Chapter 136: A Meaningful Conclusion
Chapter 136: A Meaningful Conclusion
Even when lunchtime came, Yoojung didn't appear. The only sign of her was the occasional thumping noise from the first floor. I was dying to know what kind of training was going on in there, but I had no choice but to wait.
Ko Yeonju reappeared around noon. It seemed she planned to continue her usual work while teaching Yoojung. However, she no longer joined us for meals. When Ahn Hyun invited her to eat, she smiled and said,
“I’m making the kid skip her meal, too. So I have no intention of eating either.”
I had already declared that I was entrusting Yoojung completely to Ko Yeonju. That meant the matter was entirely in her hands. The rest of the party seemed incredibly curious, but when I told them to just wait quietly, they didn't ask any further questions. Ko Yeonju responded with a bright smile before heading straight into the kitchen. And in the end, even when evening came, Yoojung did not emerge.
Lee Yoojung finally left Ko Yeonju's room around the time dusk settled over The Demure Lady. A commotion erupted downstairs, and when I went to check, I saw Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, and Vivian gathered around someone.
As I got closer, I saw Ahn Sol holding her staff and chanting a healing spell. And below her, I could see Yoojung collapsed on the floor.
Yoojung was in a wretched state. It was almost strange that she wasn't bleeding. Every visible part of her body was covered in angry bruises, and her clothes were soaked, clinging to her skin. It was impossible to get that wet from sweat alone, so it seemed water had been thrown on her several times. Which meant she must have passed out during her training.
The others were raising their voices in concern, saying things like, “She’s going to die at this rate,” and “This is too much.” But I dismissed all their worries with a simple reply: “Heal her, then take her to her room.” I figured an experience like this wouldn't be a bad thing for her. At the same time, I could guess Ko Yeonju's intentions.
Her teaching style and mine were polar opposites. Even considering the Hall Plain, neither of our methods could be called normal. In any case, even though it wasn't strictly necessary, Ko Yeonju had chosen to play the villain. It seemed she wasn't just teaching simple techniques but was determined to completely overhaul Yoojung's mindset. I felt both grateful and sorry toward Ko Yeonju for doing what was truly necessary.
As Ahn Sol repeatedly cast healing spells on her, I saw Yoojung’s eyes flutter open. The first words out of her mouth were, “I’m hungry.” Stunned, Ahn Hyun scrambled downstairs to get some food. Yoojung groaned as she pushed herself up and, with a swollen face, started walking toward her room.
I didn't ask if she was okay, and she didn't whine about how hard it was. All that remained was an expression mixing exhaustion and grit. Seeing her stumble pitifully, Ahn Sol supported her.
“Unni… Are you really okay?”
“Do I look okay to you?”
“No…”
“Hah… I might actually die doing this. So you—stay ready anytime, anywhere. Cast healing spells whenever I need them so I don’t die.”
Yoojung flicked Ahn Sol's forehead lightly with her finger and said nothing more. Watching her, I turned away. An awareness and resolve to face death. It was a better answer than I could have hoped for.
With the growing pains of Ko Yeonju joining our party settled, the caravan began to move forward once again. I hadn't been idle during that time, either. I couldn't afford to get bogged down by problems I couldn't solve right now, so I needed to focus on other matters.
For me, training was no different from daily life. Unless I was unconscious or it was unavoidable, I made sure to meditate at least once a day. My current physical stats could be considered to have reached their limit. A level that was difficult to raise any further through training alone. It wasn't completely impossible, but I couldn't even begin to guess how much time I'd have to invest just to raise a single point.
I agonized daily over my remaining ability enhancement points and stat points. I was particularly undecided about the stat points. Should I pour them all into Stamina to stabilize my current skills, or should I raise my other stats to 101 and aim for an even higher level?
I might get more stat points in the future, but they would likely only amount to three or four points in total. That's why I had to be all the more cautious. So, for now, I decided to save them. I didn't know what stats I might need in a future situation. My current stats were more than enough for the time being.
Turning to exploration, I limited myself to reviewing the path to the Cave of Screams. Just in case, I pored over other records, but making another discovery was a distant prospect. No matter how many variables the Hall Plain had, it was unrealistic to think I could unearth a place that had remained hidden for ten years. So, I decided to put those matters aside. Time was passing, and for now, the Cave of Screams was more than enough to handle.
I was also able to resolve the issue of equipment, which had been weighing on my mind. I finally used the User Shop to withdraw another 1,000 gold. This brought the caravan's current funds to over 2,300 gold. However, I couldn't spend it all, as I needed to save money for the clan application.
Still, I felt it was necessary to spend a certain amount to show Ko Yeonju I was serious.
This time, I steeled my resolve and focused on Yoojung. Strictly speaking, her current armor was the weakest. Just as I had invested in Ahn Hyun before, I planned to invest heavily in Yoojung this time. I intended to give her a solid push while she was riding a wave of growth. Moreover, as a melee class, Yoojung needed sturdy armor, but there was an irony in that her class also required unrestricted mobility.
Yoojung was a melee dealer. Since she wielded daggers, getting close to monsters was inevitable. And as a Mercenary, she needed to specialize in chaotic, close-quarters combat.
First, I had Yoojung take off all her old equipment. Then I bought her a top—a light beige shirt. This shirt boasted the highest price tag of any equipment I had ever purchased. It cost 520 gold for one piece.
I got it from a novice User in Mule's plaza. It seemed he'd stripped it off a companion who had died. His caravan had been wiped out, and he was in the middle of looking for a new one. I checked the seller's information and gave up on the idea of recruiting him. His stats made it clear why no other caravan would take him. He had no money, so he was selling the gear to raise funds. The moment I saw it, I bought it on impulse. It was over 500 gold, but the shirt was worth every bit of it, and more.
