Chapter 71.

My summer break was a series of hellish training .

Although I invested in strengthening my equipment with Random Consolidation System, that didn’t mean I gave up on training my body . I formed a workout routine using posts on Hero Community, and I put the effort in to match my perseverance stat .

A week went by in a breeze .

My body’s growth was still stunted . However, Aether had finished its awakening .

===

[Aether – Awakened]

[Mystic – Formless] [Evolving]

A corporeal, but formless, weapon . Adheres to its master or his weapon, reinforcing their strength .

A portion of its potential was awakened through a mystical elemental’s power .

—Master Selection

*Will not adhere to another being once a master is chosen .

—Physical Body Reinforcement

*Increases all variable stats of its owner by 0 . 7 points .

—Weapon Reinforcement

*Adheres to its master’s weapon and strengthens the weapon’s attack power . Aether itself can also form a weapon . (Current weapon-form Aether rank – ‘high rank’)

—Detail Materialization

*Aether can manifest color and texture (cannot be too complex) .

—Evolving Weapon

All of the above functions evolves with its owner . Depending on the state of Aether’s awakening, other functions can develop .

===

To summarize, Physical Body Materialization’s variable stat boost increased from 0 . 6 to 0 . 7, and it awakened a new function called ‘Detail Materialization’ .

I quite liked this new function .

In the original story, Aether only had two colors, white or blue .

As such, weapons formed with Aether were noticeable, being either entirely white or blue .

But with Detail Materialization, it would be different .

An ordinary knife, ordinary hammer, ordinary gun… though, it said that it couldn’t be too complex, so maybe a gun wouldn’t work .

“…Would it?”

It didn’t hurt to try .

When I thought about forming a gun, Aether squirmed around, trying to change to the shape of a gun . In the end, something went wrong and it ended up looking like a croissant .

“So it doesn’t work . ”

Next was a knife .

Aether managed to form a knife without difficulty . A 35cm long blade and a black plastic handle… . I grabbed the knife to feel its texture . Just like I thought, it was no different than an ordinary knife .

The keyword was ‘ordinary’ .

“Evandel, Uncle is going to go out for a bit . ”

“…Un . ”

“I’ll bring back yummy food, so don’t play with that for too long . If you get sleepy, just sleep . ”

Evandel was molding her magic power as though it was a clay dough . Her instinct as a witch was telling her to make ghosts . I was a bit glad she was playing well by herself… .

“Un~”

“Make cute animals with that, alright?”

Please don’t make humans .

“I know, I know . ”

Evandel blocked her ears and shook her head . She seemed focused and didn’t want me bothering her . For some reason, it felt like she was already coming to resemble Rachel .

I stroked Evandel’s head and left my room .

Perhaps because it was a break, Cube was empty . It was only 9:00, but there were a few rooms with their lights on . I enjoyed this scenery quite a lot .

I moved to a nearby forest .

After walking into the middle of the forest, I stopped and held my Aether knife .

Then, I murmured quietly .

“Scan . ”

In an instant, the number ‘31’ appeared on the knife’s blade before disappearing .

It didn’t look any different from the outside, but Aether’s output should be 31% stronger .

“… . ”

I stared at a boulder about 200 meters away . It was large and looked hard .

“Huup!”

I threw the knife at the boulder .

Drawing a streak of light, the knife reached the boulder but didn’t get stuck in it . Instead, it went through it . Unable to withstand the shock, the boulder split in half . The knife continued flying after tearing through the boulder, then flew back into my hand when I gave the thought .

“Oho . ”

Detail Materialization turned Aether into an ordinary-looking weapon that wasn’t so ordinary in power .

“Not bad . ”

Weapon artifacts scattered around the world had extraordinary outward appearance befitting their lofty status . The depth of history and time was something that couldn’t be hidden .

But the weapon in my hand was different . No matter how you looked at it, it was an ordinary, modern knife . Of course, although it could penetrate a boulder, it wasn’t guaranteed to break through a qi reinforcement . But, an ordinary outer appearance induced carelessness, and a moment of carelessness would be enough to deal a lethal blow .

**

Noon .

