Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Request
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“So, when should we make our move?”
“You guys decide that too.”
“Is that really okay?”
“It’s better for you that way, isn’t it? You wouldn’t like it if I got involved and the rewards had to be split.”
“…”
At Lee Shin’s words, the two of them nodded.
Lee Shin continued.
“So just handle everything yourselves. Shouldn’t that be fine? I hear the number of participants is still growing. You have enough manpower, right?”
“…That’s true. Understood.”
“Then we’ll only contact you for important matters.”
“Yes, do that.”
After the conversation ended, Dokgo and Tae-yoon immediately returned to their group.
Seeing their cheerful expressions, it didn’t seem like they had noticed anything amiss.
It looked like they would secure enough people and make their move today at the earliest, or within a few days at the latest.
“…Hmm.”
Lee Shin scratched the back of his neck.
‘Now what do I do?’
His schedule had suddenly opened up.
He had originally planned to fight the next territory battle right away, but with the sudden change of plans, he had nothing to do.
Of course, there was plenty to do if he left the territory.
‘…But leaving right away feels a bit off.’
Just in case, he felt he should watch Dokgo and Tae-yoon for a bit to see if they were handling things well before leaving.
Maybe for about a week?
He could observe them for that long, and if it seemed like things were running smoothly without the intervention of the territory’s army, he could leave then.
Arthur asked.
“So what are we doing until then?”
“I don’t know. There’s not much to do.”
“Hmm…”
“Or how about we all go take care of our own business and meet up again later?”
Since they were taking a week off anyway, he thought it would be a good opportunity for everyone to handle their personal affairs.
Arthur was the first to nod at Lee Shin’s suggestion.
“I think that’s a great idea. I happen to have a lot of video editing to catch up on.”
“A lot?”
“Yes. Ah! But I’m not behind schedule. The next video is all ready to go.”
“Hmm…”
Lee Shin narrowed his eyes.
Come to think of it, he had never really heard about Arthur’s work environment.
Until now, whenever he asked for a video, Arthur would just say yes and provide it, so he had just assumed he was managing well on his own.
He didn't know the specifics of how much time and effort it took.
Lee Shin asked.
“Are you short on time for editing?”
“Huh? No? If I pull an all-nighter to edit, it’s not a problem.”
“Oh, okay.”
“…What do you mean, ‘Oh, okay?’! The fact that he has to pull an all-nighter means he doesn’t have enough time!”
Jeong Yu-ra, who had been listening quietly to their conversation, suddenly interjected.
One guy says it’s fine if he stays up all night, and the other just nods in agreement…
As the most sensible one of the three, she wondered if this was even a normal conversation.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why!”
Arthur was still a minor, after all.
So even if he himself said it was fine, she should at least ask the right questions!
…However, Jeong Yu-ra knew well that expecting such a response from Lee Shin was pointless.
He was someone who was completely and utterly uninterested in other people’s circumstances.
He might pretend to be interested when they were outside, but in the game, there were no exceptions.
‘…Sigh.’
In the end, she lightly touched her forehead, walked over to Arthur, and asked.
“You’re still in high school, right?”
“Yes.”
“And it’s not even vacation. If you don’t sleep at night, when do you sleep?”
“At school?”
“…No, you can’t do that!”
“It’s fine. I’m not planning on going to college anyway.”
This would have been the case even if he hadn’t met Lee Shin.
He wasn’t academically gifted, and his family was well-off enough that he could live comfortably without going to college.
He already owned several buildings in his name, passed down from his parents.
“Really…?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“And I find this fun. I’m not being forced to do it.”
“Well, if that’s the case…”
Jeong Yu-ra nodded.
He had no problems in life, and he himself said it was fun.
There wasn’t much else she could say.
“Still, get some sleep.”
“Okay.”
[Party member <Arthur> has logged out.]
Arthur logged out immediately.
He said he had a lot of work piled up because he’d been busy with the recent territory battle.
“Are you leaving too?”
Jeong Yu-ra asked, turning to look at Lee Shin.
Lee Shin nodded and replied.
“Yeah, after I organize my items a bit.”
“Why? You don’t usually log out at this time.”
“I have exams coming up soon.”
“Exams? …Ah. Right. Your exams would be around this time.”
Although Lee Shin usually spent most of his time outside of school playing the game, with exams approaching, he had to set aside some time to study.
Since he had a break, it was better to get it done now for the sake of the future.
‘Gotta do what I gotta do.’
The main reason Jeong Hui-seon let Lee Shin play games all day was that he always made sure to take care of his responsibilities.
Even if it meant holding back on what he wanted to do at the moment.
If Lee Shin hadn’t possessed that much self-control, Jeong Hui-seon would have probably considered other options for him instead of recommending games in the first place.
In any case.
‘Check items.’
Lee Shin opened his inventory to check the items he had obtained during the territory battle.
Thanks to personally killing two counts and numerous knights, his inventory was packed.
Lee Shin first sorted out the items with decent performance.
Finest Fur Coat
A coat favored by Count Rodin.
Made from 111 pelts of the ‘Velu Harp,’ it is extremely resistant to the cold.
Its elegant design also stands out.
• Defense: 9
• Durability: 99/99
• Provides excellent insulation. Grants <Advanced Cold Resistance> when worn.
• Recovers 2% of max HP per minute when out of combat. The effect is amplified at lower HP.
Earring of Ruren Crystal
An accessory favored by Count Rodin.
It is embedded with 7 Ruren crystals and engraved with enhancement magic.
• Defense: 30
• Magic Resistance: 99
• Durability: 99/99
• The power of the gem increases mana recovery speed by 10%. Also, instantly recovers 5% of max mana upon killing an enemy.
