The Astral Guild went as far as sending a private jet.
Perhaps they assumed Lee Tae-sung wouldn’t refuse, as the jet was already waiting at Incheon International Airport before they even received his official consent.
Thanks to that, he was able to depart as soon as he decided to go to the United States.
“Whoa…”
Lee Tae-sung was impressed when he boarded the private jet.
The interior had been renovated to cater to a small number of VIPs, making it look incredibly comfortable and luxurious.
A small gym, a shower room, and a small bar were installed, and next to them, surprisingly, sat a Dream World connector.
This was the part that truly amazed Lee Tae-sung.
‘Connecting to Dream World while in the sky.’
For the first time, he actually felt like he wanted a plane like this.
He turned to Section Chief Song Sang-yeop, who was beside him, and asked, “Have you ever ridden something like this before, Section Chief?”
“This is my first time, too. Aside from someone like the Association President, I doubt anyone else has received this kind of treatment,” replied Song Sang-yeop, who was also looking around with similar wide-eyed wonder.
Since they couldn’t send Lee
Tae-sung to the U.S. alone, Song Sang-yeop had accompanied him.
Being fluent in English, he was also the perfect person to act as an interpreter.
Just then, a flight attendant approached with a kind smile.
“We will be taking off shortly. Would you please take your seats?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
Tae-sung took his seat. Song Sang-yeop also put aside his fascination and focused on the work at hand.
“Hunter Lee. I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier because of the trip to America, but how was the tenth mission? It couldn’t have been easy, right?”
Hunter missions increase sharply in difficulty at certain intervals.
The tenth mission is one of those cases, as the objectives become more complex and require a variety of skills.
While Lee Tae-sung’s success was worth celebrating, the Association also needed to record his actions within the mission.
“Ah, that. Yeah, it definitely wasn’t easy. A mission popped up where I had to treat an NPC.”
“Hmm. Healing for a combat class… that must have been difficult.”
“It wasn’t that hard. The NPC was a beastman, so his natural recovery was excellent. I just killed all the enemies, and he recovered on his own.”
“……? Could you explain the mission details more specifically?”
‘What on earth is he talking about?’
As Song Sang-yeop tilted his head in confusion, Lee Tae-sung told him about the mission.
The objective had been to heal Ziwesin, a member of the Bear Tribe, and escape the forest.
However, Tae-sung had simply entered the forest and hunted down every single monster…
“No, wait! Normally, in missions like that, you’re supposed to stay quiet and just collect medicinal herbs to treat the NPC!”
“That’s true, but it would have been a waste of the score. Those guys gave 1,350 points each.”
“……”
Song Sang-yeop was speechless.
‘He took that risk just for points? …No, that’s not it. For Hunter Lee Tae-sung, that wasn’t a risk at all.’
How easy must the mission have been for him!
“…So, how many points did you manage to get doing it that way?”
“A little over 90,000 points. The rewards really do get better starting from the tenth mission, so I’m quite satisfied.”
“!”
Lee Tae-sung smiled broadly.
He had earned 130,000 points by getting perfect scores on four missions in a row from the sixth to the ninth.
In contrast, he had earned 90,000 points from just this single tenth mission.
It was much more efficient.
On the other hand, Song Sang-yeop couldn’t bring himself to smile.
‘Just what kind of person is he?’
Usually, people struggle immensely during their tenth mission…
But since every mission so far had been like this, Song Sang-yeop gave up on trying to understand him.
Regardless, the result was good.
Now, his job was to figure out what the “Tae-sung Guild” should purchase to gain the greatest strategic advantage.
He began comparing the current global situation, the needs of corporations and civilians, and the list of incoming orders.
He opened his tablet and laptop and began analyzing fervently.
Since there was nothing left for Lee Tae-sung to do here…
‘I might as well play Dream World.’
There was no point in idling.
He should try to gain something from the game.
“I’m going to go play the game for a bit.”
“Yes. Don’t mind me and take your time.”
Song Sang-yeop nodded, and Lee Tae-sung lay down inside the capsule.
*Hisssss*
His vision was soon dyed in black.
— After logging into Dream World, Lee Tae-sung headed toward a certain wizard’s workshop.
“Welcome. I’ve just finished the appraisal. You’ve arrived at the perfect time.”
He had left the gray pill he obtained from the ruins with an appraiser.
He had come to check on it as soon as he logged in.
“How great of an elixir is it?”
“Hmm? Ah, oh dear. It seems you were expecting an elixir. This is not an elixir.”
“…Excuse me?”
It wasn’t an elixir?
A look of deep disappointment clouded Lee Tae-sung’s eyes.
Since it was something he had obtained after destroying a magic circle on the floor of Avison’s ruins, he had naturally assumed it would be an incredible elixir…
“This is not an elixir, but an item called a Spirit Orb.”
The appraiser slowly explained what a Spirit Orb was.
It was an item created by a great wizard who, while alive, had torn off a portion of their own soul to store within it.
“It is not an elixir, but it is a treasure just as great.”
To create a Spirit Orb, a wizard must reach a level where they can seal a piece of their own soul.
Naturally, they would be no ordinary wizard, so even if it was a spirit, forming a bond with such a wizard was a momentous event.
