Chapter 47: Alchemist’s Dungeon
Chapter 47: Alchemist’s Dungeon
In the end, the kids could not master Sensing in a single day. Far from reaching the hour I demanded, Lee Yoojung collapsed after setting the longest record at twenty-eight minutes. It was praiseworthy for a first attempt, but I deliberately said nothing.
Mule, being a pioneer city, only had the buildings that were present when it was first discovered. The only new constructions were essential facilities. Unlike a metropolis, there was no specialized training ground. So, for the time being, I planned to have them focus solely on Sensing training.
While they trained, I left the inn under the pretext of gathering information. No matter how well I remembered the past, there was no guarantee that my information was completely accurate. Besides, for anything other than major incidents, it was always best to move after confirming the minor details. But before all that, there was one thing I needed to settle.
Before setting out, I first went to the User Warehouse. It was easiest to think of this User-exclusive facility as an inventory that could not be carried around. Classified as part of the Hall Plain’s 〈Setting〉, it was a personal space no one else could access, but only items purchased with GP could be stored there.
Relying on my memories, I found the User Warehouse and examined its contents. There was no point saving useful items until they became worthless, so using everything available now put my mind at ease. I took out several elixirs and swallowed them all without hesitation.
『You have used Angel's Tear. 6 bonus stat points have been generated.』
『You have used a Stamina-Boosting Elixir. Stamina has increased by 2 points.』
『You have used a Mystic Elixir. 1 bonus ability point has been generated.』
A satisfied smile spread across my face as I read the messages that appeared one after another. Eager to see the results, I immediately loaded my Player Status window.
〈Player Status〉
1. Name: Kim Soohyun (Year 0 User)
2. Class: Sword Specialist (Master)
3. Nation: -
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: Master of the Sword · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Male (24)
7. Height · Weight: 181.5 cm · 75.0 kg
8. Alignment: Lawful · Chaos
〈Stats (12 stat points remaining)〉
1. [Strength 94] [Durability 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 72] [Magic Power 96] [Luck 88]
〈 Achievements (1) 〉
1. Rite of Passage Boss Monster
〈 Unique Ability (1/1) 〉
1. Third Eye (Rank: S)
〈 Special Ability (1/1) 〉
1. Unity of Sword and Self (Rank: EX)
〈Latent Abilities (4/4)〉 (1 ability point remaining)
1. Close-Quarters Combat (Rank: A Plus)
2. Unyielding (Rank: A Plus)
3. Mind’s Eye (Stillness) (Rank: A Plus)
4. Blessing of the Battlefield (Rank: EX)
The more I examined my stats, abilities, and remaining points, the prouder—and stranger—I felt. A peculiar thrill I had never experienced during my first run seemed to take hold of me.
Two points from the Boss Monster, six from Angel’s Tear, two from the Stamina-Boosting Elixir, and four from the User Mission reward. Excluding the two points applied directly to Stamina, I had twelve flexible points left. I also had one point that could raise the rank of a Latent Ability.
I still could not decide where to invest my stat points. Logic said Stamina, but my eyes kept drifting toward Strength, Magic Power, and Agility—not that I truly wanted to stop them. The ability point presented the same dilemma. I bitterly regretted that I could not invest it in my Unique Ability.
For stats, I had Strength, Durability, Agility, Stamina, and Magic Power.
For Latent Abilities, the choices were Close-Quarters Combat, Unyielding, and Mind’s Eye (Stillness).
Anyone else—no, any other User—would probably throw stones at me for having such fortunate problems.
In the end, I couldn't make a decision and chose to hold off again. Since I had absorbed everything, I could raise my stats whenever necessary. I wanted to think it over more, and I also wanted to be prepared for any overwhelming situations that might arise in the future.
After some thought, I decided to leave the Formless Sword and the Elixir in the User Warehouse for the time being. Both were late-stage items, so I had no reason to take them out or use them now. Even the unassuming Formless Sword might attract unwanted attention from an observant User with an exploration-related class. Once I acquired a Subspace—the mark of a high-level User—I could retrieve them safely. I finished my business by withdrawing 300 Gold, thirty percent of my holdings.
I turned toward the quiet main street. The information I needed was not about the Northern Continent’s political situation, but about the goals our group had to accomplish. If time allowed, I would have preferred to grow steadily by clearing monsters from regions that had not yet been stabilized.
But we had very little time. I wanted us to bear an official clan name before the First Alliance War erupted and the clans rose up. Unless a large clan was creating a branch, founding an official clan in only three months was extraordinarily difficult.
Ultimately, the only way left was to build up our achievements by quickly cherry-picking all of Mule's most valuable opportunities.
There were three essential places to conquer in Mule.
The Ruined Laboratory. Ancient Alchemist Vivian’s Dungeon. The Cave of Screams.
The Cave of Screams had been discovered by chance by the caravan I belonged to after I passed my second year. I had only heard rumors about the laboratory and the alchemist’s dungeon, however, so those required preparation.
Most novice Users mistakenly think that discovering caves or dungeons is easy. But places like that don't just pop up out of nowhere. They are often hidden within barriers or require a specific item to enter.
Of course, my Third Eye might be able to solve a good portion of these problems, but there were too many uncertainties to be optimistic.
I decided to head to the library first. In the Hall Plain, a library could be defined as a facility that collected all sorts of documents and records and made them available for Users to view.
The surrounding situation was unstable, and because Mule was a newly founded pioneer city, its representative clan placed stabilization above all else. Openly announcing an expedition to a cave or dungeon under those circumstances would have been foolish. I knew the library was a long shot, but I had no other choice.
If it didn't work out, I could always go to the Cave of Screams first. But I wanted to save that cave for last if possible.
*
Four days passed, and the kids showed definite growth. Ahn Sol improved the most. Her enormous starting Magic Power had apparently made control difficult, but once I taught her efficient mana management and guided her flow several times, her skill advanced visibly each day.
As time went on, I started demanding more from them. I required them to maintain their Sensing not just while standing still, but while moving around. The kids, who had just barely managed to maintain Sensing for forty minutes, were back to square one the moment they added movement.
Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoojung complained, but I silenced them with one question: “Are you planning to stand perfectly still while fighting?”
I gave Ahn Sol one additional task. Shackles was one of the basic divine spells taught to the Priest class. Along with Cure, it was among the most useful divine spells in the early stages.
Ting!
I took out a silver coin and flicked it high into the air. The coin spun as it flew, then fell back toward my hand. Looking at Sol, who was watching with a serious expression, I calmly explained the training method.
“Remember the point where I caught the coin. After Magic Power, casting speed is the most important thing for Mage- and Priest-class Users. How quickly can you invoke the spell you intend? That’s the key. Catch the silver coin with Shackles before it reaches the floor.”
“Yes!”
I smiled gently at Sol as she answered energetically with a bright smile. Then, she suddenly thrust her head forward, catching me off guard. But I quickly understood what she wanted and reached out to pat her head.
After sending the giggling Ahn Sol away, I was about to return to the documents from the library when the next room’s door flew open. Soon afterward, my own door burst wide with a rough noise. I raised my head to see who it was and found Lee Yoojung peeking inside.