Chapter 110: Same Question, Different Result
Chapter 110: Same Question, Different Result
“A Rare Class? An Aura Spearman?”
Yoojung repeated my words, her eyes widening as she let out a sharp gasp. The others reacted similarly. In a way, they seemed even more stirred up than when I revealed I had a Secret Class. I had already earned a certain degree of respect with my skills, but Ahn Hyun hadn't shown anything particularly outstanding compared to me before getting this upgrade, which probably amplified their shock.
“N-no way! Why does only Ahn Hyun get something like that...!”
“I-is this caravan blessed by the goddess of luck? Truly...”
“Shh.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly and raised a finger to my lips. Yoojung and Shin Sangyong, who had been bursting with complaints and awe respectively, immediately fell silent. Meanwhile, Ahn Hyun was still shaking uncontrollably, biting his lip hard. His body was struggling to accept a power that far exceeded his own magic stat.
But this was undoubtedly a good thing. For a Year 0 User whose stats and abilities were still undeveloped to evolve into such a high-tier class was nothing short of a stroke of incredible fortune. Having such immense, pre-determined power flow into an unseasoned body without issue meant that his own abilities were bound to rise to a certain degree.
“It's unlikely to be a problem, but a class advancement is a very important process. It's already difficult for him, and a commotion will only make it more distracting. For now, hold back your curiosity. We can ask questions after the succession is complete. It shouldn't take long.”
At my words, the entire party swallowed hard. Beside me, Yoojung was gulping audibly, her eyes glued to Ahn Hyun. The look of longing on her face made it obvious how incredibly envious she was. I stroked the demonic sword Skurepf in my coat once before turning my gaze back to Ahn Hyun.
“Ugh... ugh... ah...”
Ahn Hyun was faithfully following my instructions. Though he was trembling like a leaf, his tight grip on the Pitch-Black Spear showed his determination not to let go. I cheered him on silently while gently wrapping an arm around Yoojung's shoulders. After hearing her inner thoughts today, I felt a little guilty for having treated her so coldly. I decided I would cherish her more and take better care of her from now on.
“Hmph... Oppa...”
Yoojung pouted and quickly buried her head in my shoulder. Ahn Sol was completely engrossed in watching her own brother. I stroked Yoojung's soft hair, my eyes fixed on Ahn Hyun, careful not to miss a single movement.
Soon, I could see his trembling begin to subside. He started taking occasional breaths and his eyes darted around, signaling that the process was nearing its end. Finally, the moment his arms, still holding the spear, went limp, his entire body was engulfed in a golden light.
“Success.”
I spoke with a satisfied expression. The golden light swirled brilliantly around Ahn Hyun’s body before fading in an instant. As he emerged from within the light, he stared blankly into the air, as if he still couldn’t believe it. He was probably looking at his Player Status. I was curious myself, so I naturally activated Third Eye.
Player Status
1. Name: Ahn Hyun (Year 0 User) 2. Class: Aura Spearman (Rare, Aura Spearman, Runner) 3. Nation: - 4. Clan: - 5. True Name · Nationality: Successor to the Lost Ancient Spearmanship · Republic of Korea 6. Sex: Male (22) 7. Height · Weight: 178.8 cm · 67.5 kg 8. Alignment: Amity · Moderation
[Strength 61] [Durability 58] [Agility 74] [Stamina 63] [Magic Power 58] [Luck 61]
Achievements (0)
Special Abilities (1/1)
1. Master Spearman (Rank: C Zero)
Latent Abilities (1/4)
1. Protective Aura (Rank: E Plus)
2. -
3. -
4. -
Recent Stat Comparison
Before: [Strength 59] [Durability 57] [Agility 74] [Stamina 61] [Magic Power 49] [Luck 61]
After: [Strength 61] [Durability 58] [Agility 74] [Stamina 63] [Magic Power 58] [Luck 61]
As I read through Ahn Hyun’s Player Status in detail, I couldn’t help but be impressed. This was a massive change. While the class and True Name were expected to change, the shift in his disposition, the stat increases, and the awakening of new Special and Latent Abilities were all top-tier developments.
