Gray’s proposal was quite long, so I read it with significant focus.
‘He usually gives short answers, but he writes quite a lot when he wants to.’
**[Beast Warrior Class Inheritance]**
I wish to pass down our Beast Clan’s traditional secret technique to the Hunters of your world. It is the path of the Beast Warrior.
A Beast Warrior is a warrior who communicates and contracts with the spirits of ancient beasts to borrow their power. Our Beast Clan has carried this secret technique down through generations. This is not about taming living animals. It is about forming a bond with the spirits of ancient beasts who died long ago but whose souls remain one with nature.
The spirits only lend their strength to those who respect them and understand the laws of the wild. They are not beings like spirit beasts that are born from eggs and grow. They are already complete, powerful entities. One can use their power immediately upon forming a contract.
However, it is a demanding path. If one harms nature or violates the laws of the wild, the spirits will immediately terminate the contract. A strong will and a pure heart are required. Grade is not important. The spirits look at the strength of the soul, not raw power. I will personally judge and teach the Hunters of your world.
It was long.
Very long.
‘Could he always speak this much?’
In any case, the core point of the proposal was this:
**[Gray, a Beast Warrior, will personally teach and grant the ability to commune with spirits. However, only to selected individuals who pass his evaluation.]**
This was completely unexpected.
“Guardian! This is an amazing proposal!”
Aria looked at the hologram with a surprised expression. I nodded in agreement.
— Do you mean you’ll teach them personally, Gray?
**[That is correct. However, I cannot give it to just anyone. They must be warriors. They must have a strong will. Beasts follow those with strong willpower. Current skill or rank is not necessarily important.]**
— Then what should we do?
**[Gather the desired candidates in one place. I will leave the selection method to you. I will personally judge the final candidates.]**
“He’s leaving the selection method to me. But if skill and rank aren’t important, and it’s all about will and talent…”
The only restriction was that they had to be warriors. I needed a way to verify their willpower.
An idea came to mind.
— Leave it to me.
**[Good. Thank you for the quick response.]**
— When can you come?
**[My schedule is not urgent. I will match your circumstances.]**
“The Hunters will need time to prepare, too.”
— Then, how about four days from now at 2:00 PM?
**[Good. That is enough time. Ensure that those who are sincere gather.]**
— Thank you! I will prepare the training grounds of the Korean Hunter Association as the location.
**[Good. I will see you then.]**
The conversation with Gray ended with a concise reply.
“A Beast Warrior selection event.”
This was a massive opportunity. I contacted Yun Tae-seong immediately.
— Mr. Yun Tae-seong, this is urgent. The Great Beast Clan is offering to personally teach Hunters how to contract with beast spirits.
A reply came back instantly.
**[…A Beast Warrior? Personally?]**
— Yes. He is coming in person to judge and teach them.
**[This is—]**
There was a brief silence.
**[This is an incredible opportunity for both the Association and the Korean Hunters! What kind of support do you need?]**
— Can we borrow the Association training grounds four days from now at 2:00 PM?
**[Of course! I checked, and Training Ground 3 is available. I’ll have it ready. Please let me know if you need additional space!]**
— Wouldn’t one be enough?
**[I wonder about that. It seems the Rocket Store Owner doesn’t fully understand the Hunters’ desperate desire to become stronger.]**
‘What does he mean by that?’
Regardless, since the negotiations for the location went smoothly, it was time to post the notice.
**[Rocket Store Special Event: Beast Warrior Selection]**
The Great Beast Clan warrior, Gray, will personally judge and teach!
Participation Requirements:
– Rocket Store Member (General grade or higher)
– Warrior Class
Selection Process:
1. Automatic measurement of Beast Affinity
2. Personal evaluation by Gray (Association Training Ground 1)
3. Final selection and Class Change
Participation Fee: 10,000 coins
Participation Benefits:
– 300 Rocket Store Membership points
– 20% refund of the participation fee for those who fail
Date and Time: Four days from now at 2:00 PM
Location: Korean Hunter Association, Training Ground 3
※ A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change to a new class!
“The participation fee alone is 10,000 coins. Only people who are sincere will come, right?”
I pressed the post button.
Five minutes after posting the notice…
*Ding! Ding! Ding!*
Notifications rang incessantly.
**[Applications: 23]**
“Already?”
Thirty minutes later.
**[Applications: 88]**
After one hour passed.
**[Applications: 232]**
I realized the meaning behind Yun Tae-seong’s words. Aria cheered.
“Guardian! This is a huge hit!”
“If I knew it would be like this, maybe I should have raised the participation fee a bit more?”
Checking the Hunter communities made the impact feel even more real.
**[What is this Beast Warrior selection thing? lol]**
**[They say even if you fail, you only get a 20% refund on the 10,000 coins?]**
— A member of the Beast Clan is teaching in person.
— If it’s an opportunity for a class change, isn’t 10,000 coins cheap?
— Think about the status of the Hunters who changed to Survival Chefs. Then tell me if 10,000 coins is expensive.
**[10,000 coins is practically free, isn’t it?]**
It’s a chance to change to a high-tier class. Considering how well the Survival Chef Hunters are doing, every warrior should do this.
— They say will and aptitude are what’s important.
— The Rocket Store owner really isn’t greedy.
ã„´ No, no. He’s always supported Hunters climbing the Tower. This is just another welfare benefit from the Rocket Store.
ã„´ Man, if that’s the case, every random warrior is going to apply just for the hell of it. How are they going to filter them all out?
— I don’t know, but I applied for now.
It was complete chaos.
‘Should I raise the fee now?’
But since people already viewed it as “welfare,” throwing cold water on it felt wrong. Even if I regretted it, the arrow had already left the bow.
