MDITS Chapter 7

“This is…?”

On the 6th floor of City Hall is an office located on the far corner.

No, it can’t be called an office since there was not a single item there that resembles an office supply.

A variety of weapons and some low-grade suits were hanging on a display at the wall.

“This used to be the old office of the Rift Management Department. It was renovated and now used as a training room for Hunters. Actually, this is also my first time coming here after the renovation. This was reconstructed using the special materials provided by the Hunter Management Agency which can withstand almost anything you throw at it, making this room perfect for training.”

Do-jun put down some files on a desk in a corner, took off his suit, and hung it on a rack. 

Cha Yeji’s face suddenly turned bright red and immediately averted her gaze from him.

“You’re my hunter but we are not that acquainted well yet. It’s time that I should get to know you... slowly, and surely - all about you.

“…Wha-what do you mean by that!?”

Cha Yeji was extremely flustered that she accidentally bit her tongue.

Do-jun casually replied.

“Can you tell me your current level and stats, and what skills do you have? I’ll try to adjust so that I’ll be able to accommodate you as much as possible and pick a Rift dungeon fit for your level. Also, I will help with you train for the incoming Hunter Rating Assessment next week.”

“…Ahh, so that’s what you meant.”

Cha Yeji sighed deeply.

‘Why am I easily getting flustered by him?’

“Currently, my level is at 4, and my stats are… 6 for Strength, 11 for Agility, 8 for Vitality, and 0 for Mana. Also, I have a skill called Scholar’s Swordsmanship.”

“Thank you for letting me know. I have a question though, is there a reason why you don’t have any Mana compared to your other stats? As far as I know, unlike Strength, Agility, and Vitality that can only rise when you level up by subduing some monsters, Mana could be increased by using a Mana Stone. Have you never tried body strengthening?”

Mana Stones can be obtained by catching monsters.

If you bring a Mana Stone to the Hunter Management Agency, they will aid you in strengthening your body for free.

However, since it puts a heavy burden on the body, it was limited to once a month. And, even if the same Mana Stone will be used, the amount of Mana that one could absorb varies widely based on their level and capabilities.

One time, there was a Hunter whose Mana didn’t exceed 100 no matter how much money he spent on Mana Injections. 

And there was also another Hunter who had more than 100 in Mana by just going through it once.

Hunters tend to treat themselves as game players, making the latter Hunter as someone who is extremely lucky and the former as unlucky.

“…Of course, I tried it. The body strengthening.”

“But why is your Mana still 0?”

“I have this skill called ‘Scholar’s Swordsmanship’ and according to it, if the skill is not yet in its 3rd phase, I cannot have Mana. I was hoping it wasn’t true, so I tried getting Mana Injections… but unfortunately, it was true. There’s no one as unlucky as me, right?”

Do-jun was lost in thought...

If she couldn’t have Mana until her skill would be at Phase 3.

Then shouldn’t she just like proceed to Phase 3?

“But I couldn’t even reach the threshold of Phase 2, let alone Phase 3.”

“The Scholar’s Swordsmanship, can you describe it to me?”

“I’ll write it down for you.”

After a while, Cha Yeji wrote down something on a paper and handed it over to Do-jun.

He then slowly began to read the description of the skill.

- There are Three Entities which constitute the universe, these are Heaven, Earth, and Man. Everything in the universe starts from these three and ends with these three, and there are no exceptions, even in swordsmanship. Therefore, it is the most basic tenet and principle in swordsmanship…

“I tried to make it more understandable…”

Afterwards, Cha Yeji handed out a notebook.

Inside it contained an illustration of the skill, though it was in stickman form.

While Do-jun was working, this was what she was scribbling. 

‘Isn’t this the “Sword Arts of the Three Entities”?’

In Murim, the Sword Arts of the Three Entities was a renowned skill throughout that those who know not about it cannot call themselves as practitioners of the way of the sword.

Thus, there was no demand for it since it was just treated as a third-rate martial art. After that, Unjasam, a powerful martial artist affiliated to the Murim League, developed a basic swordsmanship method called “Multidirectional Sword Technique” and distributed it by scriptures, which led to the disappearance of the Sword Arts of the Three Entities into history.

‘…So the Scholar’s Swordsmanship… No, wait a minute.’

Sword Arts of the Three Entities.

And Scholar’s Swordsmanship.

Do-jun could think of a person’s name.

The Sword Saint, Jin So-woon. 

He was a scholar of the Imperial Palace who appeared like a comet, and suddenly defeated the strongest warrior in Murim in a duel and disappeared. A genius among geniuses who reinterpreted the Sword Arts of the Three Entities, which was considered a “third-rate” swordsmanship skill, and then called it ‘Scholar’s Swordsmanship’. He then left the world after leaving a counsel to the leader of the Murim League.

It might have been inflated to some extent by storytellers who liked to gossip, but in the bigger picture, there was no lie that was said.

“…Manager?”

Cha Yeji waved her hands in front of Do-jun’s eyes when he suddenly stopped talking.

Suddenly, his eyes opened wide.

Tap!

He grabbed Cha Yeji's wrist and pulled her body closer to him.

Now, they were at breathing distance from each other.

“Ms. Yeji.”

Babump. 

Babump.

Cha Yeji closed her eyes tightly.

Do-jun then whispered in a sweet voice beside her ear.

“You are in no way an unlucky person.”

“…What?”

＊ ＊ ＊

A few days later.

After 6 PM, Do-jun immediately shut down his computer.

Seemingly tired, he shook Cha Yeji’s shoulder, who was sleeping soundly on a desk beside him, and said as he looked at Kang Chul-soo and Kwon Hyuk-soo.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll be going first.”

