By Zephyria The purification chamber, made of metal, heated to high temperatures. With temperatures nearing one hundred degrees Celsius sustained for an hour, it was difficult for even the contaminated beetles to survive. Those that very rarely survived the high heat were then eliminated by the toxic miasma of the Awakened who were subsequently deployed.
After the high-pressure washing process, the cleaned byproducts were taken out one by one. From Yohan’s perspective, it hadn’t removed one hundred percent of the contamination, but it seemed safe enough for civilians to use for a long time. It was a method of contamination removal that could only be used on inanimate objects.
“Let’s see, this is….”
An appraisal was conducted on the bones, feathers, and beaks of the Monstrous Birds they had hunted. After observing and experimenting with tedious detail, Kim Jin-hyuk nodded.
“Good. This material is sufficient for crafting protective gear. Furthermore, these feathers are light and particularly resistant to fire, so they will be useful. The talons are especially long and hard, making them good for weapon crafting if processed well. Metal rusts quickly in Rifts, after all.”
Byproducts with materials that could never be collected from ordinary animals were preferred by Awakened individuals as materials for protective gear or weapons. Yohan suddenly recalled the old tree that had served as his home for a while in the Reed Sea. Even High-level Awakener Lee Hyun-muk took considerable time to refine that old tree. This meant that, considering its strength and durability, it could easily withstand the attacks of most monsters.
Of course, the best among them was the Eternal Stone, but it was not something easily obtained. Yohan recalled Black Mountain, where Eternal Stones were piled so high they formed mountain ranges.
‘It must still be turning colorful….’
Yohan, lost in thought, snapped back to attention at Kim Jin-hyuk’s words.
“The final appraisal value will be approximately ninety million won.”
Ninety million won! After deducting the research institute’s contamination removal costs, the remaining amount was distributed according to the number of personnel, resulting in nearly seven million won per person. Including the proceeds from the Eternal Stone sale, it exceeded ten million won. The new recruits, having earned a substantial income in just two days of exploration, were overjoyed. Kim Jin-hyuk continued.
“You can receive it as cash, or you can have the materials processed to craft weapons or protective gear at a low cost.”
As the Little Sheep team members pondered and debated what to do, Kim Jin-hyuk subtly asked Yoon Seung-ryong in a low voice.
“By the way, have you heard the rumors? About the Re-awakened….”
Yoon Seung-ryong, who had been watching the new recruits with folded arms and a pleased expression, tilted his head. Kim Jin-hyuk, who was still sensing the opponent’s formidable power with his detection abilities, flinched but pretended not to notice and listened to Yoon Seung-ryong’s reply.
“Huh? If you mean Re-awakened, you mean our Team leader?”
“No, no…. They say someone achieved Re-awakening while exploring a Rift.”
Joo Ho-young, who had been engrossed in his Game Console, paying little attention to his surroundings, paused the game and looked up.
“What are you talking about? A Re-awakened? Is that not just a baseless rumor?”
Yohan’s ears perked up as he examined a talon as hard as metal. He, too, knew well that Re-awakening was merely a story Lee Hyun-mook had concocted to resolve doubts about his white hair or changed abilities.
“It’s not just a baseless rumor, as it’s coming from the Yujeong Research Institute this time.”
“Our Team leader went through so much trouble to try and Re-awaken! It’s an absurd rumor. Re-awakening just from exploring a Rift? Why didn’t it happen before, and why now all of a sudden?”
As Yoon Seung-ryong and Joo Ho-young looked incredulous, Kim Jin-hyuk nodded in understanding. He too thought it was nonsensical for a Re-awakened individual to suddenly appear. How many Rift explorations had there been countless times before? Because of this, the topic was soon forgotten.
“Uh, Yohan, you….”
A Little Sheep team member, who had coolly decided to take cash and was now on their phone, called out to Yohan in a surprised voice.
“You’re in the news.”
“News? What news?”
“It seems like what Park Seung-min said yesterday has become an article.”
It turned out that others had indeed overheard Park Seung-min’s words on the spot. The title, glimpsed briefly, was quite aggressive.
[The identity of another Abyss returnee is none other than Sun Guild’s parachute recruit?]
Before Yohan could read further, a hand quickly covered the screen. It was Joo Ho-young.
“No. It’s best not to look at the internet for a while.”
“Ah, yes….”
Joo Ho-young had given similar advice before, saying it was best not to look at such things. It was likely advice based on his own experience. Yohan obediently followed his words.
