Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: The Secret Armory
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Descending the dark, damp secret staircase led to yet another new room.
Yi Saebyeok, gripping Fran's hand tightly, stepped into the secret weapon storeroom.
"Whoa... Fuck. This is insane."
Yi Saebyeok reached out toward the gleaming weapons hanging on the walls.
[Epic] Flame Spirit's Fire Sword
It was an epic item that fetched billions at auction.
Its performance had to be incredible. Clearing dungeons with this would definitely be lightning-fast.
No more worrying about her iron sword shattering mid-fight.
"These are really all for me?"
"Yes!"
Yi Saebyeok immediately pulled Fran into a tight hug. Coming into the game had been so rough right from the start, but now it felt like she was getting all the rewards.
"Fuck, you're the best, seriously. I'll grab 'em quick before you change your mind."
"My word won't change, but yeah, take them fast!"
Dun might barge in midway and cause chaos to stop her. The messages he'd sent made it seem plenty likely.
Fran watched Yi Saebyeok, whose cheeks were flushed with excitement at the epic weapons, beaming brighter than ever. It was an uncharacteristically innocent smile.
"Heehee. Now I have an epic too."
How could anyone resist giving them to someone this adorable?
Yi Saebyeok efficiently packed away the weapons one by one into her inventory.
"Uh, whoa? That queasy feeling again... Fran, are you emitting mana or something?"
*Dun! Dun's coming!*
"Not exactly, but my lovely friend is on her way to kill us all."
"Wait, these weapons belong to your friend? You're giving them to me to piss her off?"
That would explain why Fran was handing them out.
"They're mine, but not really mine either... Uh, anyway, it's dangerous, so let's get out of here. Can you hold out just a bit longer for the teleportation magic circle?"
Yi Saebyeok, clutching the weapons, nodded.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of trees crashing echoed from afar. Dun was undoubtedly sprinting at top speed, throttle minimized.
At this rate, they'd get caught before the circle was even finished...
"Whoa, what's that noise? Sounds like trees falling. Is it thundering outside?"
Yi Saebyeok asked innocently.
Fran's heart pounded as she hastily drew the teleportation magic circle.
"Ugh, my stomach's acting up again..."
"Just hang in there a little!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The noises grew louder.
Something in the upstairs general weapon storeroom collapsed in a heap. Fran drew the circle even faster.
"Hey!!! Stop ripping everything apart!!! If you're leaving, spit out the weapons first!!"
"Uwaaaah! Fuck, what the hell is that sound? My ears are gonna burst!!"
Screeeeech-!
A piercing tinnitus hit with someone's shout.
Just as her body felt like it was crumbling, Fran finally completed the teleportation magic circle.
"Just a bit more!"
Fran hugged Yi Saebyeok and teleported away swiftly.
Dun arrived at the secret weapon storeroom a step too late and stared at the vanishing Fran.
A petite girl with black hair and pink eyes. A strangely familiar face stirred odd feelings.
"See you later, Dun."
"No, seriously, that..."
The magic circle enveloped her past self and Fran in mana, and they disappeared.
Dun sighed at the now-empty storeroom.
"Even with good weapons, she won't awaken anyway, that idiot."
Just give up on hope.
* * *
Yi Saebyeok rolled on the ground from severe dizziness. With nothing in her stomach, she couldn't even vomit.
She spat out thick saliva and lay on the grass, taking deep breaths. Fran, who had teleported with her, quickly knelt beside her and placed a hand on her forehead.
"Aigoo, you poor thing. You okay?"
"Why'd your speech suddenly turn into an old lady's?"
"Oh, uh. I do that sometimes."
"Weird. Hilarious."
Yi Saebyeok chuckled, pulled water from her inventory, rinsed her mouth, and spat it out beside her.
Then she flopped onto the ground and stared at the spinning sky.
Why could all the other Abyssal kids awaken just fine, even regular folks, but not her? Even her sister Rahee, who'd spent her life bedridden, had awakened.
She usually held back from self-pity—it felt like stepping into a pit—but it hurt, and nothing was going right.
"Hey, Saebyeok unnie. Got any worries or something?"
"?"
Fran's heart skipped at how utterly hollow Yi Saebyeok's expression had looked for a moment.
"Worries? Out of nowhere?"
"Yeah. You look so worn out sometimes. I wondered if you had troubles or circumstances you couldn't share."
Yi Saebyeok blinked at Fran's invitation to open up.
"Uh... Not really?"
She must've been too obvious, lost deep in serious thoughts.
"Nah... Forget it."
Just the usual nausea and no awakening.
She could endure the nausea, and soothe the anxiety over not awakening.
Everyone else awakened easily; with this effort, she'd eventually job-change and awaken too.
Sometimes the inexplicable anxiety and exhaustion made her want to quietly die buried in monsters, but a bit of exercise and joking with the surviving Abyssal kids usually fixed it.
That's just how life was, right? She'd seen it on YouTube.
"Let's hit the dungeon."
Truth be told, even as Fran kept handing her great items earlier, joy mixed with fear.
