Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Youth Exploration Club
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No need to list them all out here. I just mentioned one.
"Yeah, the Youth Exploration Club seemed pretty good."
"Exploration? Whoa, goosebumps. I joined that one too."
Cheon Seo-yun jolted in surprise, leaning forward.
I played dumb and asked back.
"You too?"
"Yeah, a bunch of kids from our department joined as well. We decided to head to the Sejong Cultural Center during our free time."
"Why there?"
"Why do you think? It's the hot spot right now. Figured I'd check out the signed sword and maybe join the auction. I've got something I really need to buy. Wanna come along if you're free?"
"...Together?"
The unexpected invitation caught me off guard, but I opened my mouth again soon enough.
"Sure, let's go. Might as well pick up something good if it's there."
"No way, you too?"
"Yeah. It's a rare chance."
It was a place I had to go anyway, and turning it down felt awkward.
Just then, the door to the scholarship room opened, and Kim Mi-young poked her head in.
"Everyone, what should we do? Looks like we won't be able to check it today. Go ahead and head home."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Cheon Seo-yun clenched her fist excitedly and started packing her things with gusto.
I gathered my bag as well.
Maybe because the auction topic came up at the perfect time.
"Hey, Cheon Seo-yun..."
I set my bag down for a moment, wondering if I should ask, and casually broached the subject.
"Yeah? What's up?"
"That... thing you said you were buying. It seems pretty important. If..."
But I swallowed my words.
"...Never mind."
Leaving any loose ends could ruin everything, and that would be the worst outcome.
Cheon Seo-yun tilted her head, then grumbled at me.
"What? Don't leave me hanging. Why start a question and drop it?"
"Just blurted it out, and it sounded stupid."
"Pfft, you're such a buzzkill. But how'd you know it's important?"
...Had I mentioned it?
I panicked for a second, but Cheon Seo-yun continued without a care.
"But yeah, you're right."
"Huh?"
"It's a really precious item. Something I've regretted not getting for a long time..."
"..."
"Oh, was that too serious?"
Cheon Seo-yun smiled awkwardly, embarrassed by the sincere words that had slipped out.
"Anyway, ignore what I said after. I've been a bit overly emotional lately. See you later. Good work today."
"Yeah, you too."
Cheon Seo-yun flashed a bright smile, dashed off, then suddenly skidded to a halt and turned back to me.
"Hey, but don't we kinda click surprisingly well? Anyway, I'm really going now. Catch you later."
Thud—
As the door closed, a soft sigh finally escaped me.
It was because her feelings for the necklace were more solid than I'd imagined.
"As expected..."
She was just a character from a novel, and I'd kept my distance for that reason, but shattering someone's hopes wasn't easy.
Still, it had to be done.
For the sake of someone who looked just like that face... no, for the person whose face she perfectly resembled.
* * *
Friday evening.
A noisy night with everyone buzzing about it being party time. I sat cross-legged in the middle of the living room, dead serious.
It was because my comprehension of the Triple Tribulation Art had surpassed the target of 40%.
There was still a long way to go, I couldn't deny that, but my instincts weren't bad.
Even if the fragments of knowledge swirling faintly weren't complete, it felt like they were pushing me to take that first step.
"Let's give it a shot."
The Triple Tribulation Art was infamous for its hellish difficulty, but I trusted my acquisition ability.
Before diving into full cultivation, I assumed the lotus position.
[Trait: Heightened Senses activated.]
With the trait's power added, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Was this an academy story or a wuxia novel?
I chuckled at the sudden confusion but refocused.
Focus again!
The profound principles of the Triple Tribulation Art and their logical structure floated in my mind.
Surrendering my body to them, I concentrated all my senses on each inhale and exhale.
Soon enough, my body responded.
...!
A sense of rejection, as if detached from the world. Amid it, a new sensation awakened.
The surrounding qi and air felt vividly colorful, like I'd just removed lifelong sunglasses.
At that moment, my acquisition power shone.
I naturally sensed mana, the source of magic power, as if it were familiar.
The instant I recognized it, I expelled and wove it into a strand.
"Through the central and middle channels, circulating in the divine palace..."
The mana strand swam slowly but steadily through the prescribed paths in my body.
One full circuit along the key meridians, without missing a spot.
Carving new paths while traversing the old ones—two circuits, three...
With each accumulation, it coursed through my entire body more easily and swiftly.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, a satisfying message appeared.
[Acquired Triple Tribulation Art.]
[Mana stat increased by 0.025.]
[Obtained purer mana than before.]
[Mana quality faintly improved.]
[Daily maximum cultivation time: 5 hours.]
I'd thought only a little time had passed, but the clock showed about five hours had flown by.
Stretching my stiff body, I reviewed the messages.
0.025 in five hours meant 0.005 per hour.
I didn't know who called it slow, but by my standards, it was a decent accumulation rate.
Steady cultivation for five hours a day over twenty days would net 0.5.
And the pure mana.
I'd realized it during the session, but this was another major gain I couldn't overlook.
