Then the contamination removal chamber, made entirely of metal, heated to extreme temperatures. With the heat maintained at nearly one hundred degrees for an hour, not even contaminated vermin could easily survive. The rare few that did were finished off by the Awakener’s poison released afterward.
After the high-pressure cleansing process ended, the purified byproducts were brought out one by one. From Yohan’s perspective, it wasn’t as though the contamination had been eliminated a full hundred percent, but it looked safe enough that civilians could use it without issue. It was a purification method that could only be applied to inanimate matter.
“Let’s see, this is....”
The bones, feathers, and beak of the monster bird they had hunted were appraised. Kim Jinhyeok examined them in tedious detail, observing and testing before nodding.
“Good. This material is more than sufficient for producing protective gear. And these feathers are light while being particularly resistant to fire, so they’ll be useful. The claws are especially long and hard—if properly processed, they’ll make excellent weapons. After all, metal rusts too quickly in rifts.”
Byproducts of this sort, impossible to harvest from ordinary animals, were highly sought after by Awakeners as materials for protective gear or weapons. Yohan suddenly recalled the old tree he had once used as a home in the Reed Sea. Even high-tier Awakener Lee Hyunmook had needed considerable time to work the tree’s wood. Considering its strength and durability, it meant it could withstand the attacks of most monsters.
Of course, nothing surpassed the Eternal Stone, but that was not something one could easily obtain. Yohan remembered the black mountain where Eternal Stone had piled up so densely it formed a range.
‘It’s probably still growing more colorful even now....’
Lost in thought, Yohan snapped back when Kim Jinhyeok spoke.
“The final appraisal value is about ninety million won.”
Ninety million! After subtracting the lab’s purification costs and dividing the remainder by headcount, each person received close to seven million won. Adding in the Eternal Stone sale, their income easily exceeded ten million won. For rookies who had only been exploring for two days, it was a massive haul, and they were overjoyed. Kim Jinhyeok continued.
“You can receive it in cash, but you can also have the materials processed at a discount into weapons or protective gear.”
While the Little Sheep team members debated what to do, Kim Jinhyeok leaned close to Yoon Seungryong and asked quietly.
“But have you heard the rumors? About a re-Awakener....”
Arms crossed, Yoon Seungryong was watching the rookies with satisfaction when he tilted his head. Kim Jinhyeok flinched, still sensing that overwhelming power with his detection ability, but pretended not to notice as he waited for the answer.
“Hm? Re-Awakener? You mean our team leader?”
“No, no... word is, someone re-Awakened while exploring a rift.”
Joo Hoyoung, who had been absorbed in his game console, paused and looked up.
“What do you mean by that? A re-Awakener? You’re saying it’s not just some wild rumor?”
Yohan’s ears perked up as he examined the monster’s claws, hard as metal. He knew better than anyone that “re-Awakening” was nothing more than an excuse Hyunmook had used to explain away his white hair and altered abilities.
“It’s hard to dismiss it as just rumor, since this came out of Yujeong Laboratory.”
“Our team leader nearly killed himself trying to re-Awaken. That rumor’s nonsense. You think you can just re-Awaken during a rift exploration? Why now, all of a sudden, when it never happened before?”
As Yoon Seungryong and Joo Hoyoung scoffed, Kim Jinhyeok nodded, persuaded. He too found it absurd that someone would suddenly re-Awaken. Countless rift explorations had already taken place, and this had never once occurred. So the subject was soon dropped.
“Hey, Yohan. You....”
One of the Little Sheep teammates, who had just decided to take the cash and was scrolling through his phone, called out in alarm.
“You’re in the news.”
“News? What news?”
“Looks like what Park Seungmin said yesterday became an article.”
So others present had overheard ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Park Seungmin’s words after all. The headline alone was aggressive.
[The Identity of Another Abyss Returnee—A Parachute Recruit of Taeyang Guild?]
Before Yohan could read further, a hand swiftly blocked his screen. It was Joo Hoyoung.
“No. Don’t look at the internet for a while.”
“Ah, yes....”
Joo Hoyoung had once warned him before not to read things like this. Likely advice born of his own experience. Yohan obediently followed it.