“Yes. Good work. Mr. Do-jun.”

Do-jun bowed his head and left the office.

Cha Yeji then chased after him, as if she was a puppy following her mother.

Eventually, both of them completely left the office.

Kang Chul-soo walked to Kwon Hyuk-soo’s side and muttered as he looked at the door.

“Don’t you think there’s something going on between those two?”

For the past few days,

The two of them would leave without delay at exactly 6 PM.

At first, Kang Chul-soo thought it would only be for a day or two, but it’s already been going on for about a week.

“Hmm… I can’t say yet. Well, it seems that the girl is interested though.”

“You think so too?”

“I’d be a fool if I didn’t notice it.”

“But I don’t think Do-jun knows.”

Grin.

“He’s already great at his job, isn’t he? So shouldn’t he atleast be a little stupid about dating?"

＊ ＊ ＊

Whoosh!

A wooden sword was raised towards the ceiling.

And was swung down with great force, followed by two consecutive blows.

As if drawn on a canvas, an elaborate sword path unfolded from the tip of Cha Yeji’s hand.

Soon after the training was over, Cha Yeji laid on the floor and gasped for breath.

“Pant pant…”

In the past few days, Do-jun has been helping her work on her skill for about an hour after work.

He thought that Cha Yeji might be suspicious about him if he pointed out her mistakes too openly, or show a demonstration, so he was restraining himself from doing so and mildly bring up his opinions.

“Tomorrow is the Hunter Rating Assessment, so go home and get some rest. That’s all for today.”

“…Status.”

Cha Yeji took a breath and checked her status.

Name: Cha Yeji

Level: 4

Title: None

Strength: 6

Agility: 11

Vitality: 8

Mana: 10

Skill: Scholar's Swordsmanship (S)

[Skill - Scholar's Swordsmanship]

  - Classification: Passive

  - Rank: S

  - Effect: Can Learn the ‘Scholar’s Swordsmanship’

  - Current Phase: 3rd

An overwhelming surge of disbelief and euphoria was beginning to well inside Cha Yeji.

No matter how hard she tried, the current phase of her skill did not rise - not until now.

An increase of two phases in just a few days.

Now that she was on the 3rd Phase of her skill, she was now able to acquire Mana.

Even though she didn’t get Mana Injections, little by little, her Mana was piling up by honing the Scholar’s Swordsmanship skill.

“…Manager.”

“What is it?”

“I’m so lucky to have met you, Manager.”

“Thank you for saying that. I’ll keep that in mind as the renewal of our contract approaches.”

“Pft. What the heck.”

Cha Yeji smiled back and slowly rose up.

She felt a little water-like aura stirring around her body.

It was not a bad feeling for her.

But rather, it seemed to calm her body.

'So this is Mana.'

It was something she never had in her life.

Yet it felt so natural, like it was already there with her to begin with.

“As I thought, you’re really hiding your strength.”

“Think as you please.”

Do-jun picked up a wooden sword lying on the floor and put it on the weapons shelf.

As he moved around cleaning the room, the strong fine muscles under his shirt caught Cha Yeji’s eyes.

“I like it.” 

Cha Yeji’s voice echoed throughout the empty training room.

Immediately, her face began to turn beet red.

‘W-w-what did I just say now? No, did I say it out loud? N-no way. This can’t be true. I was just thinking inside my head.’

Cha Yeji looked at Do-jun’s expression.

However, what she saw was an undisturbed, expressionless face. A face devoid of any sort of reaction.

It was only then that Cha Yeji gave out a sigh of relief.

If he had really heard that, he should somehow have some sort of expression on his face.

“Everything’s already cleaned up. Let’s go home.”

“Huh? Ah… yes."

Cha Yeji opened the door and followed Do-jun.

Without realizing it, she felt her face heat up again.

‘…Oh no… This can’t be happening… Do I actually like Manager?!

＊ ＊ ＊

Golden-grilled eel.

Do-jun picked up a sliced eel with his chopsticks and ate it.

Seol Yoon-hee smiled with her hands on her chin as she watched him eat.

“It’s delicious, right? It was on sale at the mart, so I bought some and cooked it.”

“My daughter’s cooking is always delicious.”

“Tsk. If you say it like that, I feel like I’m being bowed down.”

Do-jun smiled unconsciously at Seol Yoon-hee, who was being grumpy.

However, she instantly felt better as she saw Do-jun eat heartily, but at the same time, at the back of her mind, she felt anxious.

They only have a contractual relationship up until she graduates from Hunter Academy.

In a way, their relationship goes only as far in contract.

‘Am I just a housekeeper in his eyes I wonder?’

After she graduates,

And once Do-jun has fully adapted to the current society.

If that happens, will their relationship just end there?

- Here’s the next news. Another “Temporary Rift” appeared in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do. The monster that appeared from the Rift was an Orc Warrior believed to be C-class, which killed three civilians. Three policemen who were immediately dispatched fired Mana Guns, but the Orc Warrior was not easily suppressed… 

“What a scary world to live in.”

Do-jun mumbled as he said it in a dull and dry manner.

Suddenly, Seol Yoon-hee got up from her seat.

“I…”

“Hmm?”

“When I graduate and become a hunter, I’ll stand by your side and protect you!”

Do-jun nodded unconsciously.

Seol Yoon-hee’s expression then became brighter than ever.

Afterwhich, she stuck out her pinky finger.

“Promise?”

“…O-okay.”

Do-jun reluctantly stuck out his pinky finger.

Seol Yoon-hee then released her finger as if she was satisfied with the promise they just made.

She smiled back and put an eel on Do-jun’s bowl.

“Eat a lot, father.”

Do-jun sighed inwardly.

‘Who’s protecting who now?’

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