Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Kayla's New Look
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Devil Fantasy: Genius Demon-Hunting Mage
Chapter 42
Back at Dmitri Square after leaving the weapon for crafting.
As I wandered around the square looking to buy mage robes, a woman's back suddenly caught my eye.
She was dressed head to toe in red gear.
"Hmm?"
For some reason, she seemed oddly familiar.
Soon, she turned around, and I realized why she felt off.
"Yoo Han?"
At this point, wasn't she obsessed with red? The woman making me question that was none other than my companion, Kayla.
"Fancy meeting you here?"
Kayla approached me with a bright, cheerful smile, clearly delighted.
I examined her closely.
With her new gear and even her hair dyed red, Kayla had changed so much she was almost unrecognizable—and it suited her surprisingly well.
But one thing bothered me.
'Aren't you a bit too flashy?'
Flashy didn't even begin to cover it.
With that getup, infiltrating demon ranks or anything stealthy was out of the question.
"What do you think? Pretty good, right?"
Oblivious to my thoughts, Kayla shook her head, showing off proudly.
I considered being honest but nodded instinctively.
"......It suits you. At least I won't lose you in a crowd."
"Hehe, right? I've always wanted to dress like this once I got out of District 7."
Kayla beamed, genuinely thrilled.
Seeing that melted away any urge I had to comment.
It hit me then how much she was enjoying this moment.
Wandering freely without a care in the world—probably something she'd dreamed of her whole life.
'Fine...... whatever.'
If that was the case, I could overlook the flashy outfit any number of times.
Having decided that, I casually changed the subject.
"So, where are you headed? Looks like you've got your gear sorted."
"Oh, I was just gonna check out an artifact shop last."
"Artifact shop?"
"Yeah, thought it'd be smart to pick up a few protective artifacts. This world's pretty dangerous, after all."
She had a point.
Beyond Asteron's borders was a demon-infested hellhole.
You never knew when or where danger might strike, so stocking up on artifacts to handle variables was a wise move.
That aside, what puzzled me was:
"You still have money left for artifacts?"
How did she have cash to spare?
I scanned Kayla again, eyebrow raised.
Even at a glance, her gear screamed high-end: a striking red robe of premium fabric, a sturdy wand embedded with a fist-sized red gem.
Grip-enhanced combat shoes to maintain balance and gloves for more efficient mana control, and more.
No doubt she'd shelled out a fortune for custom fits.
And now artifacts on top?
Impossible with the gold we'd split initially.
Unless she'd gotten lucky gambling or something.
"You didn't......"
Catching my suspicion, Kayla hurriedly defended herself.
"What are you even thinking? No! Not that!"
Okay, no gambling then.
"So, what then?"
Kayla let out a deep sigh and explained.
"That unidentified artifact I got earlier? Had it appraised—turned out to be Heroic-grade."
"What? Heroic-grade?"
"Yeah, so I sold it quick."
That was an answer I hadn't seen coming.
Composing my shock, I recalled the artifacts I'd given her.
Just one unidentified piece.
'It was definitely junk.'
A rusty iron ring that looked worthless at first glance.
That's what I'd been sure of.
And for good reason—I knew every useful artifact in [Devil Fantasy].
That rusty ring I'd never seen before in my life? Had to be trash.
Yet it appraised as Heroic-grade?
"......What effect made it Heroic?"
"Don't worry. Useless one. Something about boosting soul power?"
"......Soul power?"
I couldn't hide my expression upon hearing that.
In this world, "soul power" referred to exactly one thing.
"......Where?"
"Huh?"
"Where'd you sell it?"
"To that hooded peddler over there......"
Whoosh-!
The moment she answered, I kicked off the ground at full speed.
To recover the one item I needed most right now......
The "experience ring" Kayla had unwittingly sold.
***
Tadadak-!
As I moved swiftly, I calmly sorted my thoughts.
'......I got complacent.'
In hindsight, it was obvious.
This wasn't the game world I knew—it was 100 years in the future.