The traveling club gathered again under a blazing summer sun .

The meeting place was the Seoul Portal Station . Chae Nayun, Kim Suho, and Yoo Yeonha had already arrived and were waiting for other cadets to come .

“God, it’s so hot . When are they coming?”

Chae Nayun grumbled as she fanned herself with her hand . Yoo Yeonha muttered from next to her .

“Who told you to wear the cadet uniform?”

“… . ”

Rather than wearing a 3 million won jacket that provided temperature control, Chae Nayun wore her cadet uniform, thinking Kim Suho would do the same .

But in reality, Kim Suho wore a white shirt with black slacks . It suited him so well that she couldn’t even get angry .

“Oh look, here comes another cadet uniform . ”

Yoo Yeonha pointed to a distant place, and Chae Nayun turned her gaze . It was Kim Hajin . He was also wearing his cadet uniform, but with a black jacket on top of it .

“…How is he not burning in that thing?”

However, unlike what Chae Nayun thought, Kim Hajin was feeling great . What he was wearing was the Cloth Armor gifted by Rachel, which had a temperature control functionality .

Kim Hajin walked up to the others .

“Hey, Hajin . ”

Kim Suho waved his hand and greeted him .

“Yeah . ”

Kim Hajin nodded .

Looking back and forth between the two of them, Chae Nayun smirked . They were just too awkward .

At that moment, Oh Hanhyun yelled as he clapped .

“Now that Hajin-ssi is here, let’s go . ”

**

After checking in our passport at the Portal Station, we arrived in London .

It was my first time being here, and I found the scenery both crowded and beautiful .

“As you all know, we will be going to Clancy Islet today . ”

Clancy Islet was a gathering place for the European upper class, known for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment . In a way, it was similar to America’s Las Vegas .

“Hmm, good, very good . ”

Chae Nayun revealed her excitement as she clenched her fists .

“We have free time, right?”

“Yes, until 7:00 tonight . There’s a big event going on tonight, and that’s why we’re going to Clancy Islet . When I contacted them about coming to watch, they happily said yes . ”

Just like Oh Hanhyun said, there was a big event planned for tonight . It was so big that it would draw all sorts of unwanted flies .

…No, they were too strong to be called flies . Perhaps it was better to call them beasts .

“Alright, let’s go . ”

I began walking with the rest of the group .

After following along the Thames River for about 10 minutes, we could see an island floating in the sky .

It was about 4 . 2 square kilometers in size, floating at about 700 meters in the air .

This was the floating island, Clancy Islet, created using the English government’s ‘buoyancy stone’ . This island of riches generated close to 30% of England’s tourism profit .

“Wow, it’s been so long . I must have been 11 when I was last here . ”

Chae Nayun smiled feeling reminiscent . However, her face quickly darkened . It must have been because her older brother was with her the last time .

“It’s my first time here . Are you going to be our guide?”

Kim Suho asked . Chae Nayun became energized again and retorted, “Of course!”

Everyone continued to chatter, and I walked as I listened in half-heartedly .

“Hajin, have you been here before?”

Then suddenly, Kim Suho asked me .

“No . ”

“Oh, then two of us are newbies . ”

“I guess we are . ”

While I talked with Kim Suho, we arrived at Clancy Islet’s entrance . There was a Portal build on the Thames River that led up to the island, and it was easy to see that there was stricter security around it .

“Here is my cadet ID and an invitation from Jamie Kim-ssi . ”

Oh Hanhyun approached one of the guards in front of the entrance and gave him his cadet ID and the invitational letter . ”

“Wait here . ”

The guard went away to confirm the invitation letters authenticity, then came back to let us in . Of course, we had to go through a baggage check and body scanner to make sure we weren’t carrying any weapons .

“How strict . ”

Clancy Islet had everything to offer in regards to money: casinos, dueling arenas, auction houses, academic seminars, lectures, corporate keynotes, etc . It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Clancy Islet was the reason England was the second most powerful country in Europe .

“Oh right, we can go to the casino, right?”

Chae Nayun asked . She seemed to be itching to go already .

