“What on earth is this jewel?”
‘Did this fellow eat the ore and spit this out?’
Unless it had fallen from the sky, that was the only possible explanation, but my brain refused to accept it.
The formation process of general gemstones and magic gems wasn’t much different. It was the result of high temperature and high pressure deep underground over a long period, with mana added on top. Of course, that was only a theory.
‘I’ve never heard of anyone making a magic gem like an artificial one.’
There might be a species with such an ability, but I hadn’t encountered one until now. Digesting minerals to create a magic gem was no different from turning carbon into a diamond. But this little guy in front of me was capable of it.
“This is pure alchemy.”
‘Did I actually succeed in hatching a goose that lays golden eggs?’
By the way, it felt a bit odd to keep calling it “this fellow” or “that fellow.”
“I should give him a name.”
“What kind of name?” Aria asked.
“I have no ideas. Because I am thinking of nothing.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
I had zero talent for naming since I was a child. When I see a dog, only names like Coco, Happy, or Choco come to mind, and for cats, it’s just Nabi, Cheese, or Tofu. Even now, because it was a jewel, only words like Jackpot, Treasure, or Goldie were floating in my head.
Even to me, that didn’t feel right.
“…Aria. Do you want to try naming him instead?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Whatever you choose will be better than mine.”
“Hmm. Then… how about Mago?”
“Mago?”
“Is it not good?”
Not at all. Just a moment ago, the Zel Dragon’s name was almost Treasure. What Aria came up with was much better.
“No. I was just wondering what it meant.”
“I saw the myth of Grandmother Mago in a book! She’s a goddess of creation who makes something from nothing! Doesn’t the way it eats minerals and spits out gems look vaguely similar?”
“You’re right.”
I wasn’t entirely sure, but it was better than Treasure.
“From now on, your name is Mago.”
However, the subject of the name itself showed no interest. Rather, it seemed its stomach wasn’t completely full from what it had eaten earlier.
“…Was that not enough? I clearly saw you burp.”
*Munch, munch.*
With its cheeks puffed out like a hamster, Mago kept its mouth moving constantly as if telling me not to disturb it. When I moved my hand closer, it whipped its head away as if to say, “Stop bothering me.”
Is it really that hungry?
“Fine, fine. I won’t take it.”
“It’s probably because it was just born! Young spirit beasts have huge appetites,” Aria explained.
“That’s why it’s more amazing. How strong are its teeth that it’s crunching down whole minerals as soon as it’s born? Does it not eat anything else?”
“I’m not sure about that either. It’s such a secretive spirit beast.”
“I see.”
Before long, Mago had devoured every single chunk of ore that Garnet had gifted. Fortunately, it spit another gem into my hand this time as well. However, one important question remained.
“Are you satisfied?”
*Shake, shake.*
Mago’s refusal was firm and resolute.
“Then what?”
Mago cleaned the area around its mouth with its paws and reached out as if asking for more.
“Even if I want to give you more, that’s all the minerals I have.”
“Kyuu?”
Tilting its head, Mago had a face that said, “So what? That’s your problem.” It wore an innocent expression that demanded I produce more food immediately.
“…Then, for now, should I try giving it some meat just in case?”
I ran to the refrigerator and brought back a dressed chicken. I had bought it to make braised spicy chicken later… but I guess I could eat that some other time.
However, Mago’s reaction was cold.
“It won’t eat it?”
*Bleh—.*
If it didn’t like it, it didn’t like it, but it even stuck out its tongue in rejection.
“It seems so,” Aria noted.
“Should I ask the Hunter Association for help?”
“How about Magic Stones?”
“Magic Stones? I have a few of those left.”
They were the Level 9 Magic Stones left over from when I rerolled the Dwarf’s request. Some had been used as nutrients for the World Tree, but afterward, they had remained in my inventory because Aria had brought back Dryad’s Essence, making them unnecessary.
“Do you want to eat a Magic Stone?”
“Gao—!”
*Chomp.*
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Mago happily stuffed the Magic Stone straight into its mouth.
