Chapter 88: Magnifying Glass (2)
Which are the most dangerous types among people who fall into gambling?
At least in Kim Hyunwoo's opinion, the most dangerous types among those who fall into gambling are actually the intelligent ones.
Basically, smart people do not get addicted to gambling.
However, once addicted, smart people start calculating.
More precisely, they invest time and money to create data and then use that data to formulate their own equations.
But, quite obviously, the calculations of smart people mean little in the face of gambling.
This is because, even if one can approximately gauge the probabilities in gambling, it doesn't mean they can utilize them.
Thus, calculations in gambling are almost utterly meaningless and ultimately serve no purpose.
Especially Magnifying Glasses like these of the lowest grade explorers, which are essentially box gachas.
Therefore, Kim Hyunwoo calmed Adria down and explained the probabilities of the Magnifying Glasses to her, just as he had done with Elena.
After all, to Kim Hyunwoo, Adria was an important person.
The problem, however, was that-
"...I understand that the probability is exceedingly low. But still... if I try with about 3,000 pieces, couldn't I at least break even?"
Adria didn't seem like she would give up easily.
With a very serious expression, Kim Hyunwoo looked at Adria, who spoke with clarity in her eyes as if she had spent 30 years studying Pachinko in Gangwon Land and succeeded, and persuaded her several times.
"...It does seem a bit difficult to cut with certainty based on probabilities."
"Right? After all, just because the Magnifying Glass calculates probabilities doesn't mean you can pick them out."
Kim Hyunwoo was able to rescue Adria, who couldn't escape from the quagmire of the Magnifying Glass.
'...Well, honestly, I'm not sure if I rescued her, but at least at this moment, she seems quite sharp.'
"Well, once we break through the truth and free ourselves from the shackles of burying costs, escape will be easy, so I'll do well."
Therefore, Kim Hyunwoo, who briefly thought while looking at Adria, opened his mouth.
Thus, after briefly considering Adria, Kim Hyunwoo spoke up.
"So, how did your trip to the trading company go?"
"Yes, there weren't any particular difficulties this time."
The conversation began with a casual inquiry.
Although Magnifying Glasses came up in the conversation now and then, Kim Hyunwoo was overall smoothly steering the conversation when he heard Adria's question.
"By the way, are you deliberately limiting the sale of Magnifying Glasses? It seems like the daily quota is always fixed."
Adria queried.
Kim Hyunwoo, looking slightly troubled, smiled awkwardly and replied,
"I don't really intend to. It's just that the supply can't keep up with the demand."
"So, it takes quite some time to make the Magnifying Glasses?"
"No, that's not it. But due to concerns about leaking... I'm currently making them all by myself."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"...What?"
Adria cautiously asked, looking puzzled.
"So, all the daily output... Are you making them?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, that's how it's being done for now."
"More than 4,000 Magnifying Glasses?"
"Yes."
"Uh... Is that even possible?"
Kim Hyunwoo nodded at the sight of Adria, with her mouth agape in genuine surprise.
"Well, it turns out to be possible..."
Kim Hyunwoo, who had previously strenuously made 4,000 pieces, now found himself able to leisurely make the same amount since he had reached a higher level of proficiency. Nodding, he said,
"However, I can't keep making them alone forever, so I've been considering various solutions, but I haven't come up with a feasible method yet."
"...Surely, that part must be somewhat of a headache. You need to find someone trustworthy to work with without leaking the method of making the Magnifying Glasses."
Adria, quickly grasping which part Kim Hyunwoo found difficult, paused as if pondering, then said,
"Is the task simple?"
"Yes, it is."
"If it's a simple task, what about using skeletons?"
"...Skeletons?"
To Kim Hyunwoo's puzzled question, Adria nodded,
"Yes. With skeletons, there's no worry about leaks. Of course, being mindless entities, they can only perform very simple repetitive tasks, and they would be quite slow."
"Oh, that's certainly an idea!"
Since in Arteil, necromancers have only ever been used as combat heroes, her suggestion sounded like a really good idea, but he soon looked disappointed,
"Indeed, it seems like a not bad method, but unfortunately, there isn't a necromancer in my territory."
Since there was no necromancer in Kim Hyunwoo's territory, he said,
"If only there had been a necromancer."
At least, as far as he remembered, necromancers were quite a unique job, and finding a necromancer hero was known to be very difficult.
Despite necromancers not being particularly ostracized in Arteil, finding a necromancer hero was still very hard.
"Getting the necromancer from the Blue Forest in the first place was considered one of the rare early strokes of luck."
Recalling that, Kim Hyunwoo smacked his lips thoughtfully.
"Hm? These days, you can use skeletons even without a necromancer, you know?"
"...What? Even without a necromancer?"
"Yes. Up until 78 years ago, you absolutely needed a necromancer to move skeletons, but nowadays, there are scrolls made by necromancers that suffice for utilizing skeletons."
"...Really?"
"Ah, of course, the skeletons you can summon with a scroll lack any attack or carrying capability considering their cost, and they can only perform very simple assembly tasks. And yet, they consume quite a bit of Magic Stones."
Adria said so and then looked slightly embarrassed.
"As expected, skeletons are a bit like that, right? No matter what, a somewhat complex process would be needed to make a Magnifying Glass."
However.
"No? It really seems fine?"
"Really?"
"Do you have any scrolls that can control skeletons right now?"
"...For now, I have about 10 that can be sold immediately."
Kim Hyunwoo asked with a smile on his face, and upon hearing Adria's reply, he smiled.
"Those 10, sell them all to me."
That's what he said.
The Northern and Southern Continents.
Afterward, Merilda spent days ransacking every village that had all the summoning circles drawn around it.
"The color has faded slightly...!"
After destroying the last village, the stone that always showed a deep blood-red color had, albeit slightly, turned a light crimson, making her smile without realizing it.
She confirmed with her own eyes that the hardships of the past few weeks were not in vain.
Looking at the stone that had turned crimson, Merilda turned her gaze to the Absolute Ruler of Darkness with a newfound smile.
Rin, like Merilda, was looking at the crimson stone with a smile on her lips.
She found herself looking at the stone Rin was holding and thought.
"...Is that one brighter? No, it's similar to mine."
Even though their destinations kept overlapping and they ended up traveling together, Merilda originally had no intention of accompanying her.
Originally, her goal was to return to her Master faster than anyone else to receive forgiveness, never intending to let anyone else interfere in the process.
She had to be the first to return to her Master, no matter what.
Thus, upon returning, she would earn her Master's affection.
Swishing softly.
Merilda's tail, swaying from her elevated spirits just from her thoughts, stopped as soon as her gaze met Rin's.
"......"
Immediately, Rin and Merilda didn't say a word.
They just stared intently into each other's eyes.
Yet, despite that, they quickly caught on to what the other was thinking.
'I will never lose to that half-breed.'
'I will absolutely not lose to that bastard.'
The two glaring at each other soon turned their bodies in precisely opposite directions.
The information they held was the same up to this point, but from here on, they possessed entirely different information.
In other words, a real fight between them was about to begin, so without saying anything to each other, not even a goodbye, they began to exert force in their legs, ready to shoot off in opposite directions when-
"Master-!"
"Boss-!"
"...?"
From different directions, the sudden appearance of Loriel and Ryu left both with bewildered expressions.
For a moment, the two who appeared from the opposite direction also looked at them with slightly perplexed expressions, but that was brief.
"Boss! A hero from 10 years ago has returned to Lartania...!"
"Master, there's a report that a hero from 10 years ago has returned to Lartania...!"
Following Loriel and Ryu's words.
"...What?"
Their expressions froze unhappily.