This Instructor Does It for Free [1]

I'd been gathering negative emotions from cheaters at the gambling den, stacking up my Luck Gauge to craft curses over and over, but sadly, after Mind Reader's Curse, I hadn't snagged anything worthwhile.

Guess I'll try again later.

Miss after miss had killed my motivation, so I put curses on hold and focused on item enhancement instead. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠In between, I kept adapting and practicing with the mind-reading. Time flew by in a blur, and here I was, pulling another all-nighter as a new day dawned.

Everyone's so diligent.

The sun hadn't fully risen yet, but the early birds were already hustling. The café I headed to had opened ages ago. I grabbed a seat at the outdoor tables and approached the counter, which had a wide-open view to the street.

"Welcome! Dad! We have a customer!"

"Aigoo! Come on in!"

The bubbly waitress greeted me first with her cheerful energy, followed by the bushy-bearded owner.

"Oh! Who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠might this be? Isn't this the famous hero candidate everyone's talking about?"

"Pardon? You know me?"

I was sleep-deprived and a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bit fuzzy-headed, but hadn't it only been three days since my regression? Famous already?

"The guy who swept the gambling den clean, tidied up the filthy night streets of the village, and even earned the approval of Gawella—the woman every man and lady in town pines for. How could I not know?"

Word had spread that fast? Well, Gorshion was a beginner village—big, but everyone pretty much knew everyone else's business.

"And besides! Ahem, never mind."

Come on, don't leave me hanging like that. But I had a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way to pry it out even if he clammed up.

The moment Primal Weapon activated, the Mind Reader's Curse kicked in too. Thanks to my all-night training sessions, the owner's thoughts floated right into view.

This could definitely come in handy somehow.

The streets were filling with diligent folks, but nothing like the dawn crowds in the entertainment district. And from where I sat, it was just the owner and the waitress in my line of sight. Focusing on one person let me read only their mind. It was mentally taxing, so I couldn't keep it up long, but it was enough to catch what he'd almost said.

(Sent a Yaka woman to heaven ten times...)

...Oh.

That had spread too? Well, Gawella had shouted it loud and clear, so yeah.

"Ah! You're that guy?"

The waitress's eyes went wide. She'd been friendly from the start, but now there was a subtle spark in her gaze.

(This guy's the one who... sent even a Yaka woman to heaven... that amazing guy...)

She stole glances at my crotch.

(Is it... really that impressive? Kinda curious...)

I was tempted to show her, but I'm not crazy enough to make a move on the daughter with Dad watching.

"Haha! Anyway, stories about you, Candidate, have spread all over the village!"

"Bet there are some bad ones too."

"Sure, some shady rumors! Like groping a woman's chest in the street or whatever..."

That damn story kept popping up. Habak was seriously useless.

"But seeing you myself, you don't strike me as some pervert! Seems like a really good guy, actually."

Sorry. I was just imagining fucking your daughter.

But the praise didn't stop there.

Reputation proved I was a stand-up guy. The higher it got, the better NPCs treated me, unlocking all sorts of perks. It was crucial for dealing with the special merchant NPC I had in mind too.

Already? That was fast.

Normally, you had to grind village quests and build a good rep for it to climb...

With the rumors already flying, my new skill must've amplified it.

I ordered coffee, sat outside, and took in the scenery. The café wasn't far from the entertainment district. The night's chaos had died down, but folks still milled about nearby. Some of them... were still picking up trash.

Luck Gauge: 3%

This is seriously OP.

I'd raked in cash at the den all night. Midway, I dialed back the wins, spreading the wealth around to avoid bad blood. To the other gamblers, I was the lucky bastard who never lost. And every win, I'd step out and pick up trash—soon, copycats popped up.

It was just a fad, sure to fizzle, but... this could turn into passive farming gold.

"Your order's ready!"

The waitress approached with a round tray. Her gaze was still intense, cheeks faintly flushed.

Cute.

Short brown hair in twin tails, freckles dotting her face. Brown shirt, brown skirt, white apron, and semi-sheer white knee socks. The classic cute look, amped up by her lively vibe.

But as she got close...

"Eek?!"

A gust whipped up out of nowhere, flipping her skirt high. From my seat, I got a perfect view of her white panties.

"U-uh... uwaa..."

Her face turned beet red. Lesson learned: freckles + blush = peak cuteness.

(W-what do I do... He saw the freckles on my thighs too? Freckles on my face and thighs... He'll think I'm such a hick like other guys do...)

Thigh freckles were her insecurity, apparently.

"Your thigh freckles are super cute, by the way."

I meant it to reassure her, but damn—sexual harassment?

"R-really?"

"Yeah. Totally."

"Th-thank you..."

(Cute? Me, cute? Is... is he for real?)