Ahn Hyun's original disposition was True and Neutral, but it had shifted to the more good-aligned Amity and Moderation. His actions up to this point had influenced his inner nature. And that wasn't all.
His stats had increased by 2 points in Strength, 1 in Durability, 2 in Stamina, and 9 in Magic Power, for a total increase of 14 points. He had achieved a double-digit stat gain in less than two months since arriving in Mule. Of course, the Rare Class advancement was responsible for the large jump in Magic Power, but even considering that, a double-digit increase was nothing short of phenomenal.
And then there were Master Spearman and Protective Aura. Awakening a Special and a Latent Ability in less than six months was amazing enough, but Master Spearman started at C-Rank. Protective Aura, despite its low rank, was a top-tier defensive ability that could block both physical and magical attacks. He was starting out with an incredible advantage.
I was about to scream, I’m so jealous—this is cheating! in my head, but my conscience wouldn’t even let me think it. After all, my EX-Rank Unity of Sword and Self alone could blow everything Ahn Hyun had just achieved out of the water. So I discarded such shameless thoughts and decided to congratulate him sincerely on his growth.
“Hyung.”
“...Yeah. Congratulations.”
Ahn Hyun looked at me, his face still dazed. I smiled brightly and congratulated him. But he just kept staggering toward me with those same dazed eyes. Figuring he was just overcome with joy, I gave his shoulder a light pat as he approached. And in that instant, he lunged at me.
“Hyung!!!!”
This wasn't the first or second time he'd done this, so I was fully expecting it. As he rushed toward me with open arms, I calmly lifted my foot back.
I planned to send him flying the moment he got here.
*
“Alright, let's tally up all the items we got from the Ruined Laboratory.”
It was probably dark outside by now. It was best to avoid the nights in the Hall Plain. The journey from the Ruined Laboratory to Mule took three days. While camping out was unavoidable, willingly traveling at night was something to be avoided. It was far safer to set out early tomorrow morning and force a march. And to be honest, my body still hadn't fully recovered, so I wanted some more time to rest.
Since we decided to stay the night, we might as well sort through all the items we'd found in the laboratory. This expedition was, simply put, a massive jackpot. Including the gear everyone was currently wearing, our haul was truly enormous.
First, the monetary gains. We found 480 gold coins and eight large rubies, each worth 100 gold. That came to a total of 1280 gold.
Next, the equipment: one mithril bracelet that aids mana flow, now worn by Ahn Hyun. A decorative dagger with a small amount of mithril, which Yoojung took. A cloak named Block of Fire, equipped by Vivian. A ring that raises the wearer's Magic Power stat by 1 point, which I gave to Ahn Sol. And the ring I have, which can cast Anti-Magic three times.
Then, from defeating the demon count Belphegor, we got the Demonkin Heart and the demonic sword Skurepf.
And finally, from the secret room: the Pitch-Black Spear (which triggered the Rare Class advancement), a Stamina-enhancing elixir, the record of an ancient spearman, the Gloves of Reduction, the pendant that was in the pouch, and the necklace Jung Hayeon discovered.
Jung Hayeon, who had cast Restore Magic on most of the items, tilted her head and handed the pendant and necklace to me. I had already checked all their information with Third Eye, but I patiently listened to what she had to say.
“...I understand the necklace, but the pendant doesn't seem to be anything special. The necklace, however, is an excellent item. It seems to be engraved with a permanent, enhanced version of Memorize magic, which is a lost art now... Ah, I'm not entirely certain, but it's a similar type of magic. You can store a total of two spells in this necklace. Then, whenever you want, you can instantly cast them just by saying the incantation. It can't store divine spells, though. You can think of it as being exclusively for mages.”
It was the Necklace of Glory. Just as Jung Hayeon said, it was enchanted with Memorize magic, which had long since disappeared from the Hall Plain. While the necklace was an excellent item, it couldn't compare to Ahn Hyun's Rare Class advancement, so her expression remained relatively calm.
And the pendant was just that—a pendant. Utterly useless. I wanted to drop it and crush it under my heel, but I couldn't bring myself to do it when I saw Ahn Sol's anxious face. I made a mental note to throw it away later when she wasn't looking and casually pushed it to the side.
“Hehehe.”
