Chapter 137: A Meaningful Conclusion
Chapter 137: A Meaningful Conclusion
Another day, much like the ones before. The word "maintenance" means more than just simple rest. It means to take what's disorganized and put it in proper order. In that sense, our entire party was diligently carrying out their maintenance.
The faint sound of someone's presence woke me, and I felt the chilly dawn air swirling around my bed. I took a deep breath of the cold air, and my head felt a little clearer. My eyes reflexively darted to the table, where, as usual, I saw a steaming cup of tea and a few documents. I sat up at once.
“Hup.”
I circulated my magic power to gently loosen my stiff body, then gave it a light twist. Crack, pop. A rhythmic series of pops erupted from my joints. I shivered for a moment at the sharp, satisfying sting, then strode over to the table. First, I picked up the teacup, which was letting off wisps of white steam.
“Heh.”
A laugh escaped me when I saw the contents of the cup. The tea was pitch-black. It seemed she was doing this because I'd suspected her of poisoning me the last time she went to the trouble of making me tea. I couldn't believe she was still holding a grudge over that. Letting out a dry laugh, I took a sip. A refreshing sensation traveled down my throat. My head felt much clearer, and my body felt refreshed. I spoke to the woman beside the table.
“This is good LaBin tea. You brewed it well.”
“…Hmph. It’s a rare tea, made with Rekl as well. If you’d acted like that again, I was planning to never make you tea again. It seems you’ve reflected on your actions.”
Her soft voice echoed in the room as an afterimage shimmered beside the table. Watching Ko Yeonju fully materialize, I replied calmly.
“I see. You always leave it and go. Why are you still here today?”
“Because it’s a bit urgent. First, read the report in front of you.”
Slurp.
I took another sip of tea as I picked up the report. It tasted excellent. Noticing that I liked the tea, Ko Yeonju showed a faint smile. If only her behavior were a little more demure, she’d be the perfect bride. Pretty face, great body, a good cook, and she seems like she’d be good at… well, anyway. I lifted the report to my eyes.
…and so, the Golden Lion Clan has begun to make its move in earnest. The main participating clans are the Golden Lion Clan and the SSUN Clan, the representative clan of the western city of Halo. (Other subordinate clans are also included.) Confirmed the departure of 12 reconnaissance and search parties, composed of skilled Users, at dawn on the same day. Notably, they have further boosted morale by announcing the appearance of a new Secret Class, the Jewel Mage. The Golden Lion Clan’s control over information is particularly noteworthy here. While the members of their subordinate allied clans are in a celebratory mood, they have shown no signs of agitation. Judging by their reactions, we surmise they knew about this in advance. Conversely, the Vagabonds settled in the Eurokia Mountains are severely agitated by the appearance of a new Secret Class…
“Hmm.”
I could feel my eyes narrowing as I read the report. Those damn Golden Lion bastards. So this is how they plan to use Kim Hanbyul. It was obvious that this would make things difficult if I tried to bring her over later. Of course, it was still uncertain whether I’d even accept her, or if she’d even want to join our clan. I had planned to meet her once when I visited Barbara after the Golden Lion Clan fell, but things had gotten a little twisted. I sighed and folded the report. It seemed the time had come.
“With or without, it doesn’t matter.”
“What doesn’t matter, with or without?”
Seeing Ko Yeonju suddenly interject from the side, I asked her a question.
“User Ko Yeonju. What if this Jewel Mage were to join our party in the future?”
“That would be great. But I don’t think you should count your chickens before they hatch.”
I hummed at her clear answer. I wanted to ask, “Then what about a Rare Class?” but it felt like playing with words, so I decided against it. Instead, I made another request.
“I’m planning to make a major announcement today. Please tell everyone to be on time for breakfast.”
“Oh. Does that mean we’re leaving soon?”
I answered Ko Yeonju, whose face had brightened, with a nod.
“That’s right.”
“Wow, exciting! I’ll see you in the lobby, then.”
With a genuinely excited expression, Ko Yeonju quickly left my room.
“Then does that mean I can trust you, Oppa?”
Suddenly, that cold, haughty face came to mind. A female User who was surprisingly bold for a 0-year. She was probably having a very hard time in the Golden Lion Clan right about now. I mulled over my memories of her for a while before picking up the tea and downing the rest of it.
