A cloud of dust swallowed up the view.
Nothing was visible right now.
But Renya didn't feel the slightest curiosity about what had happened behind that curtain of grit.
Because he already knew.
A rock that met a force it couldn't endure would only end one way—shattered into pieces.
"Heh."
A dry laugh slipped out.
The goblin's eyes were wide open.
And it wasn't just because of what had happened.
Those eyes had been filled with shock before the rock even broke.
Renya had known this would happen.
No—he'd known long before Jinhyeok's fist ever touched the stone.
Was it precognition?
No.
He'd simply understood from the moment Jinhyeok set his stance and began the motion of throwing a punch.
The rock had to break.
'What the hell is that?'
Jinhyeok had never learned martial arts.
Because of that, his punching form was clumsy—so clumsy that any trained fighter would spot it instantly.
And yet…
Jinhyeok knew instinctively.
How to draw power up.
Where to send it.
How to guide it through the body.
When to release it.
Where exactly to make it explode.
That was why the rock had shattered in a single strike.
'I went to the trouble of picking it, too.'
Renya hadn't chosen just any rock.
He'd deliberately selected one that couldn't be broken through brute force alone.
He wanted to see the owner's grit—the struggle, the process of reaching the goal.
Instead, he'd seen something else entirely.
From the moment they met, the owner, Yoo Jinhyeok, had already possessed absurd combat ability.
That was why Renya had made the mistake of thinking Jinhyeok was already a finished jewel—cut, polished, shape and color decided.
But that assumption…
Was completely wrong.
That wasn't a jewel.
That was a rough gem.
A raw stone that had already been polished quite a bit, and yet still held no true color.
The meaning was simple.
To reveal its real hue and outline, it still had a long way to go—still needed far more refinement.
Renya's lips curled up.
If he was already like this now, what would happen if he learned properly?
What kind of jewel would Yoo Jinhyeok become in the end?
Renya couldn't even begin to imagine it.
But there was one thing he could say with certainty.
When it was complete, it would be something no one had ever seen before.
It didn't matter if someone had lived hundreds of years, or thousands.
It didn't matter how much they'd seen.
Because that jewel had never existed in the first place.
"Cough! Guh—blegh!"
Jinhyeok clapped a hand over his mouth.
Stone dust had gotten into his nose and throat, and it felt like he was dying.
He squeezed his eyes shut against the dizziness.
I just showered! And I just put on clothes fresh out of the dryer!
Well, what could he do?
He'd just have to wash again when he got back.
Still…
It really broke in one hit.
Even though he'd done it himself, he was a little surprised.
'Is this the result of training?'
Smiling in satisfaction, he silently thanked Seira back at home.
Seira always hammered the basics into him, building everything up from the ground.
And thanks to that, he'd been able to do it.
Whether it was a sword or a fist, the principle of transferring power and moving the body was the same.
He pushed through the dust and walked back out.
And then—
Oh, crap.
Jinhyeok flinched.
The goblin Renya's grin was stretched so wide it looked like it might split his face.
Not a warm, gentle smile.
More like the expression of someone who was so entertained they couldn't contain themselves.
As the dust settled, Jinhyeok stepped aside and pointed at the rock that had been blown apart.
"I broke it—"
"Owner."
"Yes?"
"Become my disciple."
Renya leaned in, eyes gleaming.
"I want to hit you. I want to see what you'll become."
Gulp.
Hit him?
Did Renya not like how he broke the rock? Or had he been planning this since the moment they met?!
Either way…
'Honestly? Works for me.'
Getting punched was basically part of Jinhyeok's daily routine at this point.
A few more hits wouldn't kill him.
And in exchange, he'd get unlimited Q&A and learn martial arts.
"Nice to meet you, Master."
"Which number am I?"
"You're my fourth master."
Renya's grin widened even further.
In a way, it made sense.
The monster knight.
The immortal.
Even the elf whose age and depth of knowledge couldn't be measured.
They'd all seen it.
They'd all recognized just how ridiculous the value of the rough gem in front of them really was.
Renya looked at Jinhyeok and spoke again.
"You said you could learn two, right?"
"Yeah. Whether it works or not depends on engraving. Some things don't stick because of conditions."
"Then learn what I say."
Renya raised two fingers.
"You'll gain your survival instincts and the foundation of martial arts."
Jinhyeok summoned his status window.
Then he selected Blank Card – True.
[Would you like to use Blank Card – True?]
He nodded.
Renya recited the traits, and Jinhyeok engraved them.
Just like that, he'd gained a master for hand-to-hand combat.
After returning from the mountain, Jinhyeok showered again.
Ahh. Clean. Fresh. Human again.
When he stepped out, he saw the Kanmo Duo crouched on the floor.
"What are you doing?"
"We're wiping the floorrr. There are rock crumbs everywhereee. Like Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs!"
"Sorry. Wait, Kancho—are you reading fairy tales now?"
"I'm gonna be the smartest Yodel in the whole tribe!"
"Nice."
"Momo's already smart, so I'm not reading!"
"R-right. Nice. But why are you two cleaning? Didn't we buy two robot vacuums?"
He looked around.
Sure enough, the house was big enough that he'd bought two.
But Roomba 1 and Roomba 2 were nowhere to be seen.
And for some reason, both of them had frozen stiff.
Jinhyeok walked up, casually slung an arm around each of their shoulders.
They both flinched.
One hundred percent.
Something was up.