Misfortune was her norm, so when luck turned, sudden unease made her want to die then and there. Weird.
Better to do something than dwell.
Yi Saebyeok grinned at the shiny weapons packed in her inventory.
"Good stuff is good stuff."
"Gotta test each one out."
She grabbed the gleaming red sword, twirled it flashily, and felt better.
"What were you gonna say earlier?"
"Hm? Forgot."
Yi Saebyeok headed to the dungeon.
* * *
Three days since conquering the dungeon.
Unable to stay by Yi Saebyeok's side constantly, Fran used the excuse of checking home, shuttling between With Palace, the Academy, and Yi Saebyeok's location.
Something felt off, and she didn't want to leave, but Dun messaged that the kid was faking peril for attention, scolded her to stop slacking on duties—full of vitriol—so reluctantly, she left Yi Saebyeok in the dungeon briefly.
In that time, Yi Saebyeok died five more times, gained ten levels, and failed job-change thrice.
She could've done a first job-change to a mundane class.
But that damn reward psychology—what was it?—after all this suffering, something special had to come, so she pushed on.
After five more gruesome deaths, Yi Saebyeok logged out.
* * *
"Did you awaken?"
"No, Saebyeok, try a bit harder."
"I did try hard."
"Harder."
Then she died three more times. She finally gave up on special jobs and completed first job-change to an ordinary swordsman.
"Did I awaken?"
"Saebyeok, you're not even F-rank yet."
"Fuck, why?"
"Try again."
"Okay."
She ran more dungeons. Her skill had improved; this time, she cleared without dying.
"Now my body must've smartened up and awakened."
"Still no awakening. Keep trying."
"Fuck."
"Better not curse."
"...Got it. Teacher Arim, can't you just register me as an awakener? I'll be worth a hundred soldiers. No, just let me enter gates with the kids. Please?"
"Why not try just a little harder?"
Seon Arim, annoyed by the paperwork, scrolled Instagram impassively.
"Oh, her boyfriend took her to Hawaii? Ugh, jealous... When do I quit? Oh, Saebyeok, you still haven't? Want a cookie?"
"Ah, fuck."
"What?"
"Fuuuuck—foot."
Irritated, Yi Saebyeok kicked the trash can hard and logged back into Nina Pinta.
* * *
Level 40 before she knew it.
Fed up, Seol Do-yun tempted her with "Level up more and you might awaken," teaching quick leveling methods.
It was easy, but feeling it'd prevent awakening, she grinded tough dungeons again.
Caught off-guard, heart pierced, Yi Saebyeok died once more, respawned, and sprawled limply on the ground, staring at the sky.
Didn't want to enter the dungeon.
*Life...*
"Unnie, unnie! Unnie! Unniiii!"
Fran suddenly dashed from afar, grabbed the shoulders of Yi Saebyeok sprawled before the dungeon.
Yi Saebyeok was dragged limply.
"Unnie, you're not dead, right?"
"Uh..."
"Not dead, right?"
"Yeah."
Yi Saebyeok, lying weakly, raised an arm and sniffed herself.
Glancing at Fran, she slyly reached out, hugged, and nuzzled.
Fran smiled and stroked Yi Saebyeok's hair.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Hey, I thought about it real hard. You said my nausea might relate to mana. What if I'm not mana-compatible?"
"Uh... Um..."
Fran hemmed at Yi Saebyeok's question.
It was awkward to say yes. Even Fran's true form made her nauseous quickly.
"You use magic great. No mana infusion or anything?"
Spinning dungeons aimlessly, she'd wondered about alternatives.
If mana wouldn't stick due to no awakening, forcing it in might grant mana skills.
Mana skills could mean mana in her real body too.
The scenario made sense, sparking faint hope amid despair.
"There is... but..."
"Yeah? Infuse some into me. Might work."
Mana infusion was harmless for normals, but this was Yi Saebyeok.
Wondering if her own mana caused the nausea, Fran asked her to wait, visited the army, and swiftly brought Second Legion's archmage, Hea-il.
"Aigoo, what's this sudden..."
"Infuse mana into this adventurer. ...Please."
Second Legion's archmage Hea-il spotted an adventurer rolling limply on the sand nearby.
Bachinum suddenly in disguise calls him to infuse mana into a young adventurer.
Even matching her "Fran" persona.
Curious, but orders were orders.
Hea-il approached Yi Saebyeok.
"Why not you do it?"
"I brought a better mage."
"Ahem. Yes. I'm quite skilled."
Thrilled by Bachinum's praise, Hea-il puffed his chest and cleared his throat.
"Busy researching bombardment magic circles, so quick infusion and I'll go. Draw a return teleport if you would, Pri... er, Fran."
"Got it... please, Archmage Hea-il."
"What's with the awkwardness? Hurry, someone infuse mana."
Grumpy Yi Saebyeok, mimicking internet tips for calm, gathered pebbles and rolled them in her hand.
"Right away."
Hea-il, as instructed, lifted Yi Saebyeok's hand and infused mana into her body.