Ahn Hyun kept letting out a sly grin, clearly pleased with himself. Every so often, he'd look at me with the eyes of a boy in love, and each time, I'd point to the tip of my boot. It was a signal: come here if you want to get kicked. In any case, I planned to distribute some of the new items now. The others were all watching my lips with expectant faces.
I decided to finish with Ahn Hyun first, taking out the Gloves of Reduction and the record.
“Ahn Hyun. That spear is a bit heavy, isn't it?”
“Hehehe. It's a lot heavier than the one I used before.”
Seeing him grinning from ear to ear, I sighed and tossed him the gloves and the record.
“You heard Jung Hayeon earlier. The gloves have the effect of reducing the weight of objects you're holding. Keep in mind that it doesn't actually make your Strength higher, it just reduces the weight. As for the record, it's written in an ancient language, but it's probably related to your spear training. Ask Vivian to decipher it for you when we get back to the city.”
“I pledge my loyalty!”
I watched with a blank expression as Ahn Hyun excitedly gathered his allotted items. The elixir was another one I couldn't take myself. I was planning to find the right opportunity to give it to someone, and just then, I saw Shin Sangyong watching Ahn Hyun with envious eyes. And next to him sat Vivian with a vacant expression. In that moment, an idea flashed through my mind.
The elixir, Vivian’s purified core, the Demonkin Heart, a Magic Square of Harmony, an alchemist. Maybe…
“Hyeoong!”
“...Just stop it already.”
I kicked away Ahn Hyun, who had charged at me again while I was lost in thought, and shook my head. I had pieced together a puzzle in my mind, but it was in a field I wasn't confident in, so I couldn't guarantee success.
I decided to hold onto the Necklace of Glory and the pendant for now. I had originally considered giving the necklace to Vivian, but since she mainly used beast summoning, she refused it herself. I had to agree; the Necklace of Glory suited Jung Hayeon far better than Vivian. But I couldn't give it to her now. I would only pursue a real relationship with her after we returned to Mule and resolved the issues between us.
“Tch. Getting all excited by himself... It's like this room was made just for him, isn't it?”
As I put the necklace and pendant away and gave the order to set up camp, I heard Yoojung muttering beside me. She was pouting, her lower lip stuck out, clearly sulking. Her jealousy was practically exploding. For a moment, I thought of the demonic sword Skurepf in my coat, but it wasn't time to hand it over yet.
It was classified as a demonic sword and was extremely dangerous. Even if it was behaving now, I could only give it to her after I had tamed it as much as possible. Still, seeing Yoojung's slumped shoulders, I honestly felt a little bad for her. Since I'd decided to take better care of her, I figured it would be best to cheer her up myself later.
The risk of an attack was low since we were underground, but we set up a watch just in case. Ahn Hyun, who was usually slow to set up camp, was moving more briskly than anyone today. He was normally a quiet person, but seeing him like this reminded me that he was still young. Yoojung, annoyed by his behavior, made another sarcastic remark, but Ahn Hyun, feeling generous today, simply replied with a warm smile.
“Hmm... Vivian? Come here.”
“Hm? Why?”
Since it was rare for Ahn Hyun to call her over, Vivian tilted her head in question. Right in front of Yoojung, Ahn Hyun spoke in a kinder tone than ever before.
“Let's get along, us Rare Class users. Come on. Set up your sleeping bag next to mine. We'll leave a spot in the middle for our dear Hyung-nim, the Secret Class user. There we go.”
At his words, Ahn Sol stared at her brother with a look of disbelief. She wasn't the only one. Jung Hayeon and Shin Sangyong were also watching their exchange, dumbfounded. I was incredibly embarrassed on the inside, but I wanted to let him enjoy this moment.
What followed—Yoojung tackling Ahn Hyun—was perhaps inevitable. After the minor incident was somehow resolved, we ate dinner. Even though it was still a bit early, we decided to go to sleep since we planned to wake up at dawn tomorrow.
I watched Vivian's back as she took the first watch, then slipped into my sleeping bag. Tomorrow, we would begin our journey back to Mule. It hadn't been a smooth ride, but it was a successful expedition with many rewards. With that final thought, I calmly closed my eyes.