Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: The Time Shop
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Long time since I last visited the comprehensive training hall.
After cultivating the Triad Arts nonstop for five straight hours, I pulled up my status window.
▷Strength: 5.2
▷Stamina: 5
▷Agility: 4.8
▷Senses: 5.1
▷Intelligence: 5.1
▷Magic Power: 5.425(10%)
▷Luck: 3
It was still below the average Taehak student stats, but rising smoothly like a ship with the wind at its sails.
At this rate, surpassing the average wouldn't be far off.
For achievements in just six months since possession, it was a miraculous growth rate tantamount to a miracle...
But now, the accumulated time nearing 100 days was starting to bother me.
[Remaining Time: 91 days 20 hours 54 minutes]
I'd been saving it without daring to use it recklessly, but it felt like a loss somehow.
Savings accounts at least earn interest, but time doesn't work that way.
Just looking at it without real gains stabbed at my heart with an obsessive pang.
If it were none or plenty, fine.
But ambiguity like this is always the most frustrating.
So I made up my mind.
Leave a generous 50 days and use the rest for growth...
[The Time Shop (Lv1) has opened.]
[The Time Shop is a special perk granted only to those with the Time-Limited trait.]
[Use time as currency to purchase various armaments and stat points.]
I opened the shop and pondered what to buy.
I skimmed the armaments—nothing great, pass—and went to the stat category.
Raising deficient stats first seemed best, so I considered picking two from Strength, Stamina, Agility to boost by 1 each, but soon gave up.
Honestly, I was just swinging a sword relying on Cheon Jam-sa functions in place.
Even for basic stats, I didn't want to invest time.
Senses maybe? But I didn't feel the need.
Combat training had ramped up my recent gains steeply anyway.
I'm not rampaging like Cheon Seo-yun or Baek Sa-young every time.
Mostly one-on-one, patterns ending in an all-out strike—too wasteful for time investment.
"Then Luck?"
My lowest stat by far.
A gamble on big reinforcement upgrades wasn't a bad choice.
But around 28, people get wise.
No impulse to raise non-combat stats.
"In the end, only Magic Power left..."
My Achilles' heel, the noose throttling my growth.
Yet a flaw steadily improving thanks to Triad Arts.
Mana capacity struggling with just three 1-star spells had nearly doubled.
In armament terms, I could now manifest the Seven Branch Chart up to 40%—before, even 10% was tough.
That must be around the threshold for decent pure mana efficiency.
But what if I raised it by 1 more here?
I'd already bought 10 before, so price hiked—35 days pay...
Still.
Magic Power's the only sure result.
"Anyway, one-trick's one-trick."
I committed boldly the moment I decided.
[Purchase 10 Magic Power stat units.]
[35 days deducted from remaining time.]
Heeding the ancients' wisdom—hoard and regret—not taking it lightly, practicing it myself.
[Stats have increased.]
A stinging current like electricity surged through my body.
[Remaining Time: 56 days 20 hours 40 minutes]
▷Magic Power: 6.425(9%)
100 days in sight, but a chunk gone—the fullness inside felt quite satisfying.
I summoned a sword for no reason, swishing left—
—whoosh right—
Mid-ceremony unrelated to magic, an appointment hit me, so I checked my phone.
"Why hasn't she come."
Met at 8 PM sharp—now 3 minutes late.
She didn't forget, but with Cheon Seo-yun involved, anxiety lingered.
About to text when—
Ding-dong ding-dong—
The bell rang.
She's hopeless too.
I trudged over and opened the training room door.
There, Cheon Seo-yun, sweat beading on her forehead, grinned broadly, lifting a dozen plastic bags in both hands.
"Sorry, a bit late. Haven't had dinner yet, right?"
"Ugh."
Assorted food smells assaulted my nose at once—I couldn't not ask.
"What's all this."
"What else? Our daily bread."
"All of it?"
"Huh? ...Yeah. Don't people usually eat this much? Move aside for a sec. Let me in."
Cheon Seo-yun squeezed through the narrow entrance like burrowing.
My eyes naturally followed the bags she carried.
Jajangmyeon, chicken, jokbal, pizza, porridge, gopchang, yukhoe, sashimi, etc...
Like she'd lapped every restaurant in Taehak—menu wildly varied.
"What."
All the more suspicious.
She eats well, sure, but she's human—can't finish all this.
Plus, raised frugally leaving home early, thrift ingrained to the bone.
Yet hauling this much uneatable food?
Curiosity made me stare blankly, apparently.
"...Not that I bought all 'cause I didn't know what you'd like, so don't misunderstand."
Setting down the bags, Cheon Seo-yun averted her gaze, mumbling smaller than usual.
"Aha."
Wouldn't have guessed without her saying—but now it clicked.
Moonshadow's longsword, midterms, today's Triad Arts upgrade reveal.
Overdoing it from debts owed and help incoming.
Rephrasing her words normally...
Didn't know what you'd like, so prepared everything.
"Who said? Perfect. Starving anyway."
Her thoughtfulness oddly praiseworthy—I smirked, then lied through my teeth.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Eat first, then."
I rubbed my stomach casually, approaching.
The training hall soon overflowed with food, no room to step.
Spread out, appetite returned after ages—what first?
Nostalgia from Earth's endless orders hit.
Anyway, after agonizing, chopsticks went to spaghetti.
"What."
I'd been on her mind subtly—grabbing noodles, she narrowed her eyes in surprise.
"Why?"
"Thought your taste was that side or this."
She pointed chopsticks at sashimi and yukhoe.
Taehak life spoiling her? Both raw.