“Eat slowly, I won’t take it. And unlike minerals, I have plenty of Magic Stones.”
“Kya-ark!”
Perhaps because it had already eaten those large chunks of ore, it didn’t take long this time before it burped.
**[Zel Dragon Mago recognizes you as its master]**
ã„´ **[Dragon’s Grace is activated]**
ã„´ **[A portion of the Dragon’s information is revealed]**
“Haha. I guess providing enough satisfying food does make it recognize me as its owner. It’s easy, yet not so easy.”
More importantly, Dragon’s Grace and the Zel Dragon’s information? I was curious, but I couldn’t check them immediately because of Mago.
“Gao—!”
Having finished its business, Mago brazenly burrowed into my arms and took a spot on my lap. Soon, the fellow began to nod off.
“Falling asleep right after eating… I guess even a Dragon Hazelring is still a baby.”
The sight was so cute that even my irritation subsided. Eventually, unable to defeat its heavy eyelids, Mago curled its entire body into a ball and sought sleep.
“I guess I don’t need to worry about insomnia.”
*Snore— snore—*
Mago fell into dreamland, even snoring, before I could stop it. The speed was so incredible that my worries about it not adapting to a strange environment seemed silly. With no other choice, I decided to check the information like this.
“I’ll go get a blanket and a cushion!”
“Please.”
“Yes. Just a moment.”
The thing I was most curious about was Mago’s information. I immediately checked Mago’s Status Window.
[Status Window]
Name: Mago
Level: 1
Race: Dragon
[Stats]
STR: 35
AGI: 30
STA: 32
INT: 43
MP: 51
[Skills]
Physical Resistance (C), Magic Resistance (E)…
Mana Bolt (F), Scratch (F), Bite (F)…
‘Aren’t these stats insane for Level 1?’
Though I hadn’t done much, these stats were not far behind mine, and I was nearing Level 20. I had even gained various bonus stats through achievements.
‘Is this what the Dragon race is like?’
It was different from other races by birth. If it continued to grow like this, it would surely become much stronger than most Hunters. For me, who had zero combat ability, it meant I had gained one powerful guardian.
‘I don’t know when I’ll actually be able to use him, though.’
Next was Dragon’s Grace.
**[Dragon’s Grace]**
You receive the grace of the dragon you serve.
– Gain a portion (10%) of the tamed dragon’s stats.
– Damage from dragons and dragon-related species is greatly reduced (60%).
“Are you kidding me?”
“Kyuu?”
“Ah. Sorry, sorry. Keep sleeping.”
I hadn’t meant to wake it, but it would be stranger not to shout after seeing this. I would receive 10% of Mago’s stats, and Mago already had monstrous stats at Level 1? For someone like me without combat stats, this was a serious luxury. I truly felt the power of a dragon, the strongest creature in existence.
‘It wasn’t just at the level of a goose that lays golden eggs.’
Perhaps I had gained Midas’s touch?
Next was the magic gem’s turn, which I hadn’t looked at properly because I was distracted by Mago.
**[Spark Spinel]**
: When used as a material, skills related to fire magic will manifest.
It was a magic gem I recognized. It was a gem that strengthened fire-type skills, the most popular among magics. Because of its popularity, it was a magic gem traded in units of tens of millions of won.
‘Of course, the ones on the news were much smaller than this.’
The fact that it was popular remained unchanged. If I put this up for auction, it would cause a huge stir. Though they were only the size of a pea, there were two of them.
‘This means Mago is more than earning his keep.’
He was a very praiseworthy fellow. For Mago’s sake, it would be great if I could secure a stable supply of minerals. But such worries were unnecessary. While sitting with Mago on my lap, I checked a new notification on the Rocket Store.
**[Urgent Request: Give me that!]**
Requester: Greedy Gnome Kajlak
Content: I like the shiny red gem! If you give that to Kajlak, I’ll give you something else good!
Required Item: Spark Spinel
Reward: Negotiable
As if he had seen a flyer saying I obtained a Spark Spinel, a proposal came in immediately.
‘A Greedy Gnome.’