“But we don’t know if that’s a good thing, do we? What if the spirit attacks or harbors ill will?”
“That won’t happen. This Spirit Orb has rules. In exchange for resolving one of the spirit’s lingering regrets, the spirit must pay a price to the user. If they do not act with total sincerity during that process, the spirit cannot endure and will fade away.”
It was a vow incorporated during the creation of the Spirit Orb.
Though the reason for including such a vow was unknown…
Lee Tae-sung nodded.
“I understand. Thank you.”
With those words, he reached out to take the Spirit Orb from the appraiser’s palm, but the man pulled his hand back as fast as the wind.
It was such a swift movement it looked like a specialized seizing technique.
“The payment hasn’t been finalized yet.”
“I paid the fee when I first arrived, didn’t I?”
“Appraising such a significant item is no easy task. You must pay an additional appraisal fee.”
“…How much is it?”
“1 gold coin.”
“????”
Lee Tae-sung’s eyes widened.
‘Is this man a thief…?’
— Lee Tae-sung paid the 1 gold coin with a heavy heart.
What else could he do when the appraiser demanded it?
“I shouldn’t say this myself, but there aren’t many people outside of the Magic Tower who have the ability to appraise an item of this caliber.”
In other words, he was telling Tae-sung not to waste his money, as he was a very talented man.
But how could that be easy?
‘1 gold coin… do you know how hard I worked to earn that?’
He had been planning to save up gold coins to buy an elixir at the market, but to have one gold coin disappear like this…
‘Is this why people say you need a professional job?’
If one had an appraisal skill, they would never have to worry about making a living.
However, it wasn’t a total loss.
First of all, the value of the Spirit Orb was worth more than 1 gold coin.
“Come again. Since you are a big spender, I will appraise the next item you bring, whatever it may be, for free.”
The appraiser spoke as if he were happy to have earned the gold.
At any rate, since this was a man recommended by the Chief Manager, it likely wasn’t a scam.
Afterward, Lee Tae-sung returned to the Flying Dragon Sect.
He went to the training ground reserved for first-class members, but perhaps because it was the middle of the day, it was empty, as if everyone was out on missions.
He took a spot in a corner and placed the Spirit Orb on his palm.
The method of use was simple.
He just had to slowly inject mana and wait for a reaction.
*Hummmm*
After a moment, a streak of gray smoke rose from the Spirit Orb.
Then, a few seconds later, an elderly wizard wearing gray robes floated in the air.
“Yes. My name is Lee Tae-sung.”
“I’m not a martial artist; I’m a Hybrider.”
Avison’s spirit, who had been stroking his beard while speaking, widened his eyes.
He had sensed the energy swirling inside Lee Tae-sung’s body. How could he not know?
At one point, he had conducted all sorts of research just to surpass that very power!
The dignified wizardly appearance he had first shown vanished instantly.
Avison shouted in excitement, but Lee Tae-sung just shrugged.
He had expected this.
This was a man who had built a ruin to research strange magic circles just to catch the Flame Emperor.
It would be more strange if he stayed calm after seeing Lee Tae-sung, who had mastered the Flame Emperor’s Hybrid.
“I brought the Spirit Orb from the ruins you created, Master Avison. Oh, I also experienced the magic circle with my own body. The experience of having my flames sealed was dangerous and fresh.”
<…You survived that? Phew. I thought that magic circle was a failure, but it was trash enough that it couldn’t even catch a descendant, let alone the Flame Emperor himself.>
Avison let out a deep sigh.
Avison turned his back as if to return to the Spirit Orb.
Lee Tae-sung grabbed him.
“Wait a minute. Even if you’re leaving, you have to reward me first.”
“What? Reward? Rewaaaaaard!?”
Avison approached with glaring eyes.
However, knowing that a spirit could not exert physical force, Lee Tae-sung was not intimidated.
There was something the appraiser had told him just before they parted.
‘Ah, and since you were the one who recovered this Spirit Orb, you will be able to receive your first reward without resolving a regret.’
It meant that simply bringing the Spirit Orb out into the world was considered saving the spirit, thus entitling him to a reward.
“I’m the one who brought you out of that place. You’re not going to ignore that, are you? I heard that if you do, your soul will be extinguished.”
Avison looked like he was dying of frustration, but he couldn’t violate the rules of the Spirit Orb.
In the end, he muttered with a sigh.
“Do you know where the Flame Emperor’s Hybrids are?”
Lee Tae-sung asked, as if he had been waiting for this.
He had been thinking about what to ask Avison’s spirit ever since he returned to the Flying Dragon Sect.
No matter how much he thought about it, this was the only thing.
He wasn’t particularly interested in magic or ancient historical knowledge.
“If you’re going to say Mount Chimgeom, I already know about that.”
“You wrote it in your research journal.”
Baek Wun-ho had already departed for that location immediately after leaving the ruins.
He had said he would find the Flame Emperor’s Hybrid even if he had to search the entire mountain, and would return after doing so.
What Lee Tae-sung wanted was another of the Flame Emperor’s Hybrids besides that one.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Hybrid. Equipment or treasures that the Flame Emperor used are also fine.”