“Yes, Cube’s cadets are treated as adults here . ”

Being a Cube’s cadet was a great status as it allowed minors to do things minors normally couldn’t . Furthermore, if a problem arose because of it, the country would take responsibility .

Of course, that didn’t mean we could commit crimes .

“Nice!”

Chae Nayun clenched her fists triumphantly .

However, I knew her excitement would disappear in just three hours .

Chae Nayun brought 300 million won today, which was half the amount she had saved up from her allowances . She should have planned to spend 15% of it on gambling and the other 85% on shopping .

But she would blow all of it in just three hours of gambling .

Even as the original author, I didn’t know which was more absurd, having 300 million won from allowances or losing all of it in just three hours .

“Huu . ”

I tried to maintain my cool as much as possible, but I was also nervous .

I was itching too . To me, casinos were gold mines . I didn’t plan on going overboard and drawing unnecessary attention on myself, but I didn’t plan on going home empty handed either .

Before tonight’s incident, I planned to make as much as I could .

“Let’s go in . ”

We walked into the Portal .

In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed .

A giant fountain, flamboyant casino hotel, auction house, fancy restaurant, and fleeting clouds . It was a paradise on earth .

“Casino! Who wants to go to the casino!?”

Chae Nayun shouted excitedly . Yoo Yeonha and Kim Suho had no choice but to go with her .

I also planned on going to the casino, but I didn’t follow Chae Nayun .

Kim Suho asked me .

“Hajin, where are you gonna go?”

“…I’m tired, so I’ll rest a bit in my hotel room and grab lunch afterward . ”

*

Although that’s what I said, I headed straight to the casino after I dropped off my bag in my room .

It was my first time coming to a casino, and it was even more amazing than I imagined .

“…Ooh . ”

In a large area with no mirrors or clocks, the sound of spinning slot machines resounded, and various languages went back and forth .

‘What should I do? The slot machine? Or grab one of the tables? Ah, I have to get some chips first . ’

First, I headed to the currency exchange . I brought 10 million won in cash to exchange .

“Can I get your ID?”

The cashier spoke in fluent Korean with a bright smile . I gave her my cadet ID . The cashier converted my money into chips without batting an eye . Staring at her, I asked casually .

“How long have you been working here?”

The cashier, or rather Jain who was disguised as a cashier, replied with a smile .

“It’s been six years . ”

“So it’s been a while . ”

“Yes . ”

I took my chips and turned around .

**

‘Do I go for a slot machine jackpot? Or do I empty out a dealer?”

“…Ah, so close!”

When I was pondering between two choices, a familiar voice rang out .

It was Chae Nayun .

“You really lost by an inch . ”

Chae Nayun was sitting at a seven-card stud table .

There were many different poker tables in this casino, but only three of them were for the seven-card stud variant . But because seven-card stud was the only poker variant she knew, she sat down at a seven-card stud table as if it was the most obvious choice .

“Man, I almost had it… . ”

Hearing her dejected voice, a man sitting next to her consoled her .

“You were close, haha . ”

Close my ass .

It was easy to spot a pushover like Chae Nayun . All four people sitting with her on that table were working together to scam her .

From the distance, I could see that she lost 10 million won in her last pot . That seemed to have been too much for her as she tried to get up .

“I’m leaving now . ”

“Haha, see ya . But well, I feel bad taking money from a kid . Here, I’ll give 25% of it back . ”

The leader of the four provoked her .

Bert, the scammer .

He was a tall Caucasian man, who rarely suffered a loss in my novel .

“What? It’s only pocket change . I can make it back whenever I want . ”

Chae Nayun sat back down, her competitive spirit burning .

Baring his sly teeth, Bert handed a stack of chips to Chae Nayun .

“Come on, don’t be like that . Here, just take this and go . I’m saying this to you, young lady . ”

“Screw that, let’s go again . ”

…Just like that, Chae Nayun fell into their trap .

She won the next two pots, earning 3 million won in total, then lost 8 million on the third . She earned 2 million on the fourth, then lost 20 million on the fifth and sixth .

“Ah~ so close . ”

On the eight, Bert lost on purpose . Chae Nayun laughed, not knowing that he was only pretending .