In most cases, only the profession or race name was attached, but this case was unique because “Greedy” was part of it.
“If I give you this gem, what will you give me?”
I used a skill to begin the negotiation.
**[Kajlak: Other shiny things?]**
The shiny things Kajlak showed were nothing of great value. They were literally just things that sparkled.
‘Are you a crow?’
“Have I ever rejected a request before?”
What would happen if I refused? Since I had no favorability with him, would the transaction itself fail?
“I don’t need those. Nothing else?”
**[Kajlak: None]**
“Really?”
**[Kajlak: I have less shiny things.]**
What Kajlak showed this time were chunks of minerals — raw ores that had not yet been refined.
“That. That’ll do. But I want a lot of it.”
When I spoke with a smile, Kajlak paused for a moment and then sent an excited message.
**[Kajlak: I have lots of less shiny things! I’ll give you these! Give me that!]**
“Good.”
I accepted Kajlak’s offer. From now on, I would receive a regular supply of minerals from Kajlak, and Mago would convert those minerals into magic gems. And Kajlak would likely become my faithful supplier for life just to get those magic gems.
‘Does he just like anything as long as it’s shiny?’
For a second, I had the scammer-like thought of whether I could trick him with glass shards or artificial gems. Just then, a system message appeared.
**[Warning: Unfair trades may decrease the reputation of the Rocket Store.]**
“…I guess I shouldn’t. This is a good enough deal anyway.”
I abandoned my greed and decided to be satisfied with the current relationship. At that moment, Aria quietly approached and handed me a cushion and a blanket.
“Guardian, here.”
“Thanks.”
Taking the cushion and blanket, I carefully laid the sleeping Mago on the cushion and covered it with the blanket. Mago curled up in the warmth and fell into a deeper sleep. To avoid waking Mago, I quietly tiptoed out of the room.
“Look at this! Guardian!”
Aria was crouching in the middle of the living room, looking at the television.
“I wondered why you were late; you were watching TV?”
“More importantly, come here quickly.”
Aria pointed at the screen. The news anchor on the screen was delivering the news with a serious expression.
— Do you remember the large-scale rift incident that recently occurred in Yeoncheon-gun? The site, which was contaminated with polluted mana, has been restored faster than expected. According to an official from the Association, it has been confirmed that the owner of the Rocket Store helped resolve the issue quickly.
The anchor continued while showing the symbols of the Association and the Rocket Store on the screen.
— While the Association has remained silent regarding the specific details, the confirmation itself has sent the entire nation into a frenzy. It is news that the owner of the Rocket Store has made direct contact with the Association.
“Is that such a surprising thing?”
Even after that, numerous hot topics created by the Rocket Store were reported in short snippets, from the sanctuary of the World Tree to the Halfling lunches.
“The news is long today.”
I suddenly looked at the clock. The second hand of the clock was heading toward 11:59 PM. It would be 12:00 AM soon.
“Ah! Is it that day?”
“That day?” Aria asked.
While I couldn’t take my eyes off the clock, a massive notification rang in my head at the stroke of midnight.
‘The day the conditions of the Tower are renewed.’
**[The conditions of the Tower for the Republic of Korea branch have been renewed!]**
The conditions were just as people had expected.
**[First Condition: Challenge toward a new height]**
One of the Korean Hunters must open the door to the 25th floor.
**[Second Condition: Proof of humanity’s potential]**
50% of Korean Hunters must reach the 10th floor.
Normally, when new conditions were renewed, the entire country would fall into a slump, but today was different.
— Breaking news! It has been confirmed that the second condition among the recently renewed Tower conditions has already been 25% completed!
The anchor displayed a graph on the screen showing an explosive increase in Hunter figures.
— This is an unprecedented event even overseas, and in preliminary interviews, Hunters responded unanimously that it was all thanks to the Rocket Store! The fact that explosive results were shown as soon as the Tower was renewed proves how important the existence of the Rocket Store is to the Republic of Korea!
I watched the news with a calm expression.
‘Yes, it’s all thanks to me.’
At least for today, I decided to enjoy the people’s praise.