"But we should take a rest first," Junyeok said, slipping the heavy scale into his bag. He exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as the tension finally left his body.
I really need to buy an item box, he thought with a tired grimace. But those things are pricey as hell.
Nyxara nodded beside him, her usually confident posture noticeably slumped. "I'm really tired…" she admitted without her usual pride.
Junyeok glanced at her, then smirked. "You? Tired? After just fighting a ground behemoth?" he teased. "For a mighty creature like you, shouldn't that have been a piece of cake?"
Nyxara immediately sulked, turning her face away and crossing her arms, deliberately ignoring him.
Junyeok chuckled softly at the familiar reaction.
They headed home soon after and spent the rest of the day resting, letting their exhausted bodies recover.
---
The next day, after a long and lazy morning, Junyeok was in his room when Nyxara sprawled comfortably across his bed, staring at the ceiling. She turned her head toward him, eyes shining with faint hope.
"Do you have some… you know… chocolate bars?" she asked.
Junyeok opened his drawer and rummaged through it for a moment before freezing.
"…Looks like you're out of luck today."
Nyxara's expression crumpled instantly, her lips trembling as if she were about to cry at any second.
Junyeok clicked his tongue. "Tch—okay, okay. Fine." He raised both hands in surrender. "I'll buy you some today. We're heading to the monster and drops shop anyway."
Her face brightened instantly. "Really? Promise?"
"Yeah, yeah," Junyeok replied lazily. "Just stop making that crying face."
…Though, he thought with a sigh, it is kinda cute.
"But first," he said aloud, pulling out his phone, "let me check my money."
He opened his bank account.
"…Not enough."
Junyeok frowned slightly. "Guess I'll sell the rest of my remaining stocks."
He confirmed the transaction. A notification popped up, followed by the familiar sound signaling a successful withdrawal.
"That should be enough," Junyeok muttered. "And now I'm completely out of stocks…"
He let out a long breath. "I'll need to find a new way to earn a decent amount of money soon."
After all, he thought quietly, that will happen soon.
His expression darkened slightly. I really should've paid more attention to articles in my past life. I only remember the major money-making events… and most of them are still far away fro—
He stopped mid-thought.
Junyeok shook his head and left his room with Nyxara floating beside him.
"Mom, I'm heading out for some shopping," he called.
"Alright, dear," his mother replied warmly. "Take care of yourself and be back before dinner."
Junyeok glanced at Nyxara. "Mom still hasn't seen you, right?"
Nyxara tilted her head, confused. "You mean that young lady over there? No, I haven't met her."
Now that I think about it, Junyeok realized, she doesn't know I've formed a contract with an ecoe yet.
"I'll introduce you later," he said casually.
Nyxara nodded. "Next time, then."
Junyeok couldn't help but think, 'young lady,' huh…
She was technically in her early thirties—but honestly, she looked no older than twenty-two or twenty-four.
They left together.
---
Junyeok wore a dark light-green coat over a white T-shirt, paired with light blue pants and matching shoes. His pendant rested against his chest as always, and the bracelet on his wrist caught the sunlight faintly.
Nyxara stared at it with curiosity.
Why does he always wear that bracelet whenever he goes out? she wondered.
They soon arrived before an enormous building.
The shop was massive—shining, luxurious, and overwhelming in scale.
Astra Monster and Drops
Nyxara felt a strange unease stir in her chest. Why does this place feel like déjà vu…?
Junyeok let out a calm breath. "Don't worry. We're shopping here."
She blinked. "Really? You mean it? You're not lying?"
"Why would I even lie , or pheraphs you want to go somewhere like last time ?" Junyeok replied coolly.
Nyxara flinched. "N-No, no! This is fine! I'm happy shopping here!"
Junyeok smirked inwardly.
If Limberg Weapons & Artifacts is the biggest shark in weapons… then Astra is the absolute monster when it comes to monster drops.
Even in my past life, no one could compete with them.
They entered.
The interior buzzed with activity—contractors everywhere, accompanied by their contracted ecoes. The air was thick with mana and excitement.
"This place is screaming for someone like me!" Nyxara declared proudly.
Junyeok ignored her babbling and headed straight to the monster drops section.
She's really using telepathy this naturally, he thought with a faint smile. She really is something.
He searched quietly. "…Not here either. Maybe over the—"
"Excuse me, sir."
A man appeared beside him—around twenty-five, wearing a blue-and-black uniform. His appearance was forgettable, but his posture was professional.