New artifacts I didn't know about? Bound to exist in droves.
Countless new ones must've been crafted in that time.
"......Just buy it back."
Muttering that, I reached the alley Kayla had pointed out.
But.
"......Too late?"
An empty alley greeted me, not a rat in sight.
The peddler who'd bought the ring was long gone.
Clutching at straws, I scanned the surroundings.
Fwoosh!
My eyes widened.
Pulling up all my focus, I meticulously checked for any lingering traces of mana.
If that peddler was mana-awakened, he might've leaked some without realizing.
In the game, most peddlers were awakened—and not highly skilled—so it was plausible.
But.
"......Damn it. That precious thing."
No traces whatsoever.
Just deep disappointment.
Not a whiff of mana in the alley.
"......Hoo."
My heart felt heavy.
No one to blame but myself—this was entirely my fault.
I hadn't accounted for variables like this.
And now, the "experience" artifact I needed most was gone.
......Shit.
"......Think positive."
I resolved to focus on the upsides.
There were two, actually.
First: maybe I dodged a bullet.
I could've lost a Legendary- or Mythic-grade artifact just like that, instead of an experience one.
If so, I wouldn't just regret it—I'd be rolling on the floor for days.
Yeah, call it an exorcism of bad luck.
And second......
'If unknown artifacts exist, so do gear pieces. My specs will probably exceed expectations by a lot.'
This discovery would massively impact my future growth.
In a good way.
"Hmm, might need to tweak the build."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
My gamer's heart was still kicking, apparently.
It pounded fiercely.
New artifacts and gear ahead.
The results they'd yield? I was dying to know.
What was the limit I could reach in this world?
Could I surpass Baal completely?
......I was riding that happy train when.
"Tch."
The image of that rusty iron ring kept flickering in my mind.
Couldn't shake the regret, it seemed.
Fair enough—with a long hunt planned soon.
"Even a 10% bonus would've been insane......"
The lowest among Heroic experience artifacts: 10% experience bonus.
That alone turbocharged leveling.
Simple math: what took 100 kills to level now took 90.
In [Devil Fantasy], where late-game EXP scaled exponentially, it was essential.
"How many kills will it cost me...... 500? 1,000?"
Former: 50 kills lost. Latter: a whopping 100.
"......Forget it."
Doing the math just made my gut ache.
I gave up the thought and turned away reluctantly.
"Gone to buy artifacts?"
Back at our spot, Kayla had already left.
We'd agreed to meet later anyway—no issue.
I had errands left too, so I kept moving.
First stop: a shop selling mage-exclusive gear.
"You're back."
"Yeah, for the one I saw earlier."
The place with the mage robe I'd eyed before meeting Kayla.
"Good choice. Simple design, fair price. Any wise mage would snag this!"
'Simple?'
I half-ignored the clerk and inspected the robe again.
Black fabric for a subdued vibe overall, but gold belt and chains kept it from looking plain.
By my standards, it bordered on flashy.
Definitely not my taste.
But why pick it anyway?
No other options.
"......Ugh."
Glancing at others drew a heavy sigh.
Clerk said these were the most standard mage robe designs......
'Is that clothing or wings......?'
Colors, patterns, dense gemwork.
Flashier than anything—couldn't walk tall wearing them.
Kayla's eye-searing red robe? Might've been tame compared to these.
No—the red one could've been the most subdued in that shop.
I looked back at the one in front.
"Yeah, this is decent."
After seeing the others, this suddenly looked great.
With this, at least I could wear it without shame.
"I'll take this one."
I bought it in the end.
100 gold—a chunk, but mage robes came loaded with useful enchantments, so worth it.
Robed up, I roamed the square for the next pieces, methodically gearing up.
My gold pouch lightened, and soon the sun dipped low.
I'd hit the smithy at high noon—half a day gone.
Time to meet the others approaching.
"Time to go?"
Just one gear piece left.
The most crucial for battle: my "weapon."
Time to claim the reborn [Holy Staff].
Step, step.
My steps to the smithy were light.