After finishing the sweet yet slightly bitter LaBin tea, I quickly stripped off my clothes. First, I wanted to wash up.
*
“Woow. Unni. You look so cool!”
“Not pretty?”
“You’re pretty too, but you look so cool! Wow…”
Perhaps having gotten a heads-up from Ko Yeonju, Lee Yoojung came down wearing all the new equipment I’d bought her. The leather set was definitely worth the money. In the Hall Plain, practicality was the priority, but that didn’t mean appearances were completely ignored. And it was true that equipment that was both good-looking and high-performance was hard to find.
“Oppa. How does Yoojung unni look? Pretty, right? Huh?”
“Uh, oh? Heh, heh. They say the clothes make the woman. That’s exactly it.”
Ahn Hyun was captivated by Yoojung’s feminine appearance, which he was seeing for the first time. And his gaze was fixed on her chest. The tight shirt she wore revealed her full breasts without holding anything back. His eyes were glued there until Ahn Sol called his name, at which point he hastily looked away. I began to suspect that Ahn Hyun might judge women based on their chests.
Even so, he kept sneaking glances at her chest. And Yoojung, noticing this, formed a deep smile. In the past, she would have cursed him out, calling him a pervert, a creep, a degenerate, but she had clearly changed since she started learning from Ko Yeonju.
“Where’s Vivian?”
“She’ll be down soon.”
“I see. Ahh… I should have just left the jacket. Did I overdress? It’s a little hot.”
Yoojung deliberately stretched wide, showing off her prominent chest, before taking off her jacket and hanging it on her chair. Then, she crossed her arms under her breasts and casually rested her elbows on the table. It was subtle, but I could tell Yoojung had used the size-adjustment function. I could see that the clothes had shrunk ever so slightly overall. The outfit was already tight. Because of this, her chest was emphasized even more, and the gaps between the buttons on her shirt widened.
“Phew. It’s hot. Why is it so hot?”
Not stopping there, Yoojung gave an alluring smile and popped open the top button. As the top of her cleavage was revealed, Ahn Hyun and Shin Sangyong finally turned their heads away at the same time, their faces flushed red as they coughed repeatedly. Watching them, Lee Yoojung smirked.
“Sigh. Boys will be boys.”
“Hoho.”
Ko Yeonju let out a pleasant smile. She looked proud, as if her teaching had paid off. In that moment, I desperately wanted to grab her by the neck and shake her, demanding to know what the hell she’d been teaching, but I barely managed to restrain myself.
While waiting for Vivian to come down, I activated my Third Eye, focusing on the kids. Since the kids were the most important, I needed to check on their progress.
Player Status
1. Name: Ahn Hyun (Year 0 User)
2. Class: Aura Spearman (Rare, Aura Spearman, Runner)
3. Alignment: Amity · Moderation
(You have 4 remaining stat points.)
[Strength 62] [Durability 60] [Agility 75] [Stamina 63] [Magic Power 59] [Luck 61]
Special Ability (1/1)
1. Master Spearman (Rank: C Zero)
Latent Ability (1/4)
1. Protective Aura (Rank: E Plus)
Recent Stat Comparison
Before: [Strength 61] [Durability 58] [Agility 74] [Stamina 63] [Magic Power 58] [Luck 61]
After: [Strength 62] [Durability 60] [Agility 75] [Stamina 63] [Magic Power 59] [Luck 61]
*
Player Status
1. Name: Lee Yoojung (Year 0 User)
2. Class: Mercenary (Normal, Mercenary, Runner)
3. Alignment: True · Desire
(You have 4 remaining stat points.)
[Strength 57] [Durability 58] [Agility 76] [Stamina 55] [Magic Power 70] [Luck 53]
Special Ability (1/1)
1. Blood-Soaked Heart (Rank: D Minus) 『A heart soaked in blood. It occasionally stirs up murderous intent and desire regardless of the User’s will—an unpredictable heart that sometimes freezes cold and at other times burns like an erupting volcano. Its root is the urge to kill. It can resist sensory interference and visual obstruction, but its low rank makes the effect only slight.』
Recent Stat Comparison
Before: [Strength 48] [Durability 52] [Agility 64] [Stamina 50] [Magic Power 68] [Luck 56]
After: [Strength 57] [Durability 58] [Agility 76] [Stamina 55] [Magic Power 70] [Luck 53]
*
Player Status
1. Name: Ahn Sol (Year 0 User)
2. Class: Priestess (Normal, Priestess, Runner)
3. Alignment: Lawful · Good
(You have 4 remaining stat points.)