"May I help you with anything?"
Junyeok noticed the uniform. Similar to Limberg's… figures.
Junyeok smirked and thought, "It is bound to happen since the owner of both companies are husband and wife—yet divorced and living separately, running rival banners. No one knows yet—but it leaked just one year before I died in my past life."
"Perfect timing," Junyeok said with a grin. "Can you collect some items for me?"
"Of course, sir. Please give me the list."
"I want—
Five hundred grams of black slime remains.
Ten larvae from an orc king's den.
Three brown mandrake herbs.
Five fruits of the man-eating plant."
The man blinked internally. Those are expensive… and strange choices only few contractor in the field of Alchemy buy those. Still, he smiled but he was bit surprised from inside. "Please wait a moment."
"Wait," Junyeok added calmly. "One more thing."
"…Yes?"
"One silver great wolf fang."
The man froze briefly. This kid… does he even know how much that costs?
But he bowed. "I'll bring everything shortly."
Nyxara leaned closer. "What are you going to do with those?"
Junyeok smiled—that plotting smile. "Nothing special. Just something fun."
Nyxara shivered. That's definitely not something good…
The man returned with all the items.
"Here you go, sir. Please check."
Five hundred grams of black slime remains—jelly-like, reeking with a foul stench and radiating an unsettling presence.
Ten massive larvae, writhing slowly, far larger than normal insects—prey meant for an Orc King.
Three brown mandrake roots, twisted into shapes resembling screaming faces.
Five purple fruits dotted with white spots—grown by man-eating plants that absorbed their victims to lure new prey.
And finally, a large, razor-sharp silver great wolf fang.
Junyeok inspected everything carefully, then smiled. "Yes, everything's here. Thanks for your help."
Nyxara swallowed hard, uneasy and tense. Why won't this bad feeling go away…? she thought. If anything, it's only getting stronger. She gulped down.
Junyeok slung the bag over his shoulder, feeling the reassuring weight of the items he had collected. He approached the payment counter, where a young woman sat behind the sleek, polished surface. Her uniform was crisp, navy trimmed with gold, and her long black hair was neatly tied back in a braid that brushed against her shoulder. Sharp brown eyes flicked over him as she assessed the boy who seemed far too composed for someone his age.
"Sir, your total comes to seventy million won," she said, her tone polite but edged with curiosity. The coins, bills, and transaction numbers flashed before Junyeok's eyes as he calculated mentally. He calmly transferred the sum, noting silently that his remaining funds would be just enough for the next few errands—and mentally ticking off ideas to earn more soon.
The girl's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him. This boy… he's definitely filthy rich. How does someone so young handle such sums? But she didn't ask, keeping her professionalism intact.
Junyeok, already accustomed to curious glances, smiled faintly. "Thank you," he said, retrieving one of the items—the scale dropped from the ground behemoth—and placed it on the counter. "Could you examine this?"
The girl nodded, carefully inserting the scale into the shop's analysis machine. Lights flashed, and a soft hum filled the air as the machine assessed its composition, origin, and properties. She pointed to the item status description window, allowing Junyeok to view all the details of the scale.
She was clearly intrigued, though she restrained herself from asking how he had obtained such a rare drop.
"Now you can check its description," she said softly, curiosity still lacing her words.
Junyeok slipped the scale back into his pocket, thinking, I'll examine this properly at home later.
He turned to leave, his pace calm, when he felt a presence behind him. From the shadows near the entrance, a woman was watching him with deliberate focus. She was dressed in a long, pristine white fur coat that accentuated her long, perfectly shaped legs. Dark blue hair fell in smooth waves past her shoulders, framing a strikingly beautiful face with sharp, intelligent eyes and lashes long enough to cast shadows on her high cheekbones. A small beauty mark adorned the underside of her left eye, adding a subtle yet captivating detail to her flawless features. High heels clicked softly against the floor, echoing her quiet grace as she leaned slightly forward, assessing Junyeok without a word.
"Who is this boy…" she murmured under her breath, her voice low and tinged with both curiosity and caution. Her sharp gaze lingered on him until he finally exited the shop, disappearing into the street beyond.
Nyxara, walking beside him, noticed nothing unusual, but Junyeok's mind briefly registered the encounter before he turned his focus to the path ahead.
Junyeok tightened his bag strap, a sly smirk forming. "Looks like I've found a way to make some money," he muttered.
"But first…"