Her reaction was great—hell, reputation ticked up again. Good Aura was no joke for an achievement skill.

"H-here's your drink."

"Holding onto that tray the whole time? Impressive. Cool as hell."

"Hehe... thank you... Oh, this is on the house!"

There was milk too—nothing I'd ordered.

"This milk's really good! Mix it in your coffee or drink it straight—either way."

"Big milk fan, huh?"

"Yep! Love it. This one's my favorite."

"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."

I sipped the milk first. Damn, it was good.

"Seriously delicious."

"Hehe! Right?"

She beamed, blushing harder.

(How long's he staying in the village? Hope he comes back...)

Mentally draining, yeah, but the curse was broken.

I sipped my coffee and smiled. "Coffee's top-notch too. I'll probably stick around the village a month—gotta come here more."

"Th-thank you! Dad'll be thrilled!"

(What a lucky day. Good stuff right from morning.)

Showing panties to a stranger counted as "good"? Made me wonder how far Good Aura sugarcoated my actions. Tempted to cop a feel, but nah.

As I nursed my coffee waiting for my appointment, I felt eyes on me.

Word really got around.

Soon, someone even more stare-worthy showed up. Black bob hair, thick brows. Sharp features on healthy tanned skin. Gawella.

"Sion! You're already out here!"

She spotted me from afar, waving as she approached. She was who I'd been waiting for.

"Gawella. Sleep well?"

"Of course. Slept like a dream—feel light as air. You?"

"Feeling great too."

Sleepless great, but whatever.

Her outfit was different from yesterday. No bikini armor—just a bikini top covering her chest, skin-tight black leggings, and short black boots. No cumbersome weapons.

"Looks good on you, Gawella."

"Yeah? Thanks! Training gear."

Less skin than the armor, but still hot as hell.

"That said... you sure about this?"

"Sure about what? My ass?"

"...That too, but quitting the training hall."

Gawella had quit her instructor gig. Because of me.

"Ah, that's fine. Like I said yesterday, my goal was finding top talent. Found you, so no regrets."

During our steamy cave session yesterday, she'd sprung it on me.

Sion, you're incredible. Let me train you?

No reason to say no. She was a beast—made sense why she was "just" an instructor here. Her teaching me? Huge win.

I'd nodded instantly, but she was thinking bigger.

Then I'll quit the hall today. Starting tomorrow, I'll train you every day.

Not a lesson or two—full commitment till she passed everything on.

Another easy yes. I'd be here a month anyway. So today was day one, hence meeting at the café.

"Your students must be bummed—no more Gawella classes."

"It's fine. Other instructors exist."

She brushed it off, then grinned at me. "From now on, I'm yours exclusively."

One reason I'd rented this big house with a yard? Training space for Gawella. Right now, in that yard, we sparred with practice weapons.

Thwack!

I thrust my wooden sword right-handed; she blocked with a wooden shield.

Thud!

Left-hand short stick follow-up—she kicked my wrist away.

Whoosh!

I tried a leg kick; she dodged effortlessly.

Then,

(Head.)

A screen hovered over her head, showing her thoughts via the curse.

"Ngh!"

I raised my sword on instinct.

Clack!

Barely blocked. No time to relax.

(Leg.)

I backpedaled to protect it, swinging my spear to check her.

(Instep. Throwing knife.)

I read it clear, knew I had to react—but my body lagged.

"Guh!"

Her wooden knife nailed my instep in a flash. Balance shot, she had her staff at my throat.

"Whew, lost again."

I raised my hands in surrender. Disappointing, but not frustrating. Level gap made wins impossible. If I did win, it'd just be her going easy.

"Sion! Incredible! So proficient already—you're way beyond what I expected!"

Gawella could barely contain her excitement. Yeah, from her view, I looked like a prodigy. I'd poured every pre-regression memory and trick into that spar.

And this curse? Way more useful than I thought.

Dawn crowds had made it useless before, but one-on-one? Game-changer. She'd see me as a once-in-a-lifetime genius.

"Meeting you was the luckiest break of my life!"

(Meeting you was the luckiest break of my life!)

She was over the moon, echoing her thoughts verbatim—Yaka honesty at work. Made me proud instead of pissed. Besides, sparring wasn't about winning—it was proficiency.

Skills leveled via proficiency grinding. Usually battle reps, but experts sped it up.

Five times multiplier? Insane.

Four hours of sparring shot Weapon Mastery proficiency halfway up—what would've taken days solo. That's expert training for you. And Gawella? Beyond expectations.

Hard to find such NPCs, and they cost a fortune—luxury most couldn't afford.

"Gawella, you really sure about no pay?"

"Absolutely. It's what I want."

This instructor does it for free.