Chapter 68: Direct Trade (1)

“But it’s not like your job would be on the line, right?”

“What happens if a Status Window holder breaks the rules?”

Manager Mi added quietly, [ A special compliance team might be dispatched to administer ‘punishment.’ ]

Punishment.

The seriousness in his voice surprised me. I matched his gravity with my own solemn expression.

“Alright, enough with the small talk. Just give me the Dimension Code.”

Reluctantly, Manager Mi finally blurted out the Dimension Code, as if confessing a crime.

“We’ll see how you behave.”

I typed the Dimension Code Manager Mi had given me into the chat window, and Archmage GeniusArkMage1004 replied almost immediately.

It must be because Earth hasn’t received the latest Status Window update.

“So there’s no other way?”

Another dimension that overlaps with Earth… He must be talking about a dungeon.

With that, the Archmage finished speaking. He sent no further messages.

I didn’t ask any more questions either and simply closed Parsley Market.

[ But are you sure about this, Taegoon-nim? ] Manager Mi asked, placing her rusty knuckle duster on the table.

“What’s wrong?”

It was a gamble, no doubt.

If safety had been my only concern, I would have paid the deposit to the Dwarf Village Chief long ago and scrambled to gather the remaining 14,000 Coins.

But if I had always chosen such cautious paths…

“I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

I wouldn’t have risked upgrading to the Current Status Window, or bought a scroll from a seller whose Status Window Temperature was completely shattered.

And my intuition, which had never failed me before, told me this adventure would succeed too.

Two days later.

“Navigation guidance terminated.”

I closed the navigation window and looked up.

For two hours, I’d been driving from Macheon Station in Gangwon-do, following winding unpaved roads and mountain trails that climbed through rolling hills.

In a clearing below the mountain, a white Dimensional Gate came into view.

I activated the Parsley Market window, opened a transaction window, and typed a message:

About ten seconds later, a reply arrived:

I nodded, deactivated the Parsley Market window, and stepped through the Dimensional Gate.

Whoosh.

A resonant hum filled the air as I blinked.

I found myself standing on a breezy hillside, nameless grasses tickling my ankles.

“Squeak, squeak!”

Below, startled Kobolds scurried for cover, darting in every direction.

This was a 5th-Tier Dungeon.

5th-Tier.

A dungeon where even an ordinary person could survive if they accidentally stumbled in, as long as they kept their wits about them.

Most of the monsters were D-Rank or lower, and non-aggressive, meaning they wouldn’t attack humans unless provoked.

It was a dimension perfectly fitting its name: “Peaceful Kobold Village.”

And not far away…

A colossal oak tree, its crown so vast it obscured the azure sky, came into view. Beneath its shade stood a magician, as dignified as a state councilor.

He wore a gray robe and a wide-brimmed, tall-crowned hat. In one hand, he leaned on a staff as long as a spear, its tip adorned with a shimmering blue crystal. The hat’s enormous size completely obscured his face.

Overall, his attire perfectly matched my mental image of an Archmage. But that was only skin-deep.

”…?”

Naturally, I had envisioned an Archmage as a frail old man with a stooped posture. The man before me, however, defied this stereotype.

Doubting his true identity, I slowly approached, scrutinizing him with a skeptical gaze. Was this truly Ellikroid himself?

As I approached, a voice emerged from beneath the Magician’s Hat.

“Hmm.”

“You’re the Passing Porter, aren’t you?”

“Uh… yes, that’s right,” I replied, my expression uneasy.

The reason was simple: no matter how I looked at him, he was nothing like the Archmage I had envisioned.

“Heh heh, it’s a great pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

His long, flowing white beard and deeply wrinkled face certainly matched my mental image of an old man.

The problem lay below.

His physique was so massive that even Matthew, a heavyweight standing 190 centimeters tall, looked puny in comparison. Beneath his beard and visible through the gaps in his robe, his muscular body bulged like a mixed martial arts champion.

Wait a minute… this old man…

Why was he wearing just a robe like a cloak, with his upper body completely bare?

This is… no matter how you look at it…

It looked like a Barbarian elder had suddenly decided to cosplay as a magician.

Yet, contrary to my expectations, the muscular old man before me, sporting an Archmage’s hat, grinned, revealing teeth as white as his beard.

“You look quite surprised,” Ellikroid remarked, a gentle smile softening his wrinkled face.

Up to this point, he perfectly fit the stereotypical image of a kindly Archmage.

That is, except for the bronze-toned physique exposed below his neck, crisscrossed with veins and bulging muscles.

“I am a little surprised,” I admitted.

“I think I know why you’re surprised, even without asking,” Ellikroid said, his smile unwavering. “You were probably expecting a frail old man with a hunched back and a hacking cough. That’s what an Archmage should look like, right?”

