CH 6

I washed my sweat-soaked body and sat down in the chair at my desk. Then, I took out the Purification Egg that I had put away in the drawer.

“Ha….”

I sighed as soon as I saw the Egg. It’s been a week since I received the quest to inject the Egg with mana, but I have yet to make any progress. In truth, as Kim Hae-Ah, not the hunter Seo Go-Woon of this world, I was just an ordinary person more familiar with science.

Therefore, there was no way I could have known how to use magic that I’d only seen in novels. Because of this, I tried to find some hints by reviewing my previous quests, but there wasn’t a single word related to magic.

‘When I use a skill, it feels like something is being drawn from me in pieces… But how am I meant to transfer that into this?’

Thankfully, there was a place where I could get a hint.

[HunterNet]

This large-scale community website, joined by nearly all awakened hunters, provided information on everything hunter-related. Even the peculiar hunter Seo Go-woon was a member, so I searched for articles, research papers, and posts about magic infusion on HunterNet while working out. Numerous descriptions were available, but the most striking one likened magic to blood. It stated that magic flowed through a hunter’s body similarly to blood.

“Hmm.”

I looked down at the Purification Egg in my grasp.

“Should I attempt to draw some blood?”

However, if drawing blood was necessary to infuse mana, it would mean that a magic gun, which transformed magic into bullets and shot them, would also require blood. I pictured having to extract blood every time I fired a magic bullet and shook my head.

“I must have lost my mind, thinking of such absurd theories.”

If I had to draw blood to use the gun, I would likely die from excessive blood loss before being slain by a monster. I searched HunterNet once more, but I couldn’t find any details on magic infusion. Instead of the nonexistent handcuffs, I now rolled the Purification Egg in my hand, lost in thought.

‘Mana infusion. Mana infusion.’

All of a sudden, something happened. I momentarily sensed something inside me shift, and light radiated from my fingertips. Then, I heard a ‘ding’ sound in my ears again.

[Become an Alchemist Expert 1]

◈◈◈

“…How straightforward.”

I couldn’t resist a sardonic chuckle at that point. The notion that infusing mana didn’t necessitate a unique technique, and that this method was all it took.

“Status window.”

A pinkish status window materialized beside the quest window in response to my instruction. The status window validated my suspicions by revealing a 100-point decrease in my mana. Furthermore, upon channeling mana into the Egg, I could clearly sense the mana coursing through my body. The mana I had been grappling to comprehend was, as depicted in the tales, flowing within me like blood.

“Phew.”

The tension in my body soon subsided.

It had been quite a while since I had been ignorant of how to transfer mana. It was to the point that I couldn’t even sleep, fretting about what would happen if I misplaced the purification object like this.

“Can I infuse mana without speaking, though?”

I pondered channeling mana into the item silently. At that precise moment, a ‘ding’ noise resounded. As I opened my eyes, the number in the quest window shifted from 1 to 2.

“Just thinking is sufficient, it seems.”

I hastily channeled the remainder of my mana. My mana displayed in the status window soon fell to 0, while the quest window’s number altered to 20. However, the quest was far from finished.

“…How tedious.”

I felt it back at the gateway too, but whenever my mana depleted, my body’s energy was drained along with it.

“It felt just like when I was in undercover for seven days straight.”

I had wanted to soothe my exhausted body and mind, but there was still much to do. Later, I picked up the pillow and walked to the desk.

“First, I need to organize the information…”

By carefully placing the Purification Egg on the pillow so it wouldn’t crack, I then took out the notebook I had stored away in the drawer.

[Cradle’s Strategy Guide]

While searching for information on mana for the quest, I had jotted down major events from the novel in my notebook. I intended to only get involved in events related to the people needed for the Cradle strategy.

In this notebook, I jotted down all the remaining information about the necessary people I had thought of, how they died, and what incidents took place. Before I knew it, two hours had passed.

My depleted mana had become full once again.

“It should be enough this time,” I muttered, picking up the Egg next to the pillow.

With 20 times of mana infusions already completed, only 15 remained until the quest’s completion. I carefully infused my mana yet again and watched as the quest’s number count increased. After finally finishing the last 35th mana infusion, a green quest window popped out.

[Become an Alchemist Expert Part 1]

[A reward will be given.]

Suddenly, the Egg in my grasp shifted.

“What?”

I was taken aback.

Concerned about dropping the Egg, I set it on the pillow, and it soon started to move, squirming its round form on the pillow.

“This wasn’t mentioned in the book.”

A wave of anxiety washed over me, wondering if something had gone awry. After all, the Purification Egg was a crucial element in the forthcoming plan. The appearance of an unforeseen variable was something I hadn’t anticipated and should not have occurred.

Without warning, the vigorously wriggling Egg rolled off the bed and headed towards the floor.

“Ah, shoot…” I muttered, just barely catching the Egg before it struck the ground.

As it rested in my hand, the Egg’s movement grew more intense, and it cracked with a snapping noise.

“I definitely caught it, but why… Did I grip it too tightly?”

If the Purification Egg were to shatter, there would be no way to rescue the rampaging hunters.

