minute break."
"Ah! In that case, I'm fine with continuing the tour," the young man replied, though he cast an expectant glance back toward the World Tree.
Going back probably wouldn't change anything, the guide thought.
The World Tree bestowed all five blessings simultaneously upon entering its territory, including the germination of latent talent. Therefore, no matter how long the young man lingered near the tree, it wouldn't improve his chances of becoming an Elementalist. If he were capable of awakening, the talent would have already sprouted.
The beautiful tour guide resumed her tour. "The World Tree stands behind the DG Guild's main building, and the permanent Gate appeared to the left of headquarters, where the parking lot used to be. Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok predicted that the area would become crowded, so he removed the parking lot altogether. Just like how he cleared out the warehouse behind the headquarters to make room for the World Tree's growth. He even relocated the cat that used to squat behind the warehouse to a new home inside the guild building."
"A cat?" one of the tourists asked.
"Ah! Well, for some reason, Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok instructed me to include that part about the cat in the tour explanation," the guide said with a sheepish smile.
Kim Ki-Rok was known for his eccentric and unpredictable personality. Just hearing his name made the tourists nod knowingly and pay closer attention.
She continued, "Just as Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok predicted, countless Hunters have visited the DG Guild. And the reason, of course, is the permanent Gate."
"Is that because A-Class Hunters still have very limited access to Gates?" asked another tourist.
"That's certainly part of it, but there's an even more important reason."
"Could it be... because of the elves?"
"That's right. There are quite a few Gates now with high difficulty levels. However, those Gates don't allow you to meet any of the elves or humans from the Yuashiel dimension. But the permanent Gate is different. Through this Gate, Hunters can meet those beings and even collaborate with them in monster hunts."
Compared to a high-difficulty Gate where one could only hunt monsters, a Gate where one could also encounter other races while hunting monsters was clearly more appealing. For most A-Class Hunters, the choice was obvious.
It was true that a monster-only Gate allowed for faster leveling. However, it was also far more dangerous, since there would be no allies to assist if something went wrong. On the other hand, in a Gate where one could meet elves or humans from another dimension, the pace of leveling might slow due to sharing hunts. But with their help, the risks were significantly lower.
"A Gate where you can hunt safely, even if leveling is a bit slower—that's what this permanent Gate represents. Although, at present, more people are entering this Gate hoping to befriend the elves and humans from another dimension rather than to hunt."
The tour guide's expression lit up. "Ah, that's right! During your break, feel free to relax at the cafe in the DG Guild lobby. You can check out requests submitted by the elves and people from the Yuashiel dimension while you're there."
Her practiced delivery showed she had given this explanation dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Just as she finished speaking, the group turned a corner and arrived at what used to be the DG Guild's parking lot.
"Wow!"
In front of them stood a huge crowd of Hunters. Dozens of them were moving through an impromptu market that had sprung up around the massive Gate.
The tourists had spotted two famous Hunters, one from America and the other from China.
"Oh! It's Jake!"
"And look over there—it's Hunter Shi-Yan!"
Salespeople from all across Workshop Street had come to peddle their wares. From small artisan workshops to large manufacturers and corporate-backed brands, all were represented in the stalls lining the market.
"Selling explosive arrows that can inflict fatal damage even on giant monsters!"
"B-Class and C-Class weapons and armor! All sold here!"
As they followed the tour guide along the bustling street, one tourist pointed toward a gathering crowd and asked, "Ah, Miss Tour Guide. It looks like a lot of people are gathered over there. Do you know what's going on?"
The guide answered immediately, "That would be the blacksmith shop run by Master Kang Woo-Hyuk of the DG Guild."
"Kang Woo-Hyuk?"
"Mhm..." the beautiful tour guide confirmed with a mysterious smile.
None of the tourists seemed familiar with the name.
The guide slowly revealed, "You might know him better as... the Reinforcement Master!"
"Ah!"
The tourists all lit up in recognition at the mention of the famous title.
"So the Reinforcement Master's real name is Kang Woo-Hyuk," someone murmured in amazement.
The guide nodded. "That's right. We'll have to stay close to squeeze through the crowd, but what do you think? Would you like to take a closer look? We might see something interesting."
The tourists exchanged glances, then turned back to the guide with eager expressions, their decision clear.
One of them spoke up on behalf of the group, "Yes, we'd like to get a better look. I'm really curious why so many people are gathered around him."
"Understood. In that case, while we head over to the Reinforcement Shop run by Master Kang Woo-Hyuk, let me give you a brief explanation," said the tour guide, smiling warmly. "As some of you may know, Master Kang Woo-Hyuk of the DG Guild is a skilled crafting-type Hunter. He possesses a Reinforcement Skill that allows him to enhance enchanted weapons."
