I Became the Genius of the Gigant Academy - Chapter 24:

“So, I’ll hold the center with telesium, and the outside with…….”

“…Will it be strong enough?”

“Hmm. I suppose if you’re going to use it on a Miles-class or even higher, you might as well use better materials.”

Vulcanus and Abel began to talk with serious expressions as if they had just had a tiff. Abel could have just said what he wanted and gotten a great product, but he wasn’t going to do that. He didn’t want a moderately good weapon, he wanted a perfect weapon made specially for him.

“Can’t we just use granite for this part?”

“No. The way the force is applied, it can’t just be hard. You have to use something with good elasticity.”

They talked for almost two hours. Abel’s meticulous description and Vulcanus’ skill as a craftsman led to a satisfactory result.

“Wow. Talking to you makes me feel like I’ve been up all night.”

“That was a lot of talking.”

“I’m exhausted.”

Vulcanus had a smile on his face as Abel continued to speak.

“I’ll be in touch if anything changes or there are any problems.”

“It will be okay as long as you don’t go outside of the time frame.”

“It’s fine. I have no intention of making half-hearted things anyways.”

He spoke plainly. Abel smiled at that. With Vulcanus’s skills, he knew that no matter what he made, the outcome will always turn out perfect.

“By the way…”

Vulcanus glanced back at the blueprint he’d drawn during the conversation, then spoke up.

“Are you sure you can use this at a Milles level?”

The two-handed sword Abel requested for was huge. This is because it was designed for continuous use even after upgrading to a higher level in the future.  Of course, it was bound to be a burden for the Milles class.  However, Abel was nonchalant.

“Of course, Don’t you know my skills?”

Vulcanus laughed at those words.

“You’re good at talking. If you don’t handle it properly, I’ll retrieve it, so know that.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll use it well and come back to upgrade it when I get good materials.”

“Alright. I need to get back to work, so go.”

“Yes, yes. I was about to leave anyway.”

Since he had finished his business and had no intention of disturbing Vulcanus, Abel thanked him and left.

“Bye, Abel!”

“Come visit me when you’re free next time!”

Kaya smiled as she spoke to Abel, who arrived at the lobby after receiving greetings from the muscular staff while leaving.

“Is the talk over?”

”Yeah. I’ll come again next time.”

“Tell me in advance next time. So we can have a meal together.”

“That sounds good.”

After talking with Kaya, he left the building and was greeted by the cool air. Abel stood for a moment before walking to one side. He walked in the opposite direction from where the carriage was. There was still one more thing he needed to do.

»————- ★ ————-«

The area where Vulcanus’s workshop is located is famous for being a crime zone. The road where the carriage stopped was a little better. The highest crime that can go on there is pickpocketing because the atmosphere is to refrain from more crimes.

If there was a commotion and the guards were dispatched, it would be quite a headache. However, the story changes when you enter the alley between the main streets.

‘This is a lawless zone.’

Abel had gotten beaten up a few times when he first came here, wandering through the alleys without a clue.

Thud, thud, thud. 

And now he was walking down on one of those alleys.

Swoosh-

A man sprawled on the ground before him when he heard Abel’s footsteps. He glanced at him and then turned around. Abel kept his distance and walked past him with his hands on his waist. When he was a few feet away, he heard a rustling sound behind him.

‘As expected. Nothing changed here.’

The beggars in the alley are not just beggars. Nine times out of ten, they’ll turn to robbers when they see an opportunity, so he had to be vigilant. No matter how well-trained a body is, if it gets stabbed at the vital organs, it drops dead, though Abel’s probably not going to get stabbed by an ordinary robber. Abel looked around, on high alert.

‘It should be around here,’

They change locations regularly. He had a vague idea of the pattern, but it wasn’t easy to find because the alleyways were so convoluted that it wasn’t easy to navigate. After about thirty minutes of wandering the alleyways, Abel spotted a bluish-iron gate at the bottom of the stairs.

‘Found it.’ 

Abel descended the stairs without hesitation, he knocked on the iron door.

Knock knock-!

As soon as he knocked on the door, he felt signs of movement inside, and a low muffled voice followed.

“What’s the password?”

“What password? Don’t talk nonsense and open up.”

Abel immediately replied in an irritated voice. It wasn’t long before there was a loud click, and the door swung open. A dark-skinned, bald man stepped through the open door. He looked at Abel and answered in a clear voice.

“Abel. It’s been a long time, and you’re still ugly.”

“Yeah. You’re just as ugly.”

“Do you want to die?”

“Killing me won’t cure your baldness.”

The man narrowed his eyes at Abel, then smirked.

“Come on in.”

Infamous Scans

Despite their verbal abuse with one another, the two men were actually very close. Abel had worked here a few times in the past, doing odd jobs before entering Vulcanus’ workshop. Abel followed the man inside. The stench of alcohol penetrated his nostrils as they reached the hall which led to the bar.

“Don’t you need some ventilation?”

“It’s only a bar if it smells like booze.”

Abel didn’t answer him, he just walked inside. An old man with black hair and a suit stood at the back of the bar. The old man wiped a glass with a cloth and spoke to Abel.

“Your name has been heard quite often.”

Abel sat down on a stool in front of the bar and replied.

“Has the rumors spread this far?”

“You must be pretty good at what you do. You were a beggar when I first saw you.”

“I was a beggar in the past.”