There are several ways to enhance armor with magic, but they can be broadly divided into two categories: applying potions, and using magical effects. Magical effects were more expensive because they required a permanent spell to be cast, but they were also far more efficient. In that regard, the shirt I bought had a magical effect for physical defense.
It was made from thread spun from magically treated ogre sinew, making it incredibly tough. Furthermore, it had been treated with both magic and potions to increase its physical defense, so it wouldn't be cut by most attacks. The novice User also explained that it had a faint magic resistance effect against all elements. After hearing that, I checked it with my Third Eye and confirmed that the effect was indeed there. It was just extremely faint.
Additionally, it came with the basic option of helping the User's mana activation and had the effect of making the body feel slightly lighter. On top of that, another expensive potion treatment had been used to greatly increase its elasticity. For Yoojung, who valued both defense and mobility, it was the perfect piece of equipment.
To top it all off, it even had an auto-repair function, making it far too good for a novice User. I spent nearly a quarter of my gold, but since equipment of this caliber would normally cost at least 700 gold, I snatched it up immediately.
Her other pieces of gear weren't as good as the shirt, but they were still far better than anything she had worn before. A pair of matching leather pants (physical defense potion + elasticity potion). A pair of leather long boots. A leather jacket (physical defense potion + elasticity potion). And a women's belt for her daggers.
Then, at Ko Yeonju's request, I decided to change one of Yoojung's weapons. Yoojung originally used twin daggers, but from now on, she would use Skurepf in one hand and a curved dagger in the other. Her original one was shaped like a katana, but I requested the new one be made with a narrower blade and a slightly longer length. It was a curved sword of an ambiguous length—too long to be called a dagger, but too short to be called a longsword.
It seemed she was planning to teach her proper dual-wielding, so I placed the custom order without complaint. I also requested an additional magical treatment to increase its cutting power. This weapon would normally cost over 300 gold, but I was able to negotiate the price down to 207 gold by trading in her old Ring Mail and two daggers.
I spent nearly 1,000 gold on Yoojung alone, but I didn't regret it one bit. I still had the capacity to withdraw more, and I expected to make a profit from the Cave of Screams soon. And after leaving Mule, just by advancing to a regular city or a metropolis, we could clear the remaining dungeons and easily make back 1,000 gold and then some.
On the day I finished buying all the equipment, Yoojung once again finished her training late at night. After receiving healing spells from Sol, I caught her as she staggered over and brought her to my room. As I had her try on the new gear piece by piece, I could see a clear difference in her appearance.
Her faintly reddish hair and the tight, form-fitting equipment suited her perfectly. The clothes make the woman, as they say; she looked like a mid-tier User. After strapping the two daggers to her belt and looking in the mirror, Yoojung eventually turned to me with a sorrowful expression.
Seeing her face, I tilted my head in confusion for a moment. Her reaction was completely different from the time I'd bought her equipment before, when she had jumped for joy. Wondering what was wrong, I watched her quietly. Yoojung then spoke in a cautious voice.
“…Oppa.”
“Yeah.”
“Can you… can you just hug me once?”
“…Come here.”
A thousand thoughts crossed my mind in that instant, but I wordlessly pulled her into a hug. Yoojung buried herself in my arms, rubbing her face against my chest with a somewhat relieved expression before pulling away on her own. She looked like she wanted to linger, but she seemed to be forcing herself to hold back. Then, Yoojung said, “Oppa. Thank you for the gear. I'll work really, really hard,” and quickly left the room.
I found out later that Ko Yeonju had apparently told Yoojung that I was focusing on buying her new equipment. She had framed my investment as a “last chance,” telling her that if she didn't perform beyond expectations on the next expedition, she might be abandoned.
I had no intention of abandoning her as long as she tried her best, but I didn't offer any clarification. The reality of the Hall Plain was that Users who lacked skill were weeded out, and I heard that after that day, Yoojung pushed herself even harder in her training.
Ahn Hyun saw me buying things for Yoojung but didn't say anything anymore. His gloves were a bit lacking, but since he was learning the martial arts of an Aura Spearman, I planned to hold off on getting him plate armor for the time being. Besides, the Gloves of Reduction alone were worth almost as much as everything I had just invested in Yoojung.
Yoojung had received the least reward back at the Ruined Laboratory, so this put my mind at ease to some extent.
As for other matters, I occasionally asked Vivian about Shin Sangyong's progress. But each time, Vivian deferred her answer. Her meaning was that while he seemed like a good person, she still needed to observe him more. It seemed the contract we'd signed before was having its effect. As if she now recognized the value I placed on a Rare Class, she was being more cautious than ever.
The kids' skills were growing by the day, and I could see the party stabilizing with each passing moment. Ahn Hyun had returned to his original mindset and was training silently. It seemed he had understood my warning immediately. Ahn Sol was no longer being dragged along.
Shin Sangyong and Hayeon were both doing well. Hayeon, in particular, was working so hard I had to tell her to rest, but she shut me up by saying she would only rest when I did.
Unlike in the beginning, when I had to lead them every step of the way, I felt a sense of satisfaction watching the caravan gradually find its footing. The clan I envisioned was slowly taking shape. Once we explore the Cave of Screams and confirm Ko Yeonju's recruitment, the first step will be perfectly in place. Hoping she would join our clan, I slowly got into bed.
Before I knew it, the sky was beginning to brighten. Morning was coming. Still, I figured I could get at least an hour of sleep, so I gently closed my eyes.