Chapter 53. There’s Nothing To Lose

After killing Eldora, Kim Do-Joon acquired a light short sword.

Whoosh!

Kim Do-Joon swung it around just for fun. Compared to Karlish’s spear, it felt like it weighed a third as much. It didn’t have the hefty feel, but the blade was sharp, making it look quite dangerous.

— Wait... You're not thinking of changing your main weapon to a sword, are you?

Karlish asked, watching Kim Do-Joon examine the sword.

"What?" Kim Do-Joon replied, surprised by the unexpected question.

— Is it because you think swords look cooler? Or have you dreamed of using swords?

"No, not really..." Kim Do-Joon replied.

The sword did look cool, but it wasn’t like he had any dreams about it.

— That flimsy weapon is for delicate, elf-like guys. A real man uses a solid spear!

"Isn't that a bit prejudiced?" Kim Do-Joon countered.

— It's not prejudice, it's the truth!

Kim Do-Joon could almost picture Karlish in his prime—huge, with bulging muscles.

Eww...

Kim Do-Joon shook his head to dispel the image.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on switching to a sword now."

— Good. That's a relief.

The sword was only taken out for copy-pasting purposes. He was just curious to examine it. Since it was an elf's sword, he wondered if it’d be any different from theirs.

Based on the looks, I guess their swords are not so different from ours.

The sword looked quite ordinary, just like the ones humans used. However, what mattered the most was the item effect. Then, Kim Do-Joon checked the information window of the sword.

[Sword Brittish]

Description

- A sword made by melting iron sand harvested from the bottom of the Spirit's Lake. The material isn’t very durable, but it’s very familiar to spirits. This sword has a very high level of completion.

Rarity

- Rare

Classification

- Weapon

Effects

- Attack Power + 41-43

- Spirit Affinity Level + 2

Spirit Affinity?

Kim Do-Joon's eyes widened at the sword's item effect. He’d never seen that item effect before.

Well, I can somewhat infer what the item effect will give...

Kim Do-Joon could infer the ability just from the name. However, he wondered if there had been equipment with this effect before. Just to be sure, Kim Do-Joon searched on his phone. He googled it and checked the market app for options.

< Search Results: 0 >

As expected, no results. At least, none of the publicly known items had this effect.

Well, that makes sense.

If this effect existed, Hunters with Spirit Summoner skills would have gone crazy over it. After summoning Siwelin, Kim Do-Joon had taken an interest in Summoner-class Hunters.

Apparently, Summoner-class Hunters often struggled with their affinity with their summons. Some Hunters were adored by their summons, while others were often ignored or disobeyed.

In extreme cases, Hunters who couldn’t get along with their summons couldn’t even do their duties. The danger of a summon disobeying in a critical moment was obvious.

If this effect gets revealed...

Hunters with low natural affinity, especially those with skills related to spirits, would go nuts. They would probably pay a fortune to get it.

That was how precious this item effect was. Then, without hesitation, Kim Do-Joon copy-pasted such a rare, precious item effect to himself.

[The item effect has been successfully copied and pasted.]

[The Sword Brittish has been destroyed.]

[The transferred ability will be adjusted according to the recipient's classification.]

Since he was moving up to A-rank dungeons, money would be pouring in. On the other hand, rare item effects like this were valuable resources. It’d be a waste to sell it just for money.

Plus...

[Additional Effect]

- Spirit Affinity Level + 2

Hmm... The Spirit Affinity is labeled by levels, not by rank...

Kim Do-Joon noted the level designation. If the effect had been labeled by the effect like Minor, Greater and Superior, just like the Superior Regeneration effect, that’d mean the effect wouldn’t stack. No matter how many Superior Healing Potions one copy-pasted, the effect would remain Superior.

On the other hand, if the item effect was labeled by levels, that meant the copy-pasted abilities would stack each time.

Would all elf equipment have this option?

According to the association president, Son Chang-Il, elves had appeared not just in South Korea but all over the world. Black pillars had risen, and elves appeared simultaneously in various locations. Some places suffered significant damage, while others dealt with the elves without a hitch. But there was no information about places where elf equipment had been obtained.

People are probably keeping it a secret.

