Chapter 63: Laysia (1)
Chapter 63: Laysia (1)
As Han Shin leveled up, the number of portals he could enter increased significantly. This allowed him and Grace to continue their hunting streak without having to worry about the scrutiny of other Awakeners.
Kang Yujin would go out in disguise to scout the dates of large-scale expeditions where groups of Awakeners cleared portals en masse. By avoiding those locations, Han Shin and Grace managed to avoid any further confrontations with other Awakeners.
The dungeon clears proceeded smoothly.
Although Han Shin still didn't know what his specific talent was, he was growing well enough that it didn't matter for the time being.
He practiced martial arts on his own using the weaponry manual in Grace’s sanctuary, gradually becoming proficient in a wide variety of weapons.
His understanding of combat naturally deepened. Han Shin and Grace grew so strong and synchronized that they could now even attempt time attacks on E-Rank portals.
Thanks to this, they cleared an average of over ten portals a day, sometimes reaching as many as thirteen when they pushed themselves.
Han Shin considered collecting artifacts like other Awakeners did when clearing dungeons... but Grace talked him out of it.
"The artifacts in Lady Tiamat’s treasury are more than enough. Besides, there might be curses or traps placed on these items, so it’s best not to waste your time."
Hearing Grace’s reasoning, Han Shin agreed that her point was valid, especially since the Evil God was the one behind the current emergence of portals.
Grace also mentioned—and even demonstrated—that artifacts considered highly valuable on Earth were actually not that impressive in terms of performance.
If they were to find an exceptionally powerful artifact, the possibility of it being a trap could not be ruled out.
Until now, the forces of the Evil God had likely included them in dungeons without much thought, using them merely as tools to delay the clearing process.
However, it was now a time when Earth's Awakeners had become so accustomed to the system that finding artifacts in dungeons to make money had become professionalized.
A chill ran down Han Shin’s spine after hearing Grace’s words.
Something they had taken for granted until now could be turned into a trap at any moment.
Kang Yujin, who had been listening silently, felt the same way.
She had been using several artifacts excavated from dungeons herself. Although there hadn't been any issues so far, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Grace, could you check if there’s anything wrong with my artifacts too?"
They had already been verified by the Association’s appraisers, but she wanted to have Grace check them just in case to ensure her safety.
"Of course."
Yujin quickly ran to her room.
In the meantime, Grace pulled out a holy relic of Tiamat from her subspace.
It was a statue of a white dragon, the symbol of Tiamat, designed to detect impure energy. The statue would glow if it sensed the divinity of the Evil God.
Since their concern was that the Evil God’s forces might have tampered with the items, this was the perfect tool for the job.
Grace assumed that while Earth's appraisers could likely detect hidden magical traps, this relic would provide a deeper level of security.
Yujin returned with her robe and a bracelet.
Both were items she had used to hide her presence or turn invisible during her covert activities.
Yujin waited for the result with a racing heart.
Grace held the holy relic with both hands and brought it close to Yujin’s artifacts.
Seeing that the relic remained unchanged, Grace spoke.
"Everything is fine. You can continue to use them."
"What a relief."
Yujin wasn't particularly worried about herself being in danger.
What she had truly feared was the period two years ago when Han Shin was in poor health after his accident.
If she had been carrying some kind of curse that could have negatively affected him back then, she felt she wouldn't have been able to live with herself.
Now that the artifacts were confirmed to be safe, her racing thoughts finally settled.
"That's good to hear, Noona."
"Yeah, it really is."
One of Yujin’s worries was resolved, but Han Shin still had one concern left.
They were clearing dungeons efficiently without any trouble or drawing outside suspicion.
However, the efficiency wasn't translating into progress as well as before.
Once he reached Level 10, the amount of mana required from the dungeon cores—the experience points, so to speak—had increased drastically.
Despite clearing so many dungeons, his level was only 12.
He had only gained two levels, and the sheer amount of mana needed made it feel like his growth rate was stagnating.
Since Grace also had to level up, they had to split the mana from the dungeon cores, making the slowdown an inevitable trend.
Of course, if they just took their time and invested enough effort, they would level up eventually...
But the risk was too high to be complacent.
They didn't know what the Evil God behind the portals was plotting, and since he eventually had to help Tiamat in her fight, he needed to become stronger faster.
"I think it's time we move on to higher-ranked dungeons, right?"
"Yes, Lord Han Shin."
Grace immediately agreed, as she had already recognized the problem.
She had been thinking of bringing it up to Han Shin herself.
She worried that while Han Shin’s skills were improving, the stagnation in his level would become an obstacle to his growth.
In her eyes, Han Shin was growing at an incredible pace.
He didn't just absorb what she taught him; he was now at a point where he could gain enlightenment from the weaponry manual on his own and improve his skills through sparring with her. He possessed a remarkable talent.
She was certain that if Han Shin had awakened his Qi and become a warrior, he would have been a peerless combatant without equal in Nippur.
Beyond mastering the one-handed sword, shield, and spear, he was now proficient in blunt weapons like hammers, as well as bows and crossbows.
However, there was one problem.
While clearing E-Rank dungeons with just the two of them was easy, the difficulty spiked significantly starting from D-Rank.
D-Rank portals were generally considered the dividing line for Earth's Awakeners. Because the strength and scale of the monsters were so much greater, party play was essentially mandatory.
Even though Han Shin and Grace had grown stronger through leveling, it was still a tall order. Grace had not yet fully recovered her strength, and Han Shin had yet to awaken his true talent, so they had their limits.
It wasn't just the two of them; Yujin also believed that while they could handle swarms of weak monsters in E-Rank, doing the same in D-Rank would be difficult.
From D-Rank onwards, there were monsters that used magical abilities, as well as those that employed lethal poisons and curses. They needed more people and more thorough preparation.
"I think we need one more person. I'll have to perform a summoning..."
Han Shin spoke in a cautious tone. Hearing this, Grace and Yujin nodded in agreement.
There was a reason Han Shin was being so careful.
When Laysia was first unlocked, he hadn't thought much of it.
But soon after, he realized that if he summoned a new follower now, her stats would inevitably be limited because he himself was still weak.
And when he considered the fact that he had to have sex to level up, he reached one inevitable conclusion.
He already had two women, Yujin and Grace, and now another person would be added.
He had known this was coming, but now that it was becoming a reality, Han Shin felt incredibly apologetic toward Yujin and Grace.
When he thought about it, he was mostly on the receiving end of their help and had done very little for them in return.
In the midst of that, the prospect of another woman entering the picture made him feel uneasy and hesitant.
Having received the devoted help and love of Yujin and Grace, Han Shin’s affection for them had grown so much that his own feelings now outweighed mere duty or justification.
Grace and Yujin were well aware of Han Shin’s thoughts.
He had already expressed his reluctance to summon anyone else once before.
Naturally, as women, seeing him act this way made them feel good. It showed how much he cherished them.
However, unlike Han Shin, the two of them insisted that he summon the follower named Laysia.
For them, Han Shin’s growth and safety were the top priorities.
Ultimately, as long as Han Shin was contracted to Tiamat, he would have to face even more powerful enemies, and they couldn't protect him forever.
Han Shin also accepted that he had to become strong enough to protect himself so he wouldn't get hurt or killed.
The