Chapter 182: News
Chapter 182: News
With the clan name decided, most of the major tasks were finally out of the way. I waited eagerly for the day to pass. Had I done nothing but wait, it would have been quite dull. Fortunately, a few incidents occurred to help pass the time.
For one, Hayeon announced that she had finally completed the engraving of the Jewel of Amplification. Outwardly, not much had changed. If you looked closely into her eyes, you could see a faint blue light flicker past now and then. I was curious where she had engraved the jewel and asked, but she just gave me a gentle smile and wouldn't tell me. Seeing her face flush slightly, I guessed it was somewhere she was a bit embarrassed to mention. Where on earth could it be?
The Jewel of Amplification had the function of amplifying positive factors related to a User's mana characteristics, tailored to their specific traits. To be more precise, this included increasing the speed of mana flow, raising mana purity, and reducing the mana cost of casting spells. It was a jewel with excellent synergy for Hayeon, and since it was a high-grade item, it would be a great help in the battles to come.
Another event was Shin Sangyong’s succession to his Rare Class. After the meeting ended and I had returned to my office, I heard someone burst through the door not long after. Without even looking, I knew it was Shin Sangyong. He wore an expression uncharacteristic of him, his face flushed with excitement. The moment he saw me, he opened his mouth wide, looking like he was about to prostrate himself on the floor. So, I beat him to the punch.
“Hold on. Yes. It’s alright. I know. But there’s no need for all that.”
“L-Leader… Huh?”
“I fully understand how you feel, User Shin Sangyong. Rather than going on and on about it now, becoming accustomed to it even a day sooner will be more helpful to us all. In fact, I’m sorry I couldn’t give it to you earlier. That rascal Vivian said she’d forgotten.”
“L… Leader…”
Shin Sangyong’s lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately closed his mouth at my words. Straightening up from his half-bow, his eyes welled with tears. Even without words, his expression clearly showed how deeply moved he was.
“To think you would give such a precious thing to a User like me…. When I first joined, I intended to be satisfied with just being able to study under my master. How can I ever repay this kindness?”
“Both Vivian and I are well aware of the importance of a Rare Class. We gave it to you, User Shin Sangyong, not because we were swayed by sentiment, but because we judged you to have sufficient potential. You should take more pride in your actions and your skills.”
“Th-thank you. Thank you so much. As you said, Leader, rather than rambling on about my feelings, I will work to improve my skills as quickly as possible and do my part. That is the only way I can repay the grace you have shown me.”
“Haha. If you do that, I’ll be able to rest easier as well. Congratulations on obtaining a Rare Class. Now, I think it would be best for you to perform the succession ceremony.”
At my words, Shin Sangyong bowed his head deeply and immediately opened the book. Each class has a different method and ritual for succession. In Ahn Hyun’s case, he inherited his by touching the Pitch-Black Spear. It seemed the Chimera Alchemist’s ritual was performed by reading a book.
I saw Shin Sangyong’s eyes briefly scan the empty air. There were probably messages floating before him. He soon nodded once and began to read the book intently. Each time he turned a page with trembling hands, his body was gradually suffused with a golden light.
Eventually, the golden light grew so dense that he was completely obscured from view, but the sound of pages turning continued without pause. He must have been feeling a dizzying sensation he’d never experienced before as a strange energy entered his entire body.
About ten minutes passed. It might seem fast for reading a single book, but as it was part of the ‘System,’ it couldn’t be judged by ordinary standards. Only the User who experienced it could know the details of the process. Soon, the golden light surrounding him faded, revealing him with his eyes squeezed shut, clutching the book. I quickly activated my Third Eye.