Kim Do-Joon didn’t think that he was the only one who had obtained such items. Guilds or associations that had successfully defeated the elves were likely keeping the equipment under wraps.

So what if all their equipment has Spirit Affinity?

If he could obtain those equipment, his Spirit Affinity would increase significantly. Even if that wasn’t the case, if elves attacked again and he could seize all their equipment, his affinity could surpass that of most spirit users.

Kim Do-Joon's heart raced. It seemed like a new path to becoming stronger had appeared!

But his excitement soon subsided. He realized he overlooked a certain fact.

Wait a second...

Having a high Spirit Affinity wouldn’t make any difference for him. He knew Spirit Affinity made summoned spirits more obedient. However, he didn’t have a spirit-summoning skill, which made the affinity effect somewhat useless on its own.

Kim Do-Joon clicked his tongue in slight disappointment.

Still, there’s nothing to lose.

Kim Do-Joon didn’t regret copy-pasting the Spirit Affinity instead of the high attack power. However, he felt a bit let down, realizing this effect wouldn’t lead to significant changes.

— Alright, if you've rested enough, let's get back to work.

"Alright," Kim Do-Joon responded.

Break time was over, so Kim Do-Joon grabbed his spear and got up.

***

"Hello?"

The next day, Kim Do-Joon received a call as he was about to climb the mountain again after washing up.

"Is this the real estate agency?" Kim Do-Joon asked to clarify.

The call was from a real estate agent. Now that Siwelin and Kim So-Eun were with him, Kim Do-Joon had been looking for a suitable place. He’d just received word that a property meeting his criteria was available.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Accompanied by Siwelin and Kim So-Eun, Do-Joon set out to view the house.

"Welcome, Sir. This way, please," the agent greeted them.

The house was a detached home, slightly removed from the bustling city center, but not isolated. The property seemed okay.

"This is quite a rare find. The previous owner’s son is a successful Hunter. He bought a new house in the city center, so they decided to sell this one," the agent explained.

"

Oh

, is that so?" Kim Do-Joon replied.

When he went inside with the agent, the house wasn’t so bad. The interior was clean and simple, with an adequate number of rooms. It was spacious enough for three people, and could comfortably house a family of four or five.

"

Wow!

" Kim So-Eun exclaimed.

Above all, his daughter seemed to like this house. Having lived in a hospital room, and then a small back room attached to his store, she was mesmerized by a proper house.

I should’ve moved sooner...

Kim Do-Joon felt a bit guilty for not addressing this earlier due to the store matters and various other concerns. Siwelin was also amazed. She was especially captivated by the wall of the living room, made entirely of glass.

While the kids excitedly explored the house, Kim Do-Joon inspected the house more thoroughly.

"This place isn't far from your workplace. Didn’t you say your daughter goes to kindergarten at the academy?” the agent asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

“Well, the kindergarten bus for your daughter stops just a block away," the agent added.

Hmm... A block away...

That was closer than their current setup, where he had to take Kim So-Eun to a nearby apartment complex.

The convenience store is not far, and the transportation seems good. Seems like external conditions are favorable.

Next, he had to focus on the internal aspects—direction of the windows, sunlight, any signs of leakage, and the overall structure, including the bathrooms. Not every aspect was amazing, but most of it was satisfactory.

Should I choose this place

?

While everything looked pretty satisfactory, Kim Do-Joon pondered what he could have missed, resting his chin on his hand.

"Daddy! There's a staircase here!" Kim So-Eun called out, grabbing his hand.

Following her, Kim Do-Joon found a staircase leading to a basement.

"Oh, there's a basement?" Kim Do-Joon remarked.

"Ah yes, the previous owner's son used this space personally," the agent said.

Downstairs was a surprisingly large area, slightly musty, resembling a workshop. The walls had spots for hanging weapons, indicating the son's Hunter profession. Though smaller than his store’s basement, it had a secret base vibe.

I love it.

Kim Do-Joon felt a rush of excitement. This basement made the house pricier than usual, but it was affordable with his current income.

Back in the living room, looking out at the garden through the glass wall, he asked everyone, "What do you guys think?"

"I love it!" Kim So-Eun exclaimed.

— I love it too!

With all three in agreement, Kim Do-Joon nodded and told the agent, "We’ll take this house."