However, after returning to the guild and receiving further training, as quitting time approached, his fingers began to itch. Especially since his family members were texting or calling to ask if he was okay, and many people at the guild were glancing at him.
Glancing around, Yohan discreetly checked the article on his phone. In the meantime, dozens more articles had been posted. He clicked on one. The content of the article was more detailed than he expected. His real name wasn’t mentioned, but it revealed he was the second son of a certain pharmaceutical company, making it obvious to anyone who knew. The comments section was in chaos.
― Wow, it really pays to be born a gold spoon, damn it. Can’t live with this much envy for a dirt spoon.
― ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ How hard did they try to get into the Sun Guild? Parachute, damn it.
└ If you’re that upset, you go to the Abyss too.
― Even I, an intermediate, couldn’t join the Sun Guild, but a low-grade one is getting in.
└ Sun always picks low-grades well. You’re just worse than a low-grade.
└ What are you talking about? I’m in the Sunrise Guild now.
└ Ah, yes. Last commenter, you’re an accountant, a lawyer, a Yujeong Guild intermediate Awakener, and a model?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Well, accountant, lawyer, intermediate Awakener aside, how can you be in the Sunrise Guild and Yujeong Guild simultaneously? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Sunrise Guild? Is that the guild that fell from 1st to 4th place? The one with the traitor Goda? The guild where everyone is on the verge of death from overwork due to a mass exodus of personnel?
└ With a High-rank Purifier joining, regaining 1st place is just a matter of time.
― But if they’re an Abyss returnee, it makes sense they’d join the Sun Guild, right? They’d be good at handling monsters.
└ Yeah, but they’re still low-grade.
― S Pharmaceutical Company, that’s Samyeong Pharmaceutical Company. Their sons are all Awakened, it seems? Yang Yosep, the guild leader of Neon Guild, which has a partnership with Samyeong Pharmaceutical Company, is it not?
As Yohan was diligently reading the comments, Joo Ho-young suddenly reappeared and quickly snatched his phone away.
“Tsk. Confiscated.”
“Ah….”
Yohan, who had become a little dejected after reading the comments, flinched. The public opinion in the comments seemed to be mostly cursing him as a gold spoon parachute. While not entirely untrue, it wasn’t as hurtful as he expected. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but with his current mindset, this was the conclusion he reached.
‘Escaping the Abyss, and now I get to receive hate comments. But even with hundreds of hate comments, this is still the best place….’
Joo Ho-young, glancing at Yohan’s expression and confirming he wasn’t in bad shape, smiled. He then returned Yohan’s phone and said,
“Here, check your bank account. The settlement funds should have come in right away.”
“Already?”
Yohan opened his banking app and checked his balance, laughing excitedly. Although Lee Hyun-mook and Seo Yakrin had essentially handed it to him, it was the first money he had earned through his own efforts, having only received allowances from his family until now. Forgetting the comments he had just read, Yohan raised his hand and declared,
“Let’s have a team dinner! I’ll treat today!”
“No, I really wanted to treat you all generously.”
Yohan, slumping onto the sofa, grumbled his dissatisfaction to Lee Hyun-mook. Wiping the water droplets clinging to Yohan’s wet hair with his fingertips, Lee Hyun-mook shook an empty takeout cup.
“This is enough.”
“No! It’s not enough! Drinks aren’t that expensive!”
“Aren’t you going to dry your hair, Yohan? Shall I do it for you?”
Lee Hyun-mook subtly changed the subject. Yohan, who had been planning to let it air dry out of laziness, seemed intrigued. He quickly fetched a hairdryer and then sat down between Lee Hyun-mook’s legs. He was accustomed to Lee Hyun-mook’s touch, showing no hesitation. Soon, with a loud whirring sound, the warm air from the hairdryer blew over Yohan’s head.
Today, Yohan had intended to treat the Sun Team to a meal with the money earned from his first Rift exploration. He had even resolved to generously treat them to beef, especially given the high prices these days. After a pleasant dinner, as Yohan was about to swipe his card, he jumped up when he realized Lee Chan-ha had already paid. So, after coaxing and appeasing her, he was only allowed to buy drinks, and now she was adorably sulking.
However, even if it hadn’t been Lee Chan-ha, no one would have let Yohan pay. Having been active in the Sunrise Guild for a long time, they had all accumulated immense wealth. There was no way they would let their youngest, a precious savior, spend the small amount of money he had earned. Especially since Yohan and the other new recruits were delighted to have earned over ten million won in just two days.