Chapter 23

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 23

Chapter Title: Knowing When to Quit Takes Courage!

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I checked the item information.

Then handed them out one by one to the people they seemed to suit best.

The party members who received them all looked utterly bewildered.

Their dazed expressions as they stammered, "Uh, uh...? O-okay," were still fresh in my mind.

"Uncle, why did everyone react like that?"

"Because item distribution doesn't usually go like this."

"Eek, did I mess up?"

"Not exactly. But if we're being precise, it's more like it can't be done that way."

His cryptic words made me tilt my head.

Choi Geonwoo calmly continued his explanation.

"Appraisal scrolls don't show detailed item info. They just give a rough idea of the grade and general effects. That's it."

"Aha!"

I think I got the gist.

So, normal appraisal scrolls, unlike my skill,

don't reveal every detail like effects or equip requirements.

For example, if a super-strong sword dropped.

My skill would kindly say, "This is the Super-Strong Sword! It has these effects! Use it like this!"

But an appraisal scroll?

It'd just vaguely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say, "Super-Strong Sword. Probably does something like this?"

"That's why even guilds have piles of unclaimed items. Usually, you test them out, figure out the exact effects, then equip them."

"Like the item you gave me?"

"Yeah, something like that."

As I stomped my feet and proudly showed off my fur boots,

Choi Geonwoo chuckled and patted my head.

That sounds pretty inconvenient, though.

Getting an item but not knowing how to use it?

Then how did my items sell so fast at auction?

A small doubt flickered, but I brushed it off.

"Um, Hayang. Sorry, but what did you say this item's effect was again?"

We were heading to check the third layer when

Jinsol, standing behind me, approached and pointed at the new staff in her hand.

I'd explained each item when I handed them out earlier.

But with so many complex ones, some folks had already forgotten.

I even spotted others peeking at me from behind her, waiting their turn.

"Oh, that one... well..."

I rattled off the item info like a machine gun after checking it again.

Jinsol's face lit up with growing ecstasy.

"Right, that was the effect? Thanks. But... can I really keep something this good?"

"I think you should have it, Jinsol. Your cast speed was insanely fast earlier."

I didn't hand a legendary item to Jinsol on a whim.

The main effect was obvious: those stacks on the second line.

It all depended on how fast you could build them.

And from watching the fight earlier,

Jinsol had the quickest cast speed among our mages.

Exaggerating a bit, it felt almost twice as fast.

Of course, the other two mages weren't slouches.

Everyone has their strengths.

In that sense, this item felt tailor-made for her.

"Yeah, like Hayang said, it's yours."

"I agree. Who's gonna deny Jinsol's our guild's top mage?"

"Thanks, both of you. Yielding something this precious..."

"Psh, you'd think we got nothing."

"Exactly. Hehe."

As Jinsol glanced awkwardly at the others,

the remaining two mages stepped up to reassure her instead.

"Um, Hayang. Sorry, me too..."

"Mind checking mine? Wanna test it right on the third layer."

After that, more party members crowded around asking again.

I patiently explained from the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠start.

It took extra time to reach the third layer entrance.

But Choi Geonwoo didn't try to stop us.

He probably figured there was no reason to dampen the excitement over rare loot for once.

"This is it."

Thanks to our steady pace,

we finally passed the iron gate that Kulubak had blocked before and arrived at a new area.

A blue gate-like mass flowed from the wall.

This must lead to the third layer.

"Going in."

"Let's do it, boss!"

"Chaaarge!"

"In we gooo!"

Choi Geonwoo stepped forward without hesitation.

The party followed suit.

"Wait!"

I shouted urgently to stop them.

They all turned puzzled stares my way.

But I had no time for that.

The message floating before my eyes chilled my spine.

Yeah.

A warning message I'd never seen before.

'No such message for the second layer.'

Kulubak was no pushover.

I don't mean to take all the credit,

but without figuring out its gimmick beforehand, we'd have been wiped.

Even if we did, without that lucky skill timing to cleanse the debuff,

wiped all the same.