Player Status
1. Name: Shin Sangyong (Year 2 User)
2. Class: Chimera Alchemist (Rare, Chimera Alchemist, Beginner)
3. Nation: Free Mercenary (Free)
4. Clan: - (Pending)
5. True Name · Nationality: One Who Pursues the Truth of Magic Squares · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Male (28)
7. Height · Weight: 183.7cm · 69.2kg
8. Alignment: Lawful · True
Stats
[Strength 40] [Durability 42] [Agility 46] [Stamina 40] [Magic Power 89] [Luck 60]
Achievements (0)
Unique Ability (1/1)
1. Magic Square of Harmony (Rank: A Zero)
Special Ability (1/1)
1. Ruler of the 66th Beast Legion (Rank: C Zero)
Latent Abilities (4/4)
1. Alchemy Magic (Rank: B Zero)
2. Orthodox Magic (Rank: B Plus)
3. Ancient-Language Deciphering (Rank: D Zero)
4. Magical Fortification (Rank: D Plus)
A low hum escaped my lips as I read his information. So much had changed from when I first saw him. His Agility had increased by 1, and his Magic Power by 4. It was a paltry increase compared to Ahn Hyun’s stat gains, but it was understandable considering his year and the stats he had already built up.
That wasn’t all. His Alchemy Magic had gone up a rank, and his Orthodox Magic had gone up a grade. Furthermore, influenced by the Rare Class, he had recovered the Special Ability he had lost (or rather, that had become his Unique Ability) and awakened the Latent Ability ‘Magical Fortification’ through his training. Being a quiet person by nature, he had never stood out, but he must have been working harder than anyone else behind the scenes.
As a brief aside, there is one key difference that distinguishes Secret Classes from Rare Classes. When one inherits a Rare Class, the probability of awakening Unique, Special, or Latent Abilities that align with the class’s disposition increases. This isn’t an issue if you get the class early on, but if, for example, a User has already awakened all their Special and Latent Abilities, it raises a question.
However, the System is less rigid than one might think. Since the angels recommend classes that best match a User’s disposition in the first place, the settings they’ve implemented are also applied to fit each situation without deviating too much. Shin Sangyong’s case was unusual, so his lost Special Ability was restored. But there were also cases where a User with full Special and Latent Ability slots had a similar ability selected and evolved. (Of course, this had its limits. If the class and the ability were completely different, it wouldn’t be judged eligible for evolution.)
Secret Classes have a higher-level ‘System’ applied to them (such as awakening higher-level abilities), and they can receive an ‘Authority’ that Rare Classes do not. In other words, you could get an extra ability for free without consuming a slot.
As for me, in terms of ability alone, I was already at the peak of swordsmanship, a level I couldn't surpass. No matter what amazing abilities were thrown at me, my Unity of Sword and Self could silence them all. On top of that, I had the Authority to cut through anything and the power of Eternal Flame. No matter how high-level a Secret Class ‘Sword Specialist’ was, for the overlapping aspects, it couldn't apply a higher-level system than the privilege granted by Tanay. That’s why only the Authority came with it.
Confirming that he had become a Chimera Alchemist, Shin Sangyong was finally overcome by his surging emotions and shed tears. They were the tears of a man, but they didn’t look unsightly at all. In some ways, he reminded me of myself in the first playthrough; he seemed incredibly moved that things he had only ever dreamed of had become a reality.
I waited for his crying to subside before quietly calling the others to congratulate him. The group rushed to offer their congratulations, and the others, after hearing my explanation, all smiled and encouraged him. He scratched his head with reddened eyes and lowered his head, looking awkward in this kind of situation.
What was a little surprising was that no one looked at him with envy or jealousy. It seemed that everyone remembered, in a corner of their hearts, the sacrifices he had quietly made for the caravan over time.
And so, amidst the sincere congratulations of his companions, Shin Sangyong inherited his Rare Class.
*
“Clan Lord Kim Soohyun, a Year 0 User, and his clan members—Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, Lee Yoojung, Vivian la Classidus, Jung Hayeon, Shin Sangyong, and Ko Yeonju—have excavated two ruins in a short period and successfully completed their explorations, greatly contributing to Mule’s stabilization. Their ranks include not only Year 0 Users but also one of the Ten Strong, along with an extraordinary composition of two Secret Classes and three Rare Classes. They also discovered another ruin within the Blue Mountain Range and submitted an exploration report. Although their total membership of eight is a slight concern, I judge their growth potential highly. Therefore, I, Conrad Douglas, vested with the authority to establish clans in the small city of Mule, hereby approve and proclaim the launch of the free-mercenary-type Mercenary Clan as of this moment.”
