Chapter 40
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: New Beginning (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next day, after breakfast, we were handed our new gear.
Everyone was visibly excited about receiving their fresh equipment.
"Whoa... This doesn't even compare to the bow I used in the Tutorial. Being a Hero-grade bow makes a difference—it even boosts my stats. It's amazing."
"Of course it is. Hero-grade gear is bound to be better than what we had in the Tutorial."
"Yeah. Hey, what's that shiny thing on your staff? A gem?"
"Not a gem... I heard it's a refined mineral that helps manifest mana. Essentially, this mineral is the staff's core."
I'd heard that mages' gear was generally pricier than melee classes' because of these minerals.
I stared intently at the black staff I'd been given. When they handed over the staff and robe, they'd shown me the item info, so I recalled it now.
Staff of the Silent Vergos (Hero Grade)
A staff used by the infamous dark sorcerer Vergos 150 years ago.
Magic Power +5 when equipped.
'This is incredible.'
The sleek black design appealed to me right away, and for someone like me with low Magic Power, a flat +5 boost was fantastic.
Robe of the Silent Vergos (Hero Grade)
A robe favored by the infamous dark sorcerer Vergos 150 years ago.
Assists the user's mana circulation. Resistance +4 when equipped.
The robe was pretty solid too. It was a clean black robe emblazoned with the Eternity Clan's emblem—nothing flashy, which suited me just fine.
Hyun-jin was swinging his new sword around, testing it out.
"Whoa... The old one felt heavy, but this is way lighter. What kind of material is this? It's seriously good."
We might think Hero-grade gear was common since we all got some as rookies, but on this continent, Hero-grade items were actually quite rare and valuable. Only because we were in Eternity Clan did we get this kind of treatment.
Gu Yeon-jeong watched us happily admire our gear before speaking up.
"Alright, now that you've got your equipment, train hard until the expedition. You all need to live up to what we've given you, right?"
"We will, Clan Master."
It was only right to produce results after all this support—piles of gold, Hero-grade gear, and a place to train. Failing to deliver after all that would make us the trash.
'I'm a bit worried from my perspective, though...'
My talent was garbage, so yeah, some concern, but nothing major. I didn't have to contribute through raw power.
"Yun-seong? Where are you off to?"
Seo Yu-ju noticed me heading out and asked.
"Got my gear, so I'm going to train. Time to learn some new spells."
Honestly, grinding magic wouldn't yield big results for me, but the Clan Master was watching. I had to at least show effort proportional to what I'd received.
And sure enough, even though she knew my lack of talent, she smiled warmly at me heading to train.
'Talent aside... no one hates someone who tries hard.'
No matter how talented you are, it's meaningless without effort. You have to put in the work first before talent even matters.
Inspired by me, the others started chiming in one by one.
"Oh, if big bro's heading to train, I can't slack off either."
"Gotta test out this new bow. Body's itching to move."
"Ah! Hold up, Hyun-jin. I have something to say to everyone—wait a sec."
"Unnie?"
Seo Yu-ju stopped Hyun-jin, who was about to head down to the training room.
"Um... Just my thought, but what if the melee folks trained together? Sparring would let you spot each other's weak points, right?"
It was a solid idea. Mages like me needed quiet focus, but for melee, especially with a regressor like Seo Yu-ju, she could guide them through spars.
Yu-rim responded to Seo Yu-ju's suggestion.
"Sounds good, Unnie."
"Yeah, that's a great idea, noona."
In the end, the melee group decided to train together. I headed to the training room alone.
'So far, the only spells I've been able to use are single-element ones.'
Just two basics at that: elementary fire and wall of fire. With the staff boosting my Magic Power to 18, I figured it was time for new spells.
I'd pondered this alone for a while, but destructive magic wouldn't pack much punch with my meager mana. Thinking of spells that could help the party even a little, I settled on light magic.
"Light."
A sphere of light, about the size of the spirit Song Ha-eun summoned, appeared the moment I incanted.
'Definitely a basic spell—doesn't take much mana.'
Even with my low Magic Power, it barely strained me. Good choice.