It was more efficient than my existing mana and had a favorable matchup against demonic energy, so it should synergize well with my new trait, 'Adversary of Demons'.
"Got another essential routine to add."
Satisfied, I smiled and stood up.
Bzzz.
A text from Joo Ah-rin arrived.
[I sent the contract via email. But you, do you know Senior Jeong Ae-ri?]
Know her?
Not really. We'd just crossed paths once.
[Not well. Why?]
The reply took a while, skipping exactly what I wanted to know.
[Nothing. The commission issue's sorted, and the 200 million will hit your account next week. Remaining funds and future schedule are in the contract.]
It wasn't a big deal, so I let it slide.
More importantly.
[What about the wolf?]
The divination I'd tossed her way before.
Curious about her handling, I tested the waters. The reply came lightning-fast this time.
[Hey. I get it's well-intentioned, but any more meddling is a contract violation.]
Overstepped?
Thinking about it, expecting Joo Ah-rin to believe in divination was funny given her personality.
Still, giving one last chance felt right.
It was advice in the take-it-or-leave-it vein, but I decided to push a bit more.
I sent a quick message and leaned back on the sofa.
The bullet was loaded; now for the detailed plan.
Bidding in Cheon Seo-yun's place meant I was the one facing the bomb head-on.
I had to suppress the explosion somehow while exposing it as the demons' doing.
"Tough call."
My head throbbed from the tricky dilemma.
Then, my ear itched.
Someone talking about me?
* * *
At the same time.
Joo Ah-rin mulled over a single text.
[Still, it'd be good to investigate. Worst case, no loss. Best case, big gain. Think it over.]
Park Ha-yul.
The more entangled, the stranger he got.
Sometimes bored and aloof, other times carefree, but his offhand remarks had this knack for hitting the core.
Enough to daze even her rational self for a moment.
Their two joint conquests had been like that, and today too.
It was an investment needing careful handling, yet she'd found herself drafting the contract before she knew it.
"Senior Ae-ri's reaction was definitely off too."
Joo Ah-rin recalled the afternoon call.
Jeong Ae-ri.
Just a year older, but someone she'd always admired and wanted to emulate.
Her poised elegance and expert charisma had been objects of envy since childhood.
So why had she been so agitated, demanding to know about Park Ha-yul?
Even leaving words like "I'll know soon."
It hadn't felt negative, which only fueled her curiosity more.
"Not the time for this."
Joo Ah-rin swept back her hair, shaking off the thoughts.
She pulled up one man's profile.
He was the top-scoring candidate for her direct team.
Early forties, a veteran 7th-rank superhuman awakener.
His requested salary was surprisingly low for his caliber, making him her top recruitment pick.
"Nothing wrong with testing the waters."
Joo Ah-rin called Old Butler.
Without revealing the source as divination, she asked him to thoroughly investigate his ties to other heirs.
"...But it couldn't be real, right?"
If it turned out true, it'd be awkward beyond gratitude.
Especially after his help in the ultra-long conquest.
It'd be like owing another debt.
* * *
[Welcome to the Youth Exploration Club.]
[First expedition: Seoul. Assemble at the Portal Station by 9 AM next Saturday.]
I'd gotten that text Sunday morning, probably.
I'd thought there was plenty of time, but had I been too busy?
[Time remaining: 6 days, 23 hours, 33 minutes]
Before I knew it, expedition day had arrived.
'Eh?' turned to 'Ah', and I headed to the Portal Station.
The week had vanished like smoke, but I'd lived it productively.
Out of 24 hours, I invested a base 8 in Triple Tribulation Art and physical training, yielding noticeable changes.
▷Strength: 4.8
▷Stamina: 4.2
▷Mana: 4.5
Mana up 0.2, strength and stamina up 0.1 each.
My account, once holding just 120,000 won, now had 200 million deposited, and I even got the acceptance text for the painting club I'd been eyeing.
All planned goals achieved.
"If I can just stop today's auction incident."
The Ta Hak campus, fully into spring, was dotted with pink from blooming cherry blossoms.
Walking amid the gentle spring breeze and mild sunlight, an excited voice rang out.
"Hey, it's not like we're going to the gym, why wear sweats?"
"Does it look weird? I splurged on them last week."
"No, it's not the design, it's..."
Cheon Seo-yun was lecturing Baek Sa-young on appropriate attire.
I sidled up to join, and Joo Ah-rin, who was watching quietly, along with Lee Dae-ho eyeing her, acknowledged me.
Joo Ah-rin nodded silently, while Lee Dae-ho boomed in his burly voice.
"Ah, you said you joined the exploration club too?"
"Park Ha-yul?"
"Not late, good."
Cheon Seo-yun and Baek Sa-young paused their chat to look my way.
Everyone looked brighter than in the classroom.
Not just here for fun like them, I smiled awkwardly, feeling out of place.
"Alright, looks like we're all here, so let's do a quick orientation."
Then a man climbed the stairs with a bright smile.
His sleazy-looking face gave me an instant read.
That guy's the president of the Youth Exploration Club.