Abel used to pick up food that had been thrown away from a restaurant and ate it, then he’d get beaten up by other beggars for trespassing, and even though he ate the food, it was still 90% spoiled, so he would immediately groan and lie down.

He honestly feels lucky to have survived. Abel’s knowledge of the game didn’t help him survive as a young boy on the streets. What helped him was the memory of living as a modern Earthling for over twenty years.

“Yeah. One of the common street orphans.”

The old man lifted his head slightly as he said that, and looked at Abel.

“But there was intelligence in your eyes, and you didn’t act or speak your age, and that’s why I gave you a job.”

“Don’t you think you’re being too complimentary after all these years?”

“Well,”

The old man said, setting down his cleaned cup and looking at Abel earnestly.

“I thought you could be anything. I just didn’t think you’d end up as Cadet  Klein and get into the Academy.”

“I got lucky.”

“Yeah you were lucky but it’s not just that.”

The old man said with a smile.

“Is that why you came today?”

“Yes.”

Abel nodded and pulled a pouch from his pocket. He opened it and dropped ten gold coins onto the bar table. The old man picked them up and examined them. The old man was thorough in this regard even if they were acquaintances. Only when the old man had carefully checked all ten coins did he nod.

“Del Kior’s gold coins are more than enough.”

“Does that mean I can have the goods?”

Abel looked at the old man. The old man was the owner of this tavern, but he was also an informant, and a hoarder. There was a reason Abel had first come here seeking for a job.

This was because he had something to gain by befriending the old man. Of course, Abel knew this information from the game. It’s a hidden item that only the people who played the game knew about.

However, it wasn’t possible to obtain it by simply befriending him. The conditions included a certain level of friendship, honor, reserve rider status and lastly, money. He had to have it all. Abel came here after he had finally decided that he had met all the conditions.

“Hmm.”

The old man fiddled with the gold coins, seeming to consider something, then nodded.

“Wait a moment.”

“Of course.”

The old man turned, opened the door behind him, and went through the door. After a few minutes, the old man returned with a box the size of a fist.

“This is it.”

“May I open it?”

“Let me tell you one more thing before you do.”

The old man looked at Abel and said, “I don’t see anything extraordinary about it, and I don’t sense any magic in it. It would be nothing more than a souvenir if you took it.”

“I see.”

“Well, do you still want to buy it?”

“Of course.”

Abel answered without hesitation, and the old man sighed.

“All right. I’m just selling stuff, that’s all.”

“It won’t be useless to me. I just want to see how it’s constructed and if there are any hints on how to use it.”

With that, the old man silently pushed the box forward and took the gold coins. Abel grinned and picked up the box.

“Thank you.”

“Thanks. I’m the one who should be thanking you. Come over for a drink sometime.”

“I’m not old enough to drink yet.”

“Since when did you care about that?”

Abel exchanged a few more words with the old man before walking out the door. Of course, on his way out, he didn’t forget to crack a joke with the bald man who was guarding the door.

“Next time, come in the evening. Don’t come in the daytime when you’re tired.”

“Then, I’ll come in the evening and make you tired.”

“Ugh.”

Leaving the sighing bald man behind, Abel made his way out of the underground tavern, it was only when he reached the stairs did he let out a long breath.

‘Finally.’

An exhilarating sense of accomplishment washed over him, followed by anxiety. The box in his hand felt heavy. It felt like someone was going to lunge for it at any moment. But Abel took a breath to calm his nerves.

‘No one knows the value of this.’ He thought to himself.

Abel put the box in his pocket and continued moving. It was time to return to the carriage. He had the urge to open the box right away to check what was inside, but he decided to endure it until he arrived at a safe place.

‘Let’s hang in there. Just a little bit.’

He wandered around a little because he was confused about the location on how to get back from where he came from, but it wasn’t hard for him to retrace his steps and find his way back.

On the way out, there were a few vagrants who tried to pick a fight or take advantage of the gap, but most of them withdrew without even trying. This was because Abel had an aura that could not be ignored. This enabled Abel to quickly reach the place where the carriage was.

”You’re here.”

”Yes. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting for long.”

”No, at all.”

The coachman bowed politely without showing exhaustion, even though he must have waited long. Abel told him to return to the academy, and then he entered the carriage. His business outside was over. The next outing will be when his weapon is finished or if something went wrong with the weapons production.

Thud-

Abel closed the carriage window, took the box out from his pocket, and held it in his hands. The box itself was unremarkable. This was because it was an object made separately from the content inside.

“Whoa.”

Taking a deep breath, Abel slowly opened the box, revealing a fist-sized sphere with intricate designs. Abel took it out of the box, held it in one hand, and stared at it nervously as if waiting for something. After about thirty seconds of staring at it.

[You have verified the ‘Core’.] 

[You have completed the Hidden Quest ‘Heart of the Gigant.’]

A message flashed before his eyes.

[You will be rewarded.]

[Your dormant Core will be awakened.] 

Relief and joy flashed across Abel’s face. His primary goal after landing in this world was to get into the Academy, but he had to go through all kinds of hardships to get there. It was necessary for the future as an academic Cadet.

Contrary to what the old man had said about it being useless, the sphere emitted a strange blue light. Abel closed his eyes and clutched it tightly. He wondered how much time had passed.

[Who woke me?] 

A voice echoed in his head.

[To be continued.]