Yet this message said the trial ahead was way tougher than Kulubak.

"Could we maybe head back instead?"

"Head back? Why?"

"Yeah, Hayang. I get being scared, but our forces are intact."

"True. It's a Layered Gate, sure, but we can handle it."

As expected, my suggestion drew objections.

Realistically, they had a point.

Even Choi Geonwoo had said the first layer was rough.

Yet we'd cleared the second with minimal losses.

Plus massive rewards.

No way greed for the third wouldn't kick in.

If this was the final hurdle, we'd be the first to clear a Layered Gate.

But.

"Please, just trust me this once? I really think we should turn back clean."

I valued the party's safety over personal greed.

Even if we pushed, lost one person, and cleared?

That wouldn't be a win.

I want us all to survive and escape together.

So I had to be cautious.

"...Hayang."

"Yes, Uncle."

"Your judgment is we can't clear the third with our current strength? Right?"

"......For now."

I bit my lip and nodded at Choi Geonwoo's question.

They'd feel insulted, no doubt.

A newbie F-Rank judging an all-A and S-Rank party.

Even stones and curses wouldn't be undeserved.

Even Choi Geonwoo, who'd never snapped at me, might.

But I held firm.

"Alright, we're heading back."

"...Pardon?"

And his response was beyond imagination.

Eh?

Turning back?

No casualties, third layer in sight, prime chance?

"Master, turning back?! We've come this far, it'll look bad..."

Jeong Jaeyoon, was it?

A man glanced regretfully at the gun-like weapon on his hip and protested.

Normal reaction.

But Choi Geonwoo's reply was ice-cold.

"Cut the nonsense. A bunch of A and S-Ranks getting saved by one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠F-Rank? We lost face ages ago."

"Th-that's..."

"Fair point."

"Honestly, without Hayang, we'd all be dead..."

I don't see it that way.

But his words felt too harsh.

"And has Hayang ever been wrong? In combat, even handing out your personal items—who did that? This girl."

"......"

As Choi Geonwoo placed a hand on my head,

everyone looked down at their new gear and fell silent as clams.

"Sure, I want to push too. But greed brings disaster. Mark my words: Hayang's the coolest head here. So I'll follow her lead. Objections?"

"None!"

Their booming reply startled me,

and Choi Geonwoo met my eyes with a faint smile.

"Um, Uncle."

"What's up?"

"You sure? You said you didn't want Yeohae Guild snatching first clear..."

He hadn't said it outright.

But I'd overheard him with Jeong Yujin over lunch.

His willingness to heed me was touching,

yet I felt guilty, like I was holding him back.

"Of course I hate losing it. But..."

Toward my anxious upturned gaze,

Choi Geonwoo smirked and glanced at the party before answering shortly.

"Losing even one of you? That's worse."

Only then did I realize why he led Titan Guild.

Clap clap!

As quiet washed over me,

loud applause turned my head.

Jeong Jaeyoon, who'd objected earlier, was rallying the party.

Or rather, hurrying them.

"Hey, what're you waiting for? Princess Hayang spoke! Prep to descend!"

"Ooh, the guy who yelled at the master earlier."

"Jaeyoon's got a conscience? Real?"

"Princess? Blech."

"Isn't Hayang our princess?"

"She is. But Jaeyoon saying it makes me wanna hurl."

"Agreed."

Hehe.

I couldn't help grinning foolishly at the sight.

"Then let's go."

"Yes!"

I watched Choi Geonwoo turn back the way we came,

and hustled my much shorter legs—half his stride—to follow.

Pat pat—

But matching his pace with my tiny steps was brutal.

My stamina hit zero fast; I was panting hard.

"H-Hayang. Want me to bubble you again? I can move it freely."

"P-please."

In the end, I hopped back into Jinsol's soap bubble.

Like some fairy, I floated above the party's heads, trailing them.

"Whoa, a fairy!"

"Fairy Hayang!"

"Came to give us more loot!"

"Quit teasing!"

The party kept ribbing me the whole way.

But laughter echoed nonstop.

That alone felt like a huge victory.