“Yes,” I admitted.

“I appreciate your honesty. To be fair, I used to be like that myself—up until I reached the 8th Circle.”

“So, until the 8th Circle, you weren’t this… this musclehead?”

The Musclehead Archmage nodded. “That’s right. But shortly after reaching the 8th Circle, I suffered a severe Mana Overload that ravaged my body. My muscles melted away, leaving me unable to even relieve myself without assistance.”

“Ah…”

“Of course, once you reach the 8th Circle, even if your muscles melt away, it wouldn’t hinder your daily life. You could simply overlay your body with Mana and manipulate it, or have Magic Dolls attend to your needs.”

Ellikroid, his forearms thicker than my thighs, continued with his arms crossed.

“But I didn’t want that. So I restored my physical body and began rehabilitation exercises.”

“Rehabilitation?”

“And as I grew to enjoy the training, I continued even after my muscles returned. Before I knew it, my body had become like this.”

”…”

No, seriously, what kind of rehabilitation program could transform a completely melted-down physique into this muscular monstrosity?

“Heh heh, just in case you’re curious, I should mention that I received my rehabilitation training from the Great Chieftain of the Orcs—someone I knew quite well.”

Ah, so that’s why you have a physique closer to an Orc’s than a human’s.

I’ve learned something new today.

If a Mana Overload destroys your body, you can train with an Orc to develop an Orc-like Gym Bro physique.

As I nodded with a wry expression, Ellikroid suddenly burst into laughter.

“I’ve been rambling for too long, haven’t I? Many are curious about how I came to possess this physique.”

“I was wondering about that myself,” I replied.

Staring at Ellikroid’s bulging pectoral muscles, I asked, “So, Archmage, did you reach the 10th Circle after your rehabilitation?”

“I’m certain I wouldn’t have attained enlightenment in the 10th Circle without this physique,” he declared.

“Is that so?”

“Traditionally, magicians have considered physical exertion beneath their dignity. They boast that turning the pages of a book with their fingers is the only labor they require. But that’s wrong! For magicians aspiring to reach the highest echelons of magic, such a mindset is nothing short of a deadly toxin.”

The Archmage continued, his eyes gleaming with a touch of fanaticism.

“I firmly believe that any magician aiming for the 8th Circle or higher must undergo physical training comparable to that of a Sword Master.”

“A Sword Master?”

“Exactly. A sound mind dwells in a sound body. In essence, advanced magic and well-developed muscles are inseparable.”

”…”

There are people like this, I thought. Those who become so obsessed with fitness that they ultimately embrace muscular maximalism.

Witnessing the Musclehead Archmage in action, I felt like the pieces of a puzzle I’d long given up on solving were suddenly clicking into place.

“So, you deliberately designed the ‘Archmage’s Scroll’ to require physical exertion to learn magic?”

“Precisely. It’s a reflection of my personal philosophy,” Ellikroid replied proudly. “By repeatedly practicing the casting motions inscribed on the scroll, the muscles naturally develop.”

Indeed, the movements required to cast the ‘Archmage’s Fireball’ felt less like traditional spellcasting gestures and more like a full-body core workout. Now I understood—the mechanism was a thorough embodiment of his philosophy.

“But until now, no one has ever successfully learned magic using a scroll I created.”

“Ah.”

“Except for you, the Passing Porter, of course.”

Of course.

Even for a dragon, repeating the same magical exercise five million times without rest would be impossible. I, too, would have failed if my Remarkable Growth hadn’t reduced the requirement to ten thousand repetitions.

The Archmage grinned. “That’s why I came all the way here—to witness your Fireball firsthand.”

I nodded. “Shall I demonstrate it now?”

“No, wait. Perfect timing—a suitable target for your Fireball is approaching.”

I followed Ellikroid’s gaze to the bottom of the hill.

There, amidst the Kobold nests that clung to the ground like tattered tents, a fully armored Kobold was advancing toward us.

Kobold Chieftain.

This dungeon typically only housed non-aggressive, D-Rank Kobolds.

Occasionally, an aggressive Kobold Chieftain would appear. Despite its sluggish movements, which earned it a C-Class threat rating, this creature possessed formidable durability. It could withstand multiple A-Rank Skills, displaying remarkable resilience.

“Squeak…”

The chieftain lumbered up the hill, dragging its massive iron mace behind it. Resembling a three-meter-tall, bipedal sewer rat, its bloodshot eyes glared directly at me and Ellikroid.

“Squeeeak!”

Behind the chieftain, over a hundred Kobolds hopped and cheered, their fervor fueling their leader’s advance.

“Take care of that one,” Ellikroid said, crossing his arms. “If you can bring it down with three Fireballs, I’ll give you a reward.”

I smirked inwardly.

Jackpot.