But after returning to the guild and receiving further training, as quitting time approached, his fingers itched. With his family texting and calling to ask if he was all right, and guild members sneaking glances at him, the temptation grew.
Glancing around, Yohan quietly checked the news on his phone. Dozens of new articles had already appeared. He clicked one. The content was more detailed than he expected. Though his real name was not printed, it mentioned he was the second son of a certain pharmaceutical company, enough that anyone who knew could identify him. The comments were in chaos.
-Wow, born with a silver spoon, huh. F***, how are us dirt spoons supposed to live.
-LMAO, tried so hard to get into Taeyang Guild, and this parachute brat slips in. F***.
└ If you’re jealous, go into the Abyss yourself.
-Even I, a mid-tier, couldn’t pass Taeyang Guild, but a low-tier gets in.
└ Taeyang always recruited plenty of low-tiers. Means you’re worse than a low-tier.
└ What? I’m in Sunrise Guild, you know.
└ Oh right, looking at your past comments, you’re also an accountant, a lawyer, a mid-tier Awakener, and a model. LOL. Okay, let’s even say you’re an accountant-lawyer-mid-tier. But how are you in Sunrise Guild and Yujeong Guild at the same time? LOL.
└ Sunrise Guild? The one that dropped from rank 1 to rank 4? The one with that traitor bastard Go in it? The one so short-staffed everyone’s on the verge of death from overwork?
└ With a high-tier purifier in, getting back to rank 1 is only a matter of time.
-But if he’s an Abyss returnee, doesn’t that justify joining Taeyang Guild? He’ll handle monsters fine.
└ Still just a low-tier.
-“S Pharmaceutical” means Samyeong Pharmaceutical. Their sons are all Awakeners, right? Isn’t Neon Guild’s guildmaster Yang Yosep tied to Samyeong Pharmaceutical?
Yohan was engrossed in reading when, once again, Joo Hoyoung appeared out of nowhere and snatched his phone away.
“Tch. Confiscated.”
“Ah....”
Yohan, a little dejected from reading the comments, flinched. The overall sentiment labeled him a pampered parachute recruit. It wasn’t entirely wrong, but he wasn’t as wounded as he might have been. It wasn’t pleasant, but with his current mindset, he could only arrive at this conclusion:
‘Escaping the Abyss, now I’m even getting hate comments. But no matter how many hundreds of hate comments I get, this place is still the best....’
Seeing that Yohan’s expression wasn’t too bad, Joo Hoyoung grinned. He returned the phone and said,
“Go on, check your account. The payment was just deposited.”
“Already?”
Opening his banking app, Yohan smiled as he saw the balance. Though Hyunmook and Seo Yakrin had practically spoon-fed him this chance, it was the first money he had ever earned on his own after only receiving allowance from his family. Forgetting the comments, Yohan raised his hand high and declared,
“Let’s have a team dinner! Today’s on me!”
* * *
“No, I really was going to treat everyone properly.”
Dropping onto the sofa, Yohan grumbled at Hyunmook. Hyunmook brushed a droplet from the ends of Yohan’s wet hair with his fingers, shaking his empty takeout cup.
“This counts.”
“No, it doesn’t! Drinks don’t cost much!”
“You’re not going to dry your hair, Yohan? Want me to?”
Hyunmook deftly changed the subject. Too lazy to bother drying it himself, Yohan perked up, fetched the dryer, and plopped down between Hyunmook’s legs without hesitation. He accepted Hyunmook’s touch as if he were long accustomed to it. Soon, the loud whir of the dryer and its warm breeze flowed over Yohan’s head.
Today Yohan had wanted to treat the Taeyang team with his first earnings from a rift exploration. Bravely, he had even resolved to treat them to beef, despite how expensive it was. But when the joyful dinner ended and Yohan went to pay, Lee Chanha had quietly settled the bill first. When they let him buy only drinks afterward, he pouted adorably.
But even without Lee Chanha, none of them would have let Yohan pay. Having long worked in Sunrise Guild, they had accumulated immense wealth. And they would never allow their precious youngest, their savior, to spend his small hard-earned sum. Yohan and the other rookies were thrilled with their million-won windfall, but to them, it was nothing.