"Kanmo Duo. Where are the Roombas?"
"Uhhh… good question… where did they go?"
Momo looked away, pretending not to hear.
Kancho swallowed hard, then suddenly sprang to attention.
"Reporting! Yodel Ranger Deputy Commander Kancho! I have something to report to the Supreme Commander!"
He shouted dramatically, then pointed at Momo with a fluffy finger.
"Momo was tinkering with the Roombas to strengthen them and completely smashed them!"
"YAAAHHHH!"
Momo launched himself at Kancho and grabbed his perky ears.
The Kanmo Duo alliance instantly collapsed.
Jinhyeok went to the waiting room, but the Roombas weren't there.
He opened the closet.
Crash!
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Roomba 1 and Roomba 2 lay there like fallen soldiers.
Momo's hands were unbelievably skilled…
But that didn't apply to everything.
A perfect example was how he drew worse than Seira—no, not worse.
Just… "uniquely."
Apparently machines belonged on that list too.
Jinhyeok clasped his hands together and declared solemnly to the Roomba Squad:
You are now free.
'Looks like I need to recruit Roomba 3 and 4.'
He nodded and left the room.
He'd needed to go out anyway. He could buy replacements on the way back.
"YAAAH! You disloyal otter bastard!!"
"How dare you swing those steamed-bun fists at meee!"
He pretended not to see the battlefield behind him.
People grew by fighting.
He quickly headed down to the underground parking lot and climbed onto Duram 1.
When he started the engine, the exhaust roared.
Seeing Duram 1 reminded him of the Roomba Squad's noble sacrifice.
He'd better be careful.
He needed to make sure Momo didn't take an interest in Duram 1.
He twisted the throttle and shot out of the officetel.
First destination:
He arrived quickly and looked up at the Yeonsanghoe building.
Business was still booming—packed with customers as always.
Everyone would be busy, so he decided not to go in.
He wasn't here for them today.
He was here to meet someone else.
"Oh, you're here?"
O Jaegap walked up, dressed neatly.
Jinhyeok tilted his head.
"Are you not feeling well? You don't usually use a cane."
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
O Jaegap held the cane out.
Only then did Jinhyeok notice the tiny writing on it.
"Huh? Isn't this a super expensive brand?"
"Yep. Think of it like luxury glasses with no prescription."
"I didn't think you were into luxury brands. You always have this… mountain sage vibe."
"I dress up when I go out. But don't tell me…"
O Jaegap pointed his cane at Duram 1.
"You rode that here?"
"Yes."
"That's not a car."
"I don't have a driver's license. The moment I touch a steering wheel, it's handcuffs for me."
"Where am I supposed to sit?"
Jinhyeok patted the back seat.
O Jaegap's brow twitched.
He'd gotten dressed up for the first time in ages, only to end up clinging to the back of a motorcycle.
In the end, he climbed on anyway.
"You drive well? Motorcycles are dangerous."
"Probably?"
"That's not reassuring."
"I've never had an accident."
"How long have you had it?"
"Not even a month."
"I'm getting off."
Jinhyeok had finally convinced him to get on—he wasn't letting him off now.
He twisted the throttle and launched forward.
O Jaegap sucked in a horrified breath.
This was, without question, the fastest vehicle he'd ever ridden in his life.
Jinhyeok followed the navigation O Jaegap had given him.
Today, O Jaegap—who'd built his life in Dongdaemun—was introducing him to a real estate agent.
Why real estate all of a sudden?
What other reason was there?
He needed a bigger place.
'If I put it off any longer, I'm screwed.'
A new friend had joined at dawn today: Renya.
And now the room shortage, which had already been on the edge, had finally become a full-blown crisis.
So Jinhyeok had offered a compromise.
If Renya felt uncomfortable, he could stay in his existing space without manifesting.
Renya's reply had been immediate.
—Rejected.
Renya's "space" was apparently the peak of some random mountain.
Even if it was only for a short time, Renya had tasted high-end officetel living.
He'd become physically incapable of going back to sleeping on a windy mountaintop.
So now Renya was living in Jinhyeok's room with Kancho.
If Renya hadn't thrown punches the moment they met, Jinhyeok would've placed him in Darc's room instead.
But if he did that, the entire officetel would probably get destroyed.
'Still… he's riding pretty well.'
Maybe the complaints at first were just exaggeration.
Jinhyeok checked the rearview mirror.
O Jaegap's head was drooping.
…Grandpa?!
Startled, Jinhyeok flailed his arm.
Only then did O Jaegap snap awake and open his eyes.
"What…? Are we there alrea—"
Thud.
Jinhyeok swallowed.
It reminded him of the kid who passed out five times on a drop tower ride.
'H-he'll be fine… right?'
Jinhyeok drove carefully, making sure he wouldn't fall off.
He'd wake him up when they arrived.
Better than knocking him out again.
Jinhyeok slowly reduced speed.
A real estate office came into view.
The building was plastered with flashy banners.
A plump-looking owner came rushing out.
"Oh my! Welcome! You must be the young man Grandpa O Jaegap told me about! My goodness, what a nice face you've got! And that grandpa of yours… always falling asleep at the strangest times."
Jinhyeok didn't bother correcting her.
That it wasn't sleep.
It was unconsciousness.
"Hello."
He smiled politely and looked at the owner.
Thanks to Grandpa O Jaegap's connections, he'd managed to meet…
One of the most viciously corrupt real estate brokers in all of Seoul.
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T/N:
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