One-Time Rest Space

Sunghyun looked over his status window.

"I got more out of that fight than I expected."

Every 10C spent yielded 1% skill experience. If Level 1 was already like this…

"Even for an EX-rank skill…"

By comparison, F-rank Fire was already at Level 2 — the growth speed of a low-tier skill, plain and simple. Combat had also raised his mana level, which meant he'd saved himself 10C.

"Saving 10C is genuinely nice. Honestly, just looking at that tells me focusing on growth until I'm properly on track is the right call."

Sunghyun gave himself a little pat on the back. If you made money, you had to spend it.

"Time for growth, baby~."

He brought both Body and Mana up to Level 20.

Hoooooo—

Fresh mana poured into Sunghyun's dantian. To get a handle on it, he settled into a cross-legged seat and turned his awareness inward.

"Huh?"

Looking inside himself, he found something odd. He'd figured that going from Mana Level 11 to 20 would roughly double the amount — but no. The quantity had increased by about four times, and the efficiency was roughly double what it had been before.

"I really shouldn't be fretting over coins vanishing at double the rate, should I?"

Even by his own subjective measure, his growth speed was absurdly fast. If he fought those wolves from earlier right now, he was pretty sure he could crush them without much trouble — strategy be damned, just pin them with raw power. And that wasn't wishful thinking. At this point, Hayato was still only Body Level 3 and Mana Level 2, even while receiving one-on-one lessons from the Knight Commander. Hitting that in a single day was fairly quick on its own — but next to Sunghyun, it was a firefly in front of the sun.

There was a reason for that. The Coin Market had originally been the exclusive domain of the gods — a means of divine growth that no human was ever meant to use. Sunghyun had forced it open with someone's help and was running it himself. Under normal circumstances, he would have been stuck with the shops heroes used. Of course he was fast. Sunghyun, knowing none of this, simply thought, Huh, growth's pretty quick!

"So what now? I've got 330C left… Do I push Body and Mana higher, or buy a skill…?"

As he scrolled endlessly through the shop, a notice suddenly leapt into his vision.

"Skill, trait, tool — all three would be perfect for me."

The skill for safer hunting. The trait for a chance at an edge even against stronger opponents. The sword for more stable hunting still. Sunghyun pictured himself with each one. Buy the skill, and he could safely farm coins off enemies roughly his level or weaker. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Buy the trait, and he could land surprise attacks — whatever magic it was, he'd be able to put it to use, and it would mesh well with him. Buy the sword, and his reach would grow, giving him more ways to make an enemy's life miserable. No matter which he picked, it was pure upside. No downside in sight.

"I've decided."

"Yeah."

Watching the sun sink lower, Sunghyun scanned his surroundings.

"Time to get ready for bed…"

That was exactly why he'd bought the cheapest skill. He immediately purchased the item he'd already eyed in the shop.

Sunghyun hadn't originally planned to burn 50C on a single night. Besides the one-time rest space, there were options like a simple tent or sleeping up in a tree. But this forest, from what he'd already experienced, was far too dangerous. The moment you crawled into a tent, you were completely helpless — and the treetops weren't safe either. Fifty coins was the price of one night's life.

He activated his newly purchased skill and looked out over the darkening woods.

Ziiing—

All kinds of information flooded Sunghyun's vision. Creatures invisible to the naked eye lit up the moment the skill engaged.

"Holy shit, there's a ton of them. Good thing I checked."

Maybe because he'd already beaten a wolf pack, nothing approached — but every last one of them watched him with razor-sharp eyes, waiting for him to fall asleep. When he layered mana over his sight, their forms bloomed into view like thermal camera footage. And that wasn't all. Once he locked onto a shape, a coin value appeared above its head.

Every time he turned his head, a new kind of magical beast appeared. Sunghyun kept his eyes on them and whistled.

"Whew~ This skill's performance is rock solid."

He flipped them the middle finger.

"Stay put, you idiots."

Ziiing—

Sunghyun's body was swallowed in a swirl of white light.

Clang— Clang—

Hayato and Natsume's wooden swords crashed together. Hayato's blade skimmed past Natsume's and came to rest at his throat.

"That's enough."

"Good work."

"…"

Hayato bowed toward Natsume, but Natsume only twisted his face. The Knight Commander muttered under his breath.