The Crafting Master, Kang Woo-Hyuk, had already made a public debut in an introductory video on the DG Guild's main MeTube channel.
"Master Kang Woo-Hyuk has been steadily improving the class of his Reinforcement Skill," the guide continued. "He's now able to reinforce a single item up to five times. However, those of you who play RPGs may already know..."
"Reinforcement requires luck," one tourist chimed in.
"Exactly. The first two reinforcement attempts are guaranteed to succeed. But starting from the third, failure means the equipment will be destroyed."
Only then did the tourists fully understand why a crowd had gathered around Kang Woo-Hyuk's shop, and why the guide had hinted that they might witness something exciting.
As they approached, the tourists looked up at the sign above the shop: DG Guild, Kang Woo-Hyuk's Reinforcement Shop.
Then, lowering their gaze, they spotted a large banner strung between two poles that read, "Neither the DG Guild nor Kang Woo-Hyuk will take responsibility if the reinforcement fails."
The signs really did make it seem like a shop straight out of an RPG.
At last, the tourists turned their attention to Kang Woo-Hyuk, who stood at the center of an outdoor forge beside another Hunter.
"Um... the success rate for the fourth reinforcement is only 32%," Kang Woo-Hyuk admitted hesitantly. "How about we stop here, Guildmaster Jang Baek-San?"
Jang Baek-San shook his head with determination. "No, isn't it obvious? We need to spin!"
"Um, you do know this isn't a game, right? If you fail, your sword will be damaged. And even if you repair it, its class and effects will be permanently reduced."
"But it will be amazing if we do hit the jackpot!"
"No, that's true, but..."
If the reinforcement succeeded, the weapon would indeed be incredible. Despite the poor rate of success, Jang Baek-San and the other Hunters watching appeared confident nonetheless.
"32%! Wow, what a steal. Those odds are amazing."
"Should I try it too?"
"If it's that much, it's totally worth the risk."
"I've got a good feeling he's definitely going to hit the jackpot. Man, I'm jealous."
The success rate was a mere thirty-two out of a hundred attempts. If this were a professional baseball player's batting average, it might earn high praise. But from a probability standpoint, it was hardly the kind of risk one should rush into.
Kang Woo-Hyuk glanced around at the excited Hunters, his face twisted in a mix of disbelief and discomfort.
"Mr. Woo-Hyuk! Go ahead with the reinforcement!" Jang Baek-San urged him on.
"Um... as you already know, I won't take any responsibility if it fails," Kang Woo-Hyuk warned again.
"Don't worry! With such a success rate, this is basically guaranteed!"
They were strange. All of them. Truly, deeply strange.
Shaking his head, Kang Woo-Hyuk picked up his hammer.
"Oh Lord... God of Reinforcements... World System..." Jang Baek-San knelt, hands clasped in fervent prayer to the sky or to whichever deity caring to listen.
The Hunters gathered to watch the reinforcement held their breath, lips pressed tightly together as they stared at Kang Woo-Hyuk, eyes filled with anticipation.
The sound of a hammer striking metal rang out, but unlike in video games, a sword couldn't be reinforced by a few hits alone. Kang Woo-Hyuk steadily continued hammering the weapon, and after about ten minutes, light suddenly burst from the sword resting on the anvil.
"It... it worked! It wooooooorked!" Jang Baek-San crowed.
The crowd erupted in cheers. "Ohhhhhhh!"
"See that? I told you it would work!"
"He hit the jackpot!"
Hunter Jang Baek-San had tears streaming down his face. While he was gazing up at the sky, the other spectating Hunters were swept up in a strange fever.
Eyes bloodshot, Jang Baek-San turned to Kang Woo-Hyuk. "Mr. Woo-Hyuk! What are the odds of a +5 Reinforcement?"
"About... 13%?" Kang Woo-Hyuk replied, unsure.
"Okay! Then let's give it one more go!" Jang Baek-San shouted.
The other Hunters cheered him on.
"Oh! What a steal!"
"Wow! Even the fifth reinforcement is over 10%?"
"You've got to take those odds."
"Anything over 3% is worth trying, but 13% is a sure thing!"
"That's right, that's right!"
Kang Woo-Hyuk looked flustered. Had they all lost their minds? This wasn't some gacha game. If the Reinforcement failed, the weapon would actually be destroyed!
But rather than waste his breath warning them, Kang Woo-Hyuk let out a deep sigh and raised his hammer. "This is seriously going to drive me crazy..."
The clanging resumed, only to be broken moments later by another blinding flash of light.
Jang Baek-San let out a triumphant roar. "AAAAAAAAH!"