“Please, I was obviously going to win that one . ”

“…Maybe?”

Although Bert was a scammer, he wasn’t cheating at the moment . Casino cards were all specially made artifacts so that no Hero could see through it (except me, of course) or pull some sort of a trick .

Bert was only reading the faint changes in Chae Nayun’s expression to read her hands . Since you carried more cards in your hand in a seven-card stud, Chae Nayun simply didn’t stand a chance .

“Ehew . I fold . ”

The rounds continued until it eventually reached the eleventh round .

Chae Nayun folded with two pairs in her hand .

Bert had one pair, and his teammate had a queen high .

“I fold too . ”

However, Bert folded to provoke Chae Nayun even more . Then, he asked his teammate with a furtive smile .

“Hey, can I see your hand? I’m curious what you had . ”

“Haha, it really wasn’t my pot to win… . ”

When his teammate showed his queen high hand, Chae Nayun’s face turned red .

“Aw, come on!”

Now that things had come this far, no one could stop Chae Nayun .

In just two hours from now, Chae Nayun would lose all her money, then hole up in her hotel room to cry .

Of course, I wasn’t interested in the grievances Chae Nayun would face . However, I was interested in the scammer Bert .

I slowly approached their table, then tapped on Chae Nayun’s shoulder .

“Hey, stand up . I’ll play here . ”

“W-What, when did you get here?”

When I tried to drive Chae Nayun out, the scammers’ faces instantly stiffened .

They were quick to act .

“Ah, I got a phone call . I’ll stop here . ”

One member got up, pretending to pick up a call .

Bert then spoke with a smile .

“Looks like there’s an open seat for you . ”

“…Can I join in?”

I sat down, pretending not to know what he was doing .

Bert welcomed me with a big smile .

“Of course . ”

“Hey, are you sure you have the money? The minimum betting price is 100,000 won . ”

“I’m fine, just play . ”

The game then resumed with the dealer giving each of us three cards .

Everyone checked their hands, then picked one of their cards to reveal .

“…Hm?”

But not me . I left my cards exactly where the dealer placed them . I didn’t turn the cards over to check what they were .

“Hey, aren’t you going to see your hand?”

One of Bert’s team members asked . It was a bald guy with an intimidating face .

I smiled and nodded .

“No, I’m not . ”

Even if I didn’t flip them over, I could see what was on them .

Two queens of hearts and a three of spades .

“You know the rules, kid?”

“What, you think I would be here if I didn’t?”

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe . Singing this song, I picked up one of the cards to reveal .

It was the three of spades .

Immediately, veins bulged upon the man’s temples .

“…What’s your problem?”

“What’s yours?”

“What?”

“Hey . ”

Bert quickly cut in .

“Haha, can’t you see what he’s wearing? That’s Cube’s cadet uniform . Let’s be respectful to each other, okay?”

Although that was what he said, Bert’s face was also a bit stiff . From the looks of it, even the almighty Bert must not have expected to see someone who wouldn’t even look at his hand .

But well, technique in gambling only went so far .

Luck was king .

**

“Reporting . Six Djinns from the Evil Society, three Heroes from the Association, and some random scammer . Oh, and there’s one person from the Vast Expanse . It looks like he’s only here to sightsee . ”

Jain reported her findings .

Djinns from the Evil Society .

High rank Heroes from the Hero Association .

A hunter from the Vast Expanse .

And the Chameleon Troupe .

With the scale of the event being so big, all sorts of people flocked to it . Jain had only reported on what she could personally confirm . There were undoubtedly many more lurking in the shadows .

“Oh right, there’s also Kim Hajin, who Boss likes . ”

Jain ended her report with Kim Hajin .

—…Standby for now . Also, I do not like Kim Hajin .

“Really? I didn’t know . ”

Jain ignored the latter part of Boss’ sentence .

“By the way, Kim Hajin saw my face . Do you think he noticed?”

—He needs to concentrate his magic power around his optic nerves to see through your Gift . There’s no reason he would use his magic power while looking at an ordinary person .

“…I guess so . I didn’t feel any movement of magic power either . ”

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