Chapter 160: Process of Growth
Chapter 160: Process of Growth
“The earring should probably go to Yoojung…” I stopped before finishing. The party knew I possessed a Secret Class and a special fire-related Authority, but they did not know about Third Eye. If I suddenly recited the equipment’s information, they would naturally grow suspicious. On the other hand, distributing the items however I pleased would not look good either. I paused after saying, “This…” and then continued with a nonchalant expression. I had prepared for a moment like this.
“...and the other items should all be appraised. It would be a pain if we used them carelessly and they turned out to be cursed.”
“I think I have a rough idea about the earring. Judging by the lingering wind-elemental magic, it seems to be related to the wearer's agility. But the other two items...”
“Hayeon. Have you perhaps forgotten what kind of items you've packed in that bag of yours?”
Tilting her head with a puzzled look, she blinked a few times at my words. Then she swung the bag from her back around to her front and let out a short gasp.
“Ah! I completely forgot about the Item Appraisal Scrolls. Gosh, look at me. Why didn't you say so sooner?”
“Because I forgot, too.”
I answered honestly. She immediately opened her backpack and rummaged through it, carefully pulling out three ochre-colored scrolls. We had stocked up on small quantities of various things we thought might be necessary before the expedition, just in case. I was glad we finally had a use for them.
Hayeon laid the scrolls on the floor and carefully placed the newly acquired items on top of them, one by one. The moment she muttered, “Goods Appraisal,” through her lovely lips, light seeped out from the scrolls and bathed the items in a yellow glow.
The process didn't take long. After about ten seconds, the light tinting the items began to fade, then vanished back into the scrolls as if it were being sucked in. We'd bought fairly high-quality scrolls, and a quick glance showed they were densely packed with text. It seemed they were worth the money.
She immediately handed the scrolls to me, and I took them and read them slowly. The descriptions weren't as detailed as what my Third Eye could see, but they were similar enough. I briefly considered the equipment and the party members, but it seemed best to distribute them as I had originally planned. So, I picked up the earring first and read the description aloud.
“Earring of Wind. It says a wind spirit dwelled in it for a long time. Wearing it grants the power of wind, allowing for much quicker movements and a wider field of vision than usual. As Jung Hayeon mentioned, it affects agility, but it seems to be more focused on reflexes than a direct stat boost.”
After I finished, I glanced around at the party. Everyone seemed pleased. The female Users' eyes, in particular, held a subtle glimmer of anticipation. The aquamarine earring in my hand was indeed quite beautiful. Whether on modern Earth or in the Hall Plain, it was rare to find a human or User who disliked adorning themselves. It was only a matter of degree.
“Yoojung. It'd be best if you took this earring.”
“Yesss!”
At my call, Yoojung cheered and rushed forward. I easily dodged her charge with a slight turn of my body and tossed the earring high into the air. Like a seal snatching a fish thrown by its trainer, she leaped up and caught it. One down. The next item was the Jewel of Amplification.
“This jewel is an auxiliary item for mages, created in ancient times. It's used by engraving it onto the body, so in a way, it's similar to a tattoo. Of course, it says it can be attached and detached at any time, so don't worry too much. It helps speed up the flow of internal magic power and increases its purity. It also has the effect of reducing the magic power consumed when casting spells.”
“Does it say exactly how effective it is?”
“It doesn't go into that much detail. However, the jewel itself is rated as high-grade, and since it's an ancient artifact, it's probably incomparably better than the mass-produced equipment you see these days.”
I held the jewel out to her as I replied. When Hayeon saw me offering it, she stared at me blankly for a moment before her expression faltered and she stammered.
“Oh, no. I wasn't asking because I wanted it.”
“I know. Still, the User best suited for this jewel is you, Jung Hayeon. I was planning on giving it to you anyway, so don't feel burdened.”
She could already use Double Casting, Memorize, and Rapid Incantation. Adding the Jewel of Amplification to her arsenal would allow her to use all those abilities even more efficiently. Until now, Hayeon had been two or three steps ahead of other mages at her level. But by obtaining this jewel, she had just doubled that gap. She could complete her spells faster and unleash more powerful magic. I found myself looking forward to seeing what she would be capable of.
Hayeon hesitated for a moment but eventually reached out and gently took the jewel. I handed her the scroll as well and told her that the external engraving would take some time, so it would be best to do it after we returned to the city. She simply nodded obediently in response. A subtle expression crossed her face, but judging by the faint smile on her lips and the way she carefully tucked the jewel away, she seemed quite pleased.
Now, only one item remained. And in my personal opinion, it was the best of the three we had found. Guardian Shield was a high-level defensive spell primarily learned by priests. I didn't need to know anything else. The fact that it possessed its own ego was enough to make the orb in front of me incredibly valuable. The chances of being assassinated while sleeping or losing one's life in a surprise attack would be drastically reduced. It was an item that Users focused on Survival would kill for. And since it was a bound item, there was no risk of losing it.
