Chapter 6
The first thing I did was wash my sweat-soaked body. Then I sat down in the chair at my desk and pulled out the Purification Egg I’d stored away in the drawer.
“Ha…”
The moment I saw it, a sigh escaped my lips.
It had already been a week since I received the quest to infuse it with mana, yet I hadn’t even managed to take the first step.
After all, I wasn’t the “Seo Gowoon” of this world, but just Kim Hae-ah from reality—an ordinary person far more familiar with science than magic. There was no way I’d instinctively know how to handle something like mana, which only ever appeared in novels.
Hoping for some clue, I revisited the previous quests, but not a single line mentioned mana.
“I mean, I do know that the strange drain I feel when using skills is supposed to be mana… but how exactly am I supposed to channel that into this thing?”
Still, at least I had one possible source of information.
[HunterNet]
A massive online community where practically every awakened hunter had an account. Anything related to hunters could be found there.
Even a good-for-nothing thug like Seo Gowoon was a member, which meant I could log in while working out and browse articles, research papers, and forum posts about mana infusion.
The explanations varied, but the analogy that stood out the most compared mana to blood.
Just as blood flowed through the body, so too did mana circulate through a hunter’s veins.
“Hm.”
I glanced down at the Purification Egg.
“…Should I try drawing blood?”
But if I needed to bleed to infuse mana, then weapons like mana-guns—which fired bullets converted from mana—would also need to be blood-soaked to function.
Imagining hunters bleeding themselves every time they fired a shot, I shook my head.
“I must be losing it. The fact that I’m even considering such nonsense…”
If that were the case, hunters would bleed out long before monsters killed them.
I searched HunterNet again, but still found nothing useful. Frustrated, I rolled the egg in my palm, lost in thought.
Mana infusion. Mana infusion…
Then it happened.
Something within me stirred, and a faint light flickered at my fingertips.
At the same time, a familiar “ding-dong” chimed in my ears.
[Quest: Let’s Become a Veteran of Alchemy 1-1]
If you’ve obtained an item, it’s only natural to put alchemy to use.
Try infusing mana into the item right now.
Infuse the Purification Egg with mana (1/35)
Reward: ■■■
Time limit: 5 hours 23 minutes 22 seconds
Failure: Purification Egg will be destroyed
“…Well, isn’t that convenient.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. So that’s all it took? No special technique? Just… this?
“Status window.”
At my command, a pink-hued information panel opened beside the quest window. My mana had decreased by exactly 100 points—confirmation that the infusion had worked.
What’s more, now that I’d done it once, I could clearly feel mana circulating inside me, just as the papers described—like blood flowing through my veins.
“Phew.”
Relief washed over me. I’d been losing sleep, wondering what I’d do if the egg broke without me ever figuring this out.
“Let’s try it without speaking.”
This time, I willed mana into the egg silently.
Ding.
The quest counter ticked up from 1 to 2.
“So it works just by thinking it.”
I hurriedly poured all the remaining mana I had into the egg. The mana bar in my stat window hit zero, while the quest counter rose to 20. Still, the quest wasn’t complete.
“…What a pain.”
Just like during the gateway incident, draining my mana left my whole body sluggish.
Feels just like those seven fruitless days of stakeout duty.
I wanted to collapse, but there was too much to do. I grabbed a pillow and moved to the desk.
Let’s organize my notes first.
Placing the egg carefully on the pillow, I unlocked my drawer and pulled out a notebook.
[A Strategy Guide for the Cradle]
While searching about mana, I’d been jotting down major story events from the novel, focusing only on those tied to characters essential for clearing the Cradle raid.
By the time I finished writing down the key people, how they died, and the events surrounding them, two hours had already passed. My mana had also fully recovered.
“This time, I’ll finish it.”
I picked up the egg again. With 20 infusions done, only 15 remained. Carefully, I channeled mana in, watching the counter climb.
Finally, on the 35th infusion, the quest window turned green.
[Quest: Let’s Become a Veteran of Alchemy 1-1]
Infuse the Purification Egg with mana (35/35)
Reward: ■■■
Time left: 3 hours 23 minutes 22 seconds
Failure: Purification Egg will be destroyed
[Quest complete.]
