Chapter 52: Companion (2) (1)
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Kim Chae-eun didn’t know what to do when she first saw Jeong Seon-young. She didn’t know much about her, but Jeong Seon-young was said to be incredibly famous in the ice magic magician field. Well, she was known even more among the ice-related runic spells that seemed almost epic, so it was even more remarkable within the related field.
Meeting the senior she had respected for so long and now traveling with her brought an overwhelming joy. Thanks to this, throughout the journey to Daegu, Jeong Seon-young was able to witness Kim Chae-eun’s new side.
“Senior, would you like some water?”
“…It’s okay. I already have some.”
Even when she was drinking water while eating.
“Senior, how’s the water temperature at the accommodation? Is it too cold by any chance? Should I talk to the counter?”
“…This place is run by an acquaintance of mine.”
Even when unpacking at the lodging.
“Senior, I brought three different coffees – Americano, latte, and mocha. Please enjoy whatever is comfortable for you, hehe.”
“……”
Even when drinking coffee at the café, Kim Chae-eun’s enthusiasm was evident. Although she was already sociable, this side of her was unfamiliar.
“If you have any discomfort, please tell me!”
“Well, uh… “
Jeong Seon-young sent me a look that she felt burdened. She had spoken comfortably to both me and Kim Chae-eun. By the way, it was all because of Kim Chae-eun’s persistent request to put her at ease.
‘Try to handle her.’
Her eyes were saying that. I closed my eyes and lowered my head. I couldn’t handle this. The runaway Kim Chae-eun couldn’t even be stopped by her father, Professor Kim Myeong-hyun.
“Oh, by the way. Is there anything you want to buy at the auction?”
After taking a sip of coffee, Jeong Seon-young changed the subject.
We were in a café in Dongseong-ro. It was the most famous café in Jung-gu, and its interior was colorful and pretty.
The auction would be held nearby tomorrow. In addition to the regular auction items, there would also be an S-class disaster monster’s byproduct auction. Both Jeong Seon-young and I participated in this disaster monster hunt, so naturally, we had the right to purchase items from the latter.
“Um… well.”
But can I really say this? What if the items I want to buy overlap?
As if understanding those concerns, Jeong Seon-young smiled and spoke.
“Oh my, it’s okay. What I’m planning to buy won’t overlap with what you guys want. You’re not interested in leather anyway, right?”
“Leather?”
“Yeah. The leather from S-class monsters is quite popular.”
Unlike dungeons, field monsters didn’t offer rewards in the rest room. They didn’t yield special items like equipment, accessories, and various potions that Holders mainly used. Of course, there were rare instances when certain body parts of monsters could be turned into items, but in most cases, field monsters only dropped magic stones and byproducts.
And excluding magic stones, the most popular byproduct was ‘monster leather’.
“Why is leather so popular?”
Kim Chae-eun asked with a curious expression.
I was sure this had been covered in the class about <The History and Information of Monsters>.
I answered in place of Jeong Seon-young.
“Leather is a key material when blacksmiths make armor. It’s also used for accessories and research materials.”
The byproducts obtained from monsters were quite diverse. Among them, the most well-known was magic stones. Magic stones were the main source of income for Holders and had a wide range of uses. They were used as materials for maintaining magical phenomena like [Magic Barrier] and [Warp Gate], and were often used in making high-grade equipment, armor, and crafting special items like potions.
Stones that contained magic. True to their name, magic stones were used wherever magic was required. This high demand and supply within the Holder community made them highly valuable.
“The next popular byproduct is leather. The higher the monster’s grade, the better the quality of the leather. A-grade monster leather can sell for hundreds of millions.”
“Wow… They sell for that much?”
“Yeah. High-quality leather has a high chance of producing high-grade items.”
Expensive leather results in good items. Honestly, if I had the luxury, I would buy leather in addition to magic stones. Especially if it’s the leather of the S-class monster, Swirl Leviathan… It’s certain that at least rare or higher items would be made. Plus, I know a blacksmith who can make items of that level.
But the top priority right now is magic stones.
The chance to obtain Legendary Runes and the rarity of rare armor didn’t even compare.
Kim Chae-eun, who had been listening quietly, suddenly tilted her head and smiled.
“But why haven’t I ever gained leather before?”
“Because you don’t have the butchering rune. You need to know how to do it to get leather.”
“There’s a butchering rune?”
“Yeah. It’s classified as a specialized rune.”
Unlike magic stones that anyone can easily gain, various byproducts from monsters such as leather, hearts, and bodily fluids can only be accurately collected by professional butchers. Regular Holders can also perform butchering, but the byproducts are often damaged or significantly lower in quality. For ordinary Holders, obtaining byproducts from monsters isn’t easy.
For this reason, domestic clans would often employ specialized butchers among their clan members to maximize the value of their owned dungeons.
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