The moment Conrad Douglas finished speaking, a flood of messages appeared. They were the standard messages announcing the clan’s creation and the activation of the Clan field in my status. After closing them all, I calmly opened my Player Status.
Player Status
1. Name: Kim Soohyun (Year 0 User)
2. Class: Sword Specialist
3. Nation: Free Mercenary (Free)
4. Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: D Zero)
5. True Name · Nationality: Master of the Sword · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Male (24)
7. Height · Weight: 181.5cm · 75.5kg
8. Alignment: Lawful · Chaos
Well, look at this. I was startled when I saw the Clan section under my Nation. Even with so many Secret and Rare Classes, for a newly launched clan to receive a D rank was unheard of. Most clans starting from scratch invariably received an F, or an E rank at the absolute best. To be given a D rank from the very beginning, with fewer than ten members, was certainly an exceptional case.
After receiving brief congratulations from the surrounding Residents, my companions were all engrossed in their own messages and information. When I looked up, Conrad Douglas was watching me with a face that was trying its best to look stern.
“Congratulations on establishing your clan. The emblem has been properly registered, so if you wish to wear it, you should head to a general city or a metropolis. This place is still underdeveloped…”
“Haha. Not at all. This is more than enough.”
“Hm. By the way, I was truly surprised when I saw the details you entered. Two Secret Classes and three Rare Classes. Why didn’t you mention it beforehand? There was nothing of the sort in the report.”
“I suppose I was focused on the safety of the investigation team and forgot about the achievements we made.”
“Well, it’s fine. That’s something I can understand on a personal level, and you only need enough proof to provide minimal verification of your accomplishments. Ah, right. By the way, come speak with me for a moment. I have a favor to ask, and something to tell you.”
I nodded obediently. It seemed the 200 gold bribe had been effective. I could tell from his use of the word ‘favor’ and the way he said he had something to tell me. Of course, there were external factors as well.
Douglas led me to a different spot and lowered his voice before speaking.
“We write up a newsletter about newly founded clans and distribute it here and there. In a sense, it provides some promotional effect. Of course, we can choose not to, depending on the Clan Lord’s opinion. What are your thoughts?”
“I would appreciate it if you did.”
“Excellent. I was worried you might say no. Hahaha. Anyway, we normally write and distribute the newsletter immediately after the founding. But I was wondering, could we delay that period a little?”
His unexpected words made me stare at him for a moment. He scratched his chin and began to explain in more detail. In short, he wanted to use our clan’s promotional value to attract users after the Golden Lion Clan’s Steel Mountains expedition was over.
I could roughly guess his intentions. If the expedition succeeded, it was obvious that many users would flock to the south. He planned to use that opportunity to promote Mule as a treasure trove of ruins by announcing the fact that three ruins had been discovered in a short time. Whether it was true or not didn't matter much, since it was a pioneer city.
Of course, no more ruins would be found, but I readily nodded. I already knew that news would be arriving soon anyway, so delaying the promotion by a day or two didn’t matter. When I agreed so readily, he let out a pleased laugh and clapped me on the shoulder. I didn’t ask what he would do if the expedition failed. If it failed, wouldn’t he just push this plan even more desperately?
“Hahaha! As expected from a Secret Class User. Thank you so much. If this plan works out, Mule will surely shed its pioneer city status in no time. Yes, indeed. It’s not much of a substitute, but I’ll pay special attention to your promotion.”
“I’m sure you’ll handle it well. I trust you. Ah, by the way, what was it you wanted to tell me…?”
Wanting to leave quickly, I brought it up. His smiling face instantly turned serious. He glanced around, checking our surroundings, which made me quite curious about what he was going to say.
Finally, Douglas closed the distance between us and began to speak in a low, conspiratorial whisper.