[Reward granted.]
The egg trembled in my hands.
“…Huh?”
Alarmed, I set it back on the pillow. Immediately, it shook violently.
“This… wasn’t in the book.”
Panic set in. The Purification Egg was supposed to be a key item in my plans. Unexpected variables were unacceptable.
Then, with a jolt, it rolled.
“Shit…”
I lunged, catching it just before it hit the floor. But the moment it settled in my palm, a crack split across its shell.
“No way… Did I grip it too hard?”
If it broke, there’d be no way to save berserk hunters. My stomach churned. I even thought about looking for glue when—
“Chirp.”
I froze. A bird? The window was shut. Where had that sound come from?
Don’t tell me some bird snuck in to steal the egg…
But when I looked down, my jaw dropped.
“…What the hell.”
A hole had appeared in the center of the egg.
“Chirp, chirp.”
And from that hole poked a tiny beak, peeping noisily.
“…A beak?”
I set it back on the pillow. The egg rolled restlessly, as if impatient.
“Wait. Did it… hatch? Out of nowhere? Why? That wasn’t in the novel!”
Before I could process it, the shell shattered.
“Chirp!”
Out came a tiny bird with a long tail. Shaking itself once, it blinked up at me with bright, bead-like black eyes.
“…You…”
[Quest Reward Received: Purification Bird]
My eyes widened. This was the quest reward?
[Passive Skill “Truth” activates.]
[Purification Bird]
A forgotten primordial bird blessed by the gods with purification powers. It takes the form of a wren. Compared to its egg form, it can purify far more.
Diet: Master’s mana. Without consuming mana, it will die within three days.
Additional information can be revealed through appraisal skills.
“A… Purification Bird?”
“Chirp.”
Hearing its name, the little bird tilted its head and fluttered toward me. Tiny wings beat frantically as it landed on my shoulder.
“…Can you actually purify things?”
“Chirp.”
Whether it understood or was just chirping at random, I couldn’t tell.
“Your name really is ‘Purification Bird’?”
“Chirp, chirp.”
“You were just born, weren’t you?”
“Chirp.”
It answered right on cue every time, making me narrow my eyes suspiciously.
“Chirp, chirp.”
I must have been staring too hard, because it squawked indignantly, as if offended.
I opened my palm. “Sit here.”
It hopped onto my hand, cocking its tiny head.
“You really understand me, don’t you? If yes, chirp twice. If no, chirp once.”
After a moment, it chirped twice.
“…Is this a coincidence, or do you actually get what I’m saying?”
“Chirp!”
It flew up and pecked my head sharply.
“Ow!”
I winced as it jabbed my brow too.
“…Unbelievable. I’m actually getting attacked by a bird now. Or maybe ‘ambushed’ is the better word.”
Dodging my grasp, it darted around the room, pecking at me until I surrendered.
“Fine, fine! I get it! You understand me.”
At last, it stopped and perched triumphantly on the pillow, preening its feathers like it owned the spot.
I sighed, sitting down beside it.
Was this sudden, unplanned bird a blessing… or a curse?
“…So you really can purify things?”
It raised its head, meeting my eyes with that strange little gaze.
“Chirp.”
That seemed to be a yes.
“…How though? With the egg, I just held it.”
In answer, it flitted up and landed squarely on my head.
“…Does that mean sitting up there works the same way?”
“Chirp.”
So as long as it perched on me, purification would work? In that case, having the bird might actually be safer than relying on a fragile egg.
“…But wait, there was supposed to be additional info, wasn’t there?”
I held out my palm. “Come here.”
It hopped down obediently. I activated my skill.
“Appraise.”
The same description appeared, but then new lines of text unfurled in light.
※ Will never leave its master’s side, possessing a strong homing instinct.
※ Can grow stronger through its master’s mana.
“…Master? Who’s supposed to be your master?”
At the word, the bird paused its grooming and lifted its head.
“Chirp-chirp-chirp—!”
It babbled endlessly, as if trying to explain something. When I just stared blankly, it gave the avian equivalent of a sigh.
“…Did that bird just sigh?”
I could dismiss the judgmental look as imagination, but an actual sigh? Really?
At that moment, another ding echoed, and a new message appeared.