"Excellent choice! I've seen many houses, but none as clean as this one," the agent praised with such a standard line.

However, Kim Do-Joon felt good about the praise because he was satisfied with the house itself.

"Daddy! I want this room! I’ll share it with Si-Ah Unnie!" Kim So-Eun announced.

"You want to share a room with Si-Ah? There are a lot of rooms in this house. Don’t you want to have your own?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

"I don't want to be alone. And Unnie agreed too," Kim So-Eun insisted.

Siwelin smiled warmly, indicating her approval.

If that was what they both wanted, then Kim Do-Joon had no reason to argue.

As he let them decide, the girls began discussing how to decorate the room. Watching their excitement, Kim Do-Joon felt a swell of pride as a provider.

I should organize the moving date.

Leaving the kids to explore, Kim Do-Joon continued discussing the contract details with the agent.

***

— Oh, you guys are moving?

Karlish remarked.

"Yes. With the three of us, we can't keep living out of the store forever," Kim Do-Joon replied.

Kim Do-Joon was in the Orc Labyrinth, which had its cooldown reset. He was greeted warmly by a horde of ferocious orcs.

"

Krrrk!

"

"

Kouuugh!

"

With a single spear in hand, Kim Do-Joon weaved through them effortlessly. There was no need for the Lightning Spear or thorns—just his body and the spear were enough. Dozens of orcs fell to Kim Do-Joon alone, like a wolf among sheep.

Clang!

Since the orcs’ attacks could not even pierce Kim Do-Joon’s body in the first place, the orcs were helpless.

— Well, that's great. When your family grows, you need a bigger house. Are the kids excited?

"They talk about the new house all day. They keep asking how many more nights until we move," Kim Do-Joon replied to Karlish.

—

Haha

, you look pretty happy for someone who's supposedly exhausted.

"Well..." Kim Do-Joon smiled.

He couldn’t help but feel happy. With that smile, he thrusted his spear through an orc's neck.

Splash

"

Krrrk...

" The orc gurgled, blood spurting from the wound as it fell.

Kim Do-Joon shook the spear, flicking off the blood and sebum. The ground around him was littered with orc corpses.

"These guys aren't much of a challenge anymore," Kim Do-Joon remarked.

— You've gotten too strong. And that Invincible Body thing you have, isn't that kind of overpowered?

"Well, it's not like I'm invincible," Kim Do-Joon replied.

—

Wow

, try telling that to other Hunters. They'd probably stab you on the spot.

“

Haha

.” Kim Do-Joon chuckled.

Not long ago, he had to desperately run and throw Lightning Spears to take down a single group of orcs. Now, he could handle them all with just a spear and minimal effort.

Thanks to the Invincible Body and Karlish’s spear techniques...

These were the two key factors in Kim Do-Joon’s rapid growth. And to be exact, even the Invincible Body skill came from Karlish, by copying the spear's item effect, unbreakable. Besides, Karlish was also his only companion in the labyrinth.

"Thank you, Karlish," Kim Do-Joon said.

—

Huh?

For what?

"You know... For everything," Kim Do-Joon replied with a smile.

Then, Karlish responded with an indifferent tone, thinking Kim Do-Joon was a bit silly.

Two days later, while exploring more than hunting, Kim Do-Joon climbed a high hill.

“That is...” Kim Do-Joon muttered.

From the top, he saw below him a fairly large village, surrounded by a tightly woven wooden fence. The settlement indicated that the orcs there were quite different from the rest who wandered in groups and camped wherever they could.

— Looks like we found it, right?

"It seems so," replied Kim Do-Joon.

This place was probably where the boss was.

Kim Do-Joon dashed down the hill in one swift motion, moving so fast he almost left an afterimage. It took him less than ten minutes to reach the wooden fence. He arrived without even a hint of breathlessness.

"

Gruk

?"

A gatekeeper-like orc stood before him.

[Orc Warrior Urt]

One of the orc warrior's hands was missing.

"

Graaaah!

" the orc screamed, charging at Kim Do-Joon in a frenzy.

Perhaps he remembered Kim Do-Joon’s face, or maybe he recognized the spear he was holding.

"Sorry for running away back then. I had some business to take care of," Kim Do-Joon said with a smirk, welcoming Urt's attack.