[Strength 21] [Durability 22] [Agility 24] [Stamina 31] [Magic Power 87(+1)] [Luck 100]
Recent Ability & Stat Comparison
Before: [Strength 20] [Durability 22] [Agility 24] [Stamina 30] [Magic Power 86(+1)] [Luck 100]
After: [Strength 21] [Durability 22] [Agility 24] [Stamina 31] [Magic Power 87(+1)] [Luck 100]
I felt pleased seeing the kids’ growth. Ahn Hyun was definitely climbing the ladder step by step. Seeing his Strength, Durability, Agility, and Magic Power rise evenly, it seemed he was training diligently with all aspects in mind. I’d thought Agility would be a bit difficult to raise, but it seemed to be influenced by his training in the Aura Spearman’s martial arts.
Yoojung’s information was based on when she first entered Mule. Even accounting for that, her growth was remarkable. Although her Strength, Durability, and Stamina remained below Ahn Hyun’s, both her Agility and Magic Power had surpassed 70. For a melee-class User to exceed 70 Magic Power—and awaken the Special Ability Blood-Soaked Heart—was especially encouraging. It was only D Minus Rank for now, but it would become quite useful at B Rank or higher.
Looking at their specialized stats alone, you would never think they were Year 0 Users. However, the decrease in Yoojung’s Luck and the change in her disposition bothered me a little. It seemed both were consequences of her becoming the wielder of the demonic sword, Skurepf. True and Desire. True wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The problem, then, was the other one. I could only hope she would control her desire well and create a synergistic effect. So, I decided to wait and see for now. Next, I turned my gaze to Ahn Sol.
Among the three, Ahn Sol showed the slowest growth. That didn’t mean she wasn’t trying, however. Although she was getting a +1 bonus from her ring, her current Magic Power stat was on par with Hayeon’s. Her physical stats were much lower, but I knew that mages and priests had to invest enormous effort to raise a Magic Power stat of 80 by even a single point.
As I was evaluating the kids’ stats, I heard the thump-thump of footsteps. It seemed Vivian had come down. She hurried over to the table, brushed back her wet hair, and plopped down into a seat.
“Sorry, sorry. I’m a little late. But what about breakfast?”
“We were waiting for you. I’ll bring it out now. It would have gotten cold if I brought it out earlier.”
“Yay.”
Seeing Vivian’s delight, Ko Yeonju smiled brightly and stood up. She gave me a subtle glance before heading to the kitchen, and I calmly cleared my throat.
“Ahem.”
“Soohyun. Do you have something to say?”
After I cleared my throat, the party’s gazes naturally gathered on me. The quick-witted Hayeon quickly set the stage for me. I gave a nod, then looked around at everyone and began to speak.
“It seems the time has come to wrap up our maintenance.”
“……”
So far, everyone just had an “I see” expression on their faces. I had originally planned to leave after about two and a half months, but it seemed better to move the schedule up a bit. Since processing the expedition report and establishing the clan were already slightly delayed, it would be better to leave Mule, take action immediately, and then come back for maintenance later.
Looking at the party waiting for me to continue, I added in a low voice.
“I’ve received information that the Golden Lion Clan has finally begun to make its move.”
At this declaration, the party members all wore different expressions. Hayeon and Shin Sangyong’s faces stiffened, while the kids still looked relaxed. It seemed they just thought we were going on our next expedition. And Vivian… was looking toward the kitchen, licking her lips. I sighed and continued.
“Before that, I have one piece of information to share. A new Secret Class has appeared in the Golden Lion Clan. And that User is someone I, and the kids, know very well.”
“Hyung. Who is it?”
Ahn Hyun tilted his head and asked. I glanced at Yoojung’s face for a moment before answering.
“I said it’s a User you guys know, too. Try to think who it might be.”
“Huh? A User we know…? I have no idea.”
“Me neither, Orabeoni. Who in the world is it?”
I was just about to answer the siblings’ question. While Ahn Hyun was scratching his head, a cold voice flew into my ear.
“It’s Kim Hanbyul.”
The one who answered was not Ahn Hyun. I slowly turned my head toward the source of the voice.