She mocking me now?
"Expensive stuff. The pricey kind."
Luckily not.
"Grew up eating it a lot—familiar. Like a taste of memories."
I continued like excusing. But true.
Orphanage weekends, ate instead of rice.
Ramen awkward. Couldn't serve rice and sides every meal.
Boiled huge pot, dumped bulk sauce, mixed.
Kids loved it more.
Especially Yoo So-young—three bowls each time, I recall.
"Amazing. I like it too. But store-bought sauce kind, not this."
"Yeah?"
Model material—taste identical...
On that note, recommended Yoo So-young's fave recipe—likely Cheon Seo-yun's too.
"Try adding ramen spice packet to store sauce. Tastier."
"Ramen spice?"
"Yeah. Weirdly gourmet. Try once."
"Uh, hard to imagine... This a memory taste too? Mom made it...?"
Cheon Seo-yun asked cautiously, gauging.
Mom?
Word with no ties—smirk escaped.
I was orphaned; Park Ha-yul's mom missing young, I knew.
But...
Strictly, no different from mom.
Yoo So-young filling that void—undeniable fact.
"Similar. Suddenly gone, never see again now."
"Ah..."
Too serious?
Awkward air—I shoved noodles in mouthful.
Slurp.
[Cheon Seo-yun's favorability has increased.]
[Acquire 1 SP.]
* * *
Moonlight lit the streets; phone screen glow lit So Yi-hyeon's face that night.
Taehak security head on six-month dispatch, she patrolled with eyes glued to her phone.
"Deputy, patrol time though. Others see..."
"Me playing? Working. Hate seeing me? Do it yourself."
"No. Rather not sit... I'll cover this area alone."
Adjutant snickered, pointing nearby bench by comprehensive training hall—So Yi-hyeon sat without refusal.
"Hmm."
Eyes back to half-done report on phone screen.
File: [2nd Year Class A Recruitment List.]
1. Baek Sa-young
Rank: A+
Description: Top priority recruit. Recently acquired decent armament too. Ultimate talent with skill and character, though soft personality regrettable...
.
.
2. Seol Yun-gi
Rank: A+
Description: Second priority. Quiet but subtly promising. Enjoys self-centered situations. High chance into Seol family direct forces, but...
.
.
Others: Cheon Seo-yun, Joo Ah-rin, Lee Dae-ho, Kang Cheol-min. Latest joiner Reina too.
"Taehak needs what security? All those professors. Whatever—just slack that, focus selecting usable ones and working them. Got it?"
Recalling 8th Unit Deputy's bulging eyes and bursting arm muscles, So Yi-hyeon shuddered unlike herself, eyes to report.
Had to produce results somehow.
Or that lunatic might flip out unpredictably.
Title deputy only—actually monster beyond measure. Slip up, instant special training.
1v1 spars for a week.
Then bedridden a month.
"No, I'd die."
So Yi-hyeon shuddered finely again, to report's end.
Candidate mostly blank from rank to description.
8. Park Ha-yul
Rank: ??
Description: Brew clan origin. 1st year bottom scores. Source of all bad rumors. But changed post-2nd year. Shines in theory and spells. Recent rank surge.
......Nothing else known—report halted.
Expected midterm standout, but just smartly predicted assignments, lived luxuriously—nothing notable.
Ultimately.
By surfaced info, 8th Unit's black robes too much for him.
But somehow.
Mage instinct and scouting expert eye?
So Yi-hyeon saw differently.
"Definitely..."
Something about this student.
Behind casual nonchalance, hiding something for sure.
"Whatever that talent exactly..."
So Yi-hyeon stroked sharp chin, suddenly recalling auction terror.
Bomb Demon case—investigation found magic and demonic qi mix traces.
Exhausted all rumors, scoured related CCTV—no further demon intruder traces.
Thus, closest to scene: Park Ha-yul.
Not impossible he faced Bomb Demon...
Thought there—So Yi-hyeon shook head quick.
CCTV evidence thin; handling magic and demonic qi simultaneously theoretically impossible.
"Anyway."
In Taehak now—plan closer watch.
Maybe unscratched lottery.
Hidden card when no one cares—solo.
"But he's outsider type."
Issue: deputy title, yet hard to approach.
Feels deliberately avoided—must mind.
So only way one.
"Seo-yun..."
Best via her.
Same department, some friendship visible.
So Yi-hyeon vowed more probe, underlined Park Ha-yul's name sharply—stood.
Heading to lead adjutant.
Chatter—
Just then, man and woman exiting training hall caught eye.
"Good timing."
So Yi-hyeon gazed wistfully, half envy half longing.
Hm?
Familiar faces—eyes sharpened.
"Hey, effect spot-on. Whole body refreshed."
"Then wrong? Should feel tired instead."
"Oh yeah? Why'm I lighter then?"
Sure enough—Cheon Seo-yun and Park Ha-yul.
Trained together apparently—hands full of bags.
So Yi-hyeon considered greeting—dropped it.
Scouting basics: scout's dignity and poise.
Didn't want to burn image on casual bump.
So Yi-hyeon sat back on bench, waiting them leave.
......But.
"Who's that."
Soon after they gone, sneaking girl oddly familiar.
Not close—TV face...
"Goddess?"
But really pretty.
Moonlit silver hair sparkled like beaded starlight, skin blindingly white.
Like porcelain with eyes nose mouth drawn.
So Yi-hyeon stared blankly—hurriedly pulled phone.
Added to 5th candidate slot.
5. Reina.
+Real life better than screen. Insanely pretty.