"Even coming from the same place, the gap is this wide… Do I really have to train a thug like that?"

Natsume overheard the muttering and clenched his teeth hard.

Grind—.

Why the hell is a guy like him stronger than me…!

Jealousy. Natsume resented Hayato for surpassing him so suddenly. In a single day — just one day — Hayato had awakened to mana. His Body Level was already at 8. Natsume's was still a measly 3. Furious, he'd challenged Hayato to a spar, and the result had been obvious. None of Natsume's attacks even touched him. Everyone praised Hayato as a once-in-a-generation talent and gave him thumbs-up as the Hero. Natsume, by contrast, still hadn't awakened mana at all. Compared to the average, his growth was actually fairly fast — but set against Hayato, he looked like an ordinary nobody.

The brighter Hayato's light became, the more it blinded Natsume. He'd been a total weakling — a guy Natsume used to push around! Even Natsume's own hangers-on had abandoned him to suck up to Hayato.

Natsume, you've gotten way too weak compared to Hayato.

You came from the same place as the Hero and you can't do a damn thing. Pathetic worm.

At some point, the people around him had started looking at him like trash.

"Damn it… damn it… damn it!"

Natsume poured every ounce of feeling into the wooden sword in his hands and hammered a training dummy without pause. Seeing this, the Knight Commander paused Hayato's instruction and walked over.

"Consumed by emotion, are we?"

Natsume turned and found the Knight Commander already standing over him, looking down with cold eyes. Natsume couldn't take it anymore.

"Damn it! I can't do this anymore! I'm leaving this place!"

"Hm? Is that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so? Then leave."

Seizing the moment, the Knight Commander called for his adjutant.

"Yes, Sir Hadad! You called?"

The Knight Commander no longer treated Natsume as a person. Hadad pointed a finger at him.

"This one. Throw him outside the kingdom."

"Yes, sir. Understood."

On Hadad's orders, the adjutant and several knights seized Natsume by both arms and dragged him out of the castle.

"Let go of me! I'll leave on my own! I said I'll leave on my own, you dog-shit bastards!"

Natsume had barely scraped Body Level 3. There was no chance of overpowering knights who'd already broken Level 20.

Thud—.

When he kept screeching, one of the knights released a pulse of mana and knocked him out cold. They tossed him into a carriage parked near the castle. Where that carriage was headed, or when it would depart, was none ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of their concern. Their only job was to get Natsume outside the walls.

And just like that, Natsume was expelled from the castle.

Once the light faded inside the rest space, Sunghyun opened his eyes.

"Whoa. What is this?"

A spotless room stretched out before him. The brown wooden floor gleamed as if freshly polished, and warm sunlight filtered gently through a large window. Light curtains drifted, tempering the sun and bathing the room in a soft glow.

"Not bad."

Sunghyun set a hand on the bed and pressed down. The plush mattress, wrapped in white sheets, felt like touching a cloud. Tiny black butterfly-shaped accents decorated the corners of the linens, and the pillows were neatly arranged. A faint fragrance drifted through the room, as if a single flower had just bloomed.

"I'm sleeping like a king tonight."

He took a quiet moment to appreciate the space. It was beautiful and immaculate, like a scene from a novel — nature, lighting, and careful attention all woven together to offer a guest rest and peace.

Heading to the bathroom for his first proper wash in ages, Sunghyun was surprised all over again. Soft stone-shaped shower mats lined the floor, comfortable underfoot. The shower fixture's chrome plating sparkled clean, and under lighting that seeped in like shadow, the sound of dripping water rang out in quiet stillness.

"Man, even if you hit every hotel in Korea, Japan — hell, anywhere on Earth — finding a place this good wouldn't be easy."

He stepped straight to the shower and turned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it on. Warm water began with a slow, gentle rush. Droplets fell softly, wrapping around his body and soaking into his skin. The stream felt almost like a soft rain pouring down.

"Uuuaaah… I'm alive."

When Sunghyun finished showering and returned to the room, a familiar shape on the small desk caught his eye.

"Is… is that kimchi jjigae…? And soy sauce marinated crab, too…"

Looking at foods he'd thought he wouldn't see again for a very long time, tears welled up on their own.

"Ahh… thank you, mysterious someone…"

Toward the unknown figure who had upgraded his trait by a full rank, Sunghyun offered a short, silent prayer.