'Might need it for dark dungeons someday.'
Light magic was something I'd practiced a bit solo. For the next week, my new focus was alarm magic.
Alarm spells would help during night watches, which drain stamina anyway.
'Lower chance of getting ambushed by outlaws, too.'
Black mages weren't supposed to prioritize utility spells like this, but oh well.
'The party's got firepower covered.'
Right now, as rookies, we lacked muscle, but once we hit our growth stride, that wouldn't be an issue. With Seo Yu-ju and everyone's overflowing talent.
'My role... is just to support them.'
To lay the foundation for them to grow comfortably.
"...Ugh!"
Distracted by idle thoughts, I botched the alarm spell.
Everyone else picks up basics in no time, so why was this so hard for me?
'Damn... one more try.'
Training nonstop like that, time flew by, and before I knew it, dinner time rolled around.
After a shower, I headed to the cafeteria and bumped into the others, who had just finished training and showering too.
"Ah, hyungnim! Done training?"
"Yeah. Mana's tapped out—can't do more."
That's the downside of mana-heavy jobs. Once it's gone, you're stuck until it regenerates. No more training.
You could study theory, though—reading doesn't cost mana.
"More importantly, did you all spar? You look beat."
"Yeah, Yun-seong. Sparring for hours wore us all out, heh..."
The others looked exhausted, but Seo Yu-ju seemed fine. Probably just matching their pace.
"Don't even get me started, hyungnim. Yu-ju noona's a monster... Felt it back in the Tutorial dungeon—she's on another level."
'Of course, she's a regressor, idiot...'
She must've shown her skills hard in the spars.
Ho-won seemed less drained, though. As the second-highest Stamina in the party after Seo Yu-ju, it made sense.
Glancing around the cafeteria during dinner, it felt emptier than yesterday.
'What's up?'
Kang I-seo noticed too and beat me to it.
"Hey... Fewer people today than yesterday? Something happen?"
Seo Yu-ju cleared it up.
"They're out on expedition."
"Expedition?"
"Yeah. Clan Master said Parties 2, 3, and 4 left today."
'...What?'
No big deal if it was routine, but Seo Yu-ju's expression was grave.
'...Why so serious?'
Her face was unusually tense—not something to brush off. A thought hit me.
'...Does the expedition fail?'
As a regressor, she'd know how this Eternity Clan expedition turned out.
Kang I-seo pressed her.
"Expedition? If Parties 2, 3, and 4 all went, that's a big one, right?"
"...A massive one. Not just our clan—the three great clans are collaborating."
'...All three great clans team up and still fail?'
I couldn't hold back.
"All three clans hitting the same dungeon?"
"...Yes. Remember the Training Facility?"
"Which...?"
"Incarnation and Eternity's Clan Masters came recruit in person, but Golden Wing sent an executive instead."
Oh yeah, that rang a bell. The others' masters showed, but not Golden Wing's.
"I heard that's because four months ago, their Clan Master led an expedition into this very dungeon and vanished."
'Vanished?'
"...One of the three great Clan Masters went into a dungeon and got lost?"
"Yes. Usually, after a month missing, it's a death sentence. She's basically gone."
'A great clan master dead...'
"The issue is, the three clans are allied. Golden Wing asked the other two for help."
So Golden Wing called in Incarnation and us, sending our Parties 2, 3, and 4 to that dungeon.
"...Isn't that insanely dangerous? Alliance or not... Why'd our Clan Master agree?"
If a top Clan Master vanished there, it screamed high-risk dungeon.
Made no sense to accept, even for allies.
"...Probably because Golden Wing's first run was a small team—including their master. It failed, so now they're resending with full forces."
"Hah..."
So, small team flop, scale up for round two.
'...No way.'
A scary thought about Seo Yu-ju crossed my mind, but nah.
'Couldn't figure why she joined a great clan... Did she choose it on purpose?'
I didn't know the future, but she did.
'...If this expedition fails, and the rescue one after flops too...'
All three clans crumble.
And we'd seize Eternity Clan's real power—the survivors who stayed behind.