Frost-tinged Dagger
A dagger with a short hilt and an even shorter blade.
Silver and mithril are infused into the blade.
Originally crafted for self-defense, its elegant appearance has made it a popular luxury item among nobles.
• Attack Power: 444
• Durability: 4/4
• Contains the special skills <Self-Destruction> and <Last Stand>.
When used on oneself, <Self-Destruction> activates, causing instant death. When used on an opponent, <Final Struggle> activates, inflicting 444% additional damage.
• Is destroyed immediately upon skill activation.
War Bow
A bow used by the knight commander of Ampiri Territory.
Its strong tension makes it difficult to draw, but it boasts excellent accuracy and destructive power.
• Attack Power: 200
• Durability: 45/45
• When the bow is fully drawn, range and destructive power increase by 99%.
• Allows use of the special skill, <Snipe>.
Coin of Fortune
An antique treasured by Count Killaim.
It is imbued with the energy of luck.
• Increases Luck by +77 when carried.
• Temporarily decreases Luck by -777 if the coin is lost.
• ???, ????
‘Oh?’
A total of five items.
In Lee Shin’s opinion, each of them had pretty good stats.
Their stats, options, and rarity were all excellent.
What made them even better was that none of their effects overlapped with the equipment he was currently using.
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction.
‘…Not bad. I can use these for a long time.’
That was because the items’ options themselves were outstanding.
In cases like this, their value wouldn’t drop significantly even as the user’s level increased.
And if he found better items, he could just sell these off.
Either way, they were useful.
‘I’ll keep just these for now and sell the rest.’
He didn’t particularly need the gold, but his inventory was currently a cluttered mess.
Since he had already sorted out the high-performance items, he could get rid of the rest right away.
“…Hey, are you done?”
“Hmm?”
Just as he was about to log out, he heard a voice from behind him.
It was Jeong Yu-ra.
Lee Shin closed his inventory and asked.
“What is it? You’re still here?”
“I was waiting for you.”
“For me? Why?”
“…”
“…Hmm?”
But Jeong Yu-ra just fidgeted with her lips.
It seemed like she had something to say but was hesitating.
An atmosphere that screamed, ‘How on earth do I say this?’
As Lee Shin wondered what was wrong with her, she finally opened her mouth and spoke softly.
“…Are you very busy with that?”
“With what?”
“You said you’re going to study for your exams. Are you very busy with that?”
“Huh? No? Not really.”
Lee Shin’s intellectual development had been superior to his peers since he was young.
His concentration when focusing on one thing was also exceptional.
Thanks to this, Lee Shin could achieve good results with less time than others.
Studying for exams was no different, so he didn’t think he would be short on time.
“Why do you ask?”
“…”
“What is it? If you have something to say, just say it.”
“No, it’s just…”
“If not, I’m logging out.”
“…By any chance! If you’re not busy, could you spare some time? Would that be okay…?”
She finally managed to get the words out.
A question mark appeared over Lee Shin’s head.
“Spare some time?”
“Uh, yeah…”
“I am, aren’t I?”
They logged in and met almost every day.
How much more time did she want him to spare?
His confusion must have shown on his face, because Jeong Yu-ra shook her head, saying that’s not what she meant.
“No, no, not in here.”
“You mean outside?”
“Yeah.”
“…Why would I?”
*Why would I meet you?*
The response came out instinctively.
“No, before that. What would we even do if we met?”
“It’s nothing much…”
“?”
Though she said it was nothing much, Jeong Yu-ra hesitated for a long time before answering.
And it was a request of a kind Lee Shin had never anticipated.
“Will you be a model for our department?”
“…!?”
* * *
It took Lee Shin a long moment to process what she had said.
“A model?”
“Yeah. The thing is…”
Jeong Yu-ra slowly began to explain.
The background behind her words was this.
“Actually, our department is holding an exhibition next month.”
“An exhibition? Ah, you said you were in the art department. And?”
“My group has to submit a portrait, so we need a model.”
“You can just ask someone else.”
Lee Shin frowned.
Jeong Yu-ra was one of the very few people who knew he was a psychopath and that he wore a mask in the outside world.
Besides his family, she was practically the only one.
…A request like this.
She had to know he would hate it, right?
Jeong Yu-ra nodded.
“…I know. That’s why I feel bad asking.”
“If you feel bad, then don’t ask.”
“I’m not the one who chose you. The others asked me to get you. I’m just asking on their behalf right now.”
“…? What are you talking about? How do the other people in your department know me?”
A question mark floated above Lee Shin’s head.
It went without saying that the Department of Western Painting and the Department of Future Artificial Intelligence had no overlapping classes, and their main buildings were far apart.
This meant that unless they already knew each other, it was difficult for them to have any contact at all.
So how did they know him?
‘Were they the people I saw at the group date? No, there were only a few of them, weren’t there?’
But there was one thing Lee Shin was overlooking.
Regardless of department, Lee Shin was already somewhat well-known within the university.
This was because of the various plays he had shown in the e-sports tournament during the Yonsei-Korea University Games.
Of course, this in itself wasn’t a big problem.
A few people might recognize him, but no one approached him just because of that.
The problem was.
“…The problem is, it seems some of the upperclassmen in my department really enjoyed watching it.”
“!!!”
“So they keep asking me to bring you over…”
“…”
“Please! Just this once, couldn’t you…?”
Not more, not less, just help out this one time.
Jeong Yu-ra pleaded, even clasping her hands together.
“…”
And there were very few people who could refuse when someone they knew pleaded so earnestly.
After some thought, Lee Shin answered.
“No.”
“…!?”