As I briefly explained the description on the scroll, most of the party members' faces showed an immense desire to have it. They were all anxiously wondering who would get it, hoping it would be them this time. Even Ko Yeonju, who hadn't shown much interest in the previous two items, looked tempted. However, I crushed their hopes with a single added sentence.
“...But it says it's for priests only. And it's a bound item.”
“““……”””
An awkward silence fell. Upon hearing it was for priests, Ahn Sol looked around for a moment, then ran toward me, squealing, “Wawa!” She linked her pinkies together in a gesture that seemed to say, "Please give it to me," and I placed the white, glowing orb onto her outstretched palm.
“Binding it is simple. The moment you infuse your magic power into this orb, you'll be registered as its User. Go ahead and try it now.”
“Okay~!”
Ahn Sol beamed, clearly overjoyed at getting such a great piece of equipment. She placed her hand on the orb like an eager puppy, and just as I'd said, it began to glow and react as she channeled her magic power into it.
Vwooom!
A low hum began to emanate from the Improved Model Guardian Shield. The humming thing slowly rose into the air and began to circle around the party members as if inspecting them. After wandering(?) among us for a while, it stopped right in front of Ahn Sol and then shot into her arms like an arrow.
“Oh!”
Everything was fine, except the place it burrowed into was rather... awkward. It had slipped into the slightly open top of her robe. Ahn Sol, startled, clutched at her chest, but the orb continued to hum, trying to press against her bare skin.
“You little bastard!”
There was no way Ahn Hyun, the poster boy for sister complexes in both the Republic of Korea and the Hall Plain, would stand by and watch this. He let out a furious roar, gripped his spear, and charged. I could maybe, maybe understand him charging, but bringing a spear into it was beyond me. What if he accidentally hurt her? However, the result proved my worries were unfounded.
The orb, on the verge of success, seemed to sense something was wrong and stopped burrowing. Seeing Ahn Hyun charging at it yelling, “Get away from her, you bastard!” it quickly shot out from her robe. And just as Ahn Hyun reached out for it, the orb emitted a circular pulse of pure white light.
Vwoooom! Thud!
Clatter! Clang!
“Gah!”
Oho. Reflect. So this is what they meant by 'Improved Model.' It certainly seems to have a few extra functions. Ahn Hyun crashed into the defensive magic deployed by the orb and went tumbling gracelessly to the ground. The orb, as if its job was done, returned to Ahn Sol's arms and snuggled against her, letting out a clear, humming sound. It was like a small child asking for praise.
And Ahn Hyun, a look of shock on his face, could only stammer, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.
*
I looked around just in case, but I couldn't find anything else of note in the room. At most, there were a few records and some books. Since our reason for coming here in the first place was to catch the Chaos Mimic, I was able to end the search without any lingering regrets.
Ahn Sol's eyes followed the orb with fascination as it rolled around on her body. Yoojung kept fiddling with the new earring on her ear, and Hayeon wore a gentle smile.
Watching them, my gaze drifted over to Ko Yeonju. Her silence for the past while had been bothering me a little. Meeting my gaze, she was resting her chin on her hand, lost in deep thought with an expression different from her usual one. I watched her for a moment before looking away. The moment this expedition ends and we return to Mule, the relationship between her and me will face one of two outcomes.
In any case, after that little incident, we were able to finish distributing the equipment. It was only natural for the Users who didn't receive anything to envy those who did. They all offered words of congratulations on the surface, but their gazes held a hint of envy.
Of course, there was one User—no, one Resident—who openly showed her disappointment.
“Hmph. I didn't get anything again. I'm so mad.”
“Haha. M-Master. What is there to be mad about? When our party members get stronger, the caravan's overall strength improves. Isn't that a good thing? Besides, there are still two chests left, so please don't worry too much.”
“Ugh. It must be nice to be so carefree. Be honest. You're a little disappointed too, aren't you?”
“Excessive greed only brings disaster. For someone of my station, simply being able to serve you and receive your teachings is more than enough. I'm already so happy just to have met you and the Leader.”
Shin Sangyong said, placating Vivian with an easygoing smile. She sighed heavily at his words, then turned her head to look at him with a prim expression. At her gaze, Shin Sangyong blushed slightly and cleared his throat with a cough.
Vivian stared at Shin Sangyong for a moment, then shook her head and spoke.
“Sorry. For some reason, I don't feel like being bullied by you, nor do I have any desire to be hit by you. Anyway, I appreciate the sentiment.”
“Wh-What do you mean by that...?”
Shin Sangyong broke out in a nervous sweat, flustered by Vivian's incomprehensible reply.
“Hoo. It's truly a sin to be this beautiful.”
Watching Vivian sweep her hair back and walk away, I made a firm resolution to set aside a day and teach her a proper lesson.