Feeling sheepish, I began rummaging through my drawers for some adhesive, just in case.

“Ppi.”

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of a bird. I quickly glanced around. There were no open windows, so where could the bird’s noise be coming from?

‘Could a bird have entered and stolen the Egg…?’

That’s when it occurred. I, who was attempting to calmly devise a solution, couldn’t help but tense up in astonishment.

“What’s going on…?”

While I briefly scanned the area, the center of the Egg had already been punctured.

“Ppi ppi.”

From that punctured spot, something tiny resembling a pincer emerged and emitted chirping noises.

“A …hatchling?”

Incredulous, I set the Egg back on the pillow. Seizing the opportunity, the Egg rolled about in various directions.

“Is it truly hatching? All of a sudden? Why? There’s no reference to this in the novel?”

As I babbled on, observing the Egg, it continued to roll and ultimately shattered into fragments.

And then.

“Ppi ppi.”

A tiny bird with a long tail emerged from the egg. The bird shivered once and looked at me with its round, black-bean-like eyes.

“Ppi-ppi.”

“You…?”

[Quest reward received: Purification Bird]

My eyes widened at the sudden message.

So, this is a quest reward?

[Passive skill ‘Truth’ is activated.]

※ Additional information can be found through other existing skills.

“A Purification Bird…”

“Ppi.”

The Purification Bird, which seemed to think that I had called it, flew to me while chirping and tilting its head. Its small wings fluttered busily.

“You… do you know how to purify?”

“Ppi.”

Whether it was really understanding and answering or just crying, I couldn’t tell from the bird’s unintelligible language, so I asked it again, “Is your name Purification Bird?”

“Ppi-ppi.”

“Were you just born now?”

“Ppi.”

With every question, the Purification Bird suspiciously chirped synchronously.

Then, as if feeling my gaze, it cried out, “Ppi-ppi,” seemingly annoyed.

I opened my palm and said, “Come sit here.”

Perched atop on my palm, the Purification Bird tilted its tiny head slightly.

“You really understand what I’m saying, right? If yes, then chirp twice; if no, just chirp once.”

Since it kept chirping, I decided to take two chirps as a positive response. The bird, which had been tilting its head, opened its beak.

” Ppi-ppi.”

“Is this a coincidence, or do you really understand what I’m saying?”

“Ppi!” the bird fluttered up and pecked at my head with its beak.

As I furrowed my brows from the stinging pain, the bird pecked at my eyebrow this time.

“…I can’t believe I’m being attacked by a bird. No, this is more like an ambush than an attack.’

I tried to catch the angry bird, but it dodged my hand and continued attacking me.

“Okay, okay, I get it. I know you understand what I’m saying.”

Finally, the bird stopped pecking and landed on the pillow. Then it began to diligently groom its feathers. It seemed to know that the pillow had been its spot when it was still in the egg, as if that place belonged to it.

I sighed and sat down beside the pillow, lamenting whether the sudden appearance of a bird not mentioned in the novel was a blessing or a curse. I continued to stare at it for a moment before asking it again, “Can you really purify?”

The bird, which had been burying its face in its feathers, suddenly turned its head and looked at me. Its eyes were the same as before, like black beans, but its gaze seemed strange.

It couldn’t possibly be looking down on me, could it?

“Ppi.”

Whatever its gaze meant, the bird’s answer seemed positive, indicating yes to what I had just said.

I then asked what the main question I had in mind, “How will you do it? Before, all I had to do was hold your egg form in my hand, right?”

At my question, the bird fluttered up and landed on top of my head.

‘What does this mean? Does it mean I just have to let it sit on my head?’

As if it could read my thoughts, the Purification Bird perched on my head chirped.

“Does having you sitting on top like this will start the purification process?”

“Ppi.”

Does the purification occur just by the bird sitting on my head as if I’m holding an egg like before? If its like that, then the bird hatching from the egg is indeed a blessing for me. I was anxious about not knowing when the egg would break, but a bird won’t break like an egg. Of course, I still need to be cautious in my own way.

‘Right, isn’t there an additional information mentioned earlier?’

I spread my palm to check the additional information that I couldn’t see when I viewed the Purification Bird’s information using Truth skill.

“Hey, come down here for a second.”

I used the skill toward the Purification Bird that landed on my palm.

“Appraisal.”

When I used it, the same information as before appeared. However, a burst of light glimmered soon after, revealing a detailed information that I couldn’t confirm earlier.

※ It will not leave its master’s side, and has a strong homing[1] instinct.

※ It can grow larger by absorbing its master’s mana.

“Master? Who’s the master?”

As I kept repeating the word ‘master,’ the Purification Bird, which had been preening its feathers, raised its head.

“Ppi-ppi-ppi!”

As if trying to explain something, the bird moved its beak continuously, making chirping sounds. After making strange noises for a while, the Purification Bird sighed upon seeing my expression.

‘Do birds sigh too?’

Even if I had misunderstood its weird condescending look, a sigh is still unexpected, right?

Then, with a ding sound, another message appeared.

Footnote

[1] relating to an animal’s ability to return to a place or territory after traveling a distance away from it: “a strong homing instinct”