Before I could feel any more regret, I decided to handle the pending requests. Between the usual trade requests that had been ongoing…
**[A new request has arrived!]**
“Oh? A new request?”
However, when I opened the window…
**[Emergency Request: ???]**
Requester: ???
Content: *Screech… grrr… screech… gurgle…*
Reward: ???
It was just a mix of incomprehensible noises and a few words. However, I wasn’t flustered.
“This is… just like that slime request from before.”
I had prepared for this day. I opened a drawer and took out the mask I had received from Han Seo-yeon.
**[Whispering Mask]**
Effect: Translates unknown languages into the user’s language when worn.
As soon as I put on the mask, the content of the request began to change. The details became clear.
**[Emergency Request: I want to build a base in the Abyss]**
Requester: Zeth
Content: **[Help me. I can’t keep wandering forever. I found a safe cave in the shallow layers. I want to build a base. I need construction materials. Tarps, planks, cement, rebar… Toxic slime seeps from the floor, so I need metal plates too. Crawlers come in every night. I have to stop them with poison potions or traps. Lanterns too… it’s too dark here.]**
Reward: 5 Adaptation Crystals, 1 Abyss Crawler corpse
“I can’t even get a feel for this. What kind of world is it this time?”
I paid the coins to check the request details.
The settings for the Abyss and Zeth were summarized:
**[Abyss]**
Category: Labyrinth World
Description: An underground world made of endless mazes and passages. The environment varies extremely between sectors, and numerous powerful Abyss creatures inhabit it. All beings slowly undergo physical mutations as they adapt to the extreme environment of the Abyss.
**[Zeth]**
Abyss Survivor (Mutation in progress, stabilization stage)
Special Notes: Fell into the Abyss immediately after a car accident three years ago. Connected to the Rocket Store while wandering and surviving in extreme environments. Lost most human language abilities during long-term survival but barely remembers his own name. Planning to build a base in the relatively safe shallow layers.
Ability: Physical mutation due to adaptation to extreme environments.
He was originally human. He fell into the Abyss three years ago right after a car accident and survived while wandering the labyrinth world.
“Three years in a place like that…”
Aria wore a sad expression. Once again, someone in a situation just as bad as Han Seo-yeon’s had appeared — someone whose situation didn’t even compare to Leon’s.
“Why are humans always in these kinds of situations?”
I never imagined that Leon, who lived in Ceres, a world crawling with demons, would be among the lucky ones. For now, I decided to help Zeth.
“He needs construction materials.”
I searched through online shopping malls. In addition to tarps, planks, and metal plates, I ordered potent poison potions for traps and purchased magical lanterns.
Twenty minutes later, a message came from Zeth.
**[It arrived. Thank you. I made walls and covered the floor. Crawlers died in the poison needle traps. When I turned on the lantern, it was the first bright light I’d seen in three years. Now I have a home. I’ll send the promised reward.]**
**[Request Complete!]**
**[Acquired 5 Adaptation Crystals!]**
**[Acquired 1 Abyss Crawler corpse!]**
Along with small crystals, the corpse of a bizarre creature arrived. The Crawler was a black monster that looked like a giant centipede. It was one meter long with dozens of sharp legs.
“Ugh… it looks disgusting.”
However, according to Zeth’s explanation, these things were nothing more than scavengers in the Abyss. First, I checked the item information.
**[Abyss Crawler Corpse]**
Grade: Rare
Contains toxic fluids and a tough exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is specialized for crafting lightweight armor.
**[Adaptation Crystal]**
Grade: Heroic
A byproduct and body-strengthening material produced when a creature adapted to the Abyss finishes evolving. Using a crystal strengthens a desired body part. While there are no mutation side effects, the effect is extremely small.
“Adaptation Crystal?”
A new item had appeared. Right then…
**[The Steel Blacksmith, Garnet, shows intense interest in the Abyss Crawler corpse!]**
“…He’s like a ghost when it comes to new materials.”
I made an exasperated face. It seemed the owner of the Abyss Crawler corpse had already been decided.
“Is there a separate alarm or something? How does he notice so quickly?”
Moving on, I picked up an Adaptation Crystal to examine it closely. There were three main ways for Hunters to get stronger: equipment, skills, and leveling up.
“But this is a completely different fourth method.”
It permanently strengthens the body itself.
“Plus, there are no mutation side effects.”
Considering the preference for the improved War Paint, if this strengthened the body but caused mutations as a side effect, people might not want to buy it. However, since these crystals were byproducts of Zeth’s adaptation process, it seemed they had no side effects even if the benefit was small.
“In that case, demand is going to explode. The problem is the quantity. Only five…”
I sent a message to Zeth.
— Can you get more?
**[They are made little by little every time I undergo a new mutation. Now that I have a base, I can explore the deep areas. When I go to extreme environments, my body adapts and crystals fall off. About one or two a month.]**
“One or two a month…”
It was a small amount, but it could be secured consistently.
**[Friendship Level 1 with Abyss survivor ‘Zeth’ achieved!]**
**[New trade route secured: Abyss]**
**[Since I have a base, I can explore. There are many rare ores and mutation monster materials in the deep Abyss. I’ll get them for you. In exchange, please provide construction materials and food occasionally.]**
Han Seo-yeon suddenly came to mind.
‘The Anomaly world where Ms. Han Seo-yeon is was also a completely unknown place… the Abyss is the same.’
At least the Anomaly world had creatures that looked human, but I knew absolutely nothing about the Abyss.
‘How exactly are Adaptation Crystals made, and what can be made with the Crawler exoskeleton?’
Everything was an unknown. I was also curious about what kind of equipment Garnet would make with this.
“For now, I’ll have to keep trading with Zeth and gather information.”
I stored the five crystals in my inventory. I needed to think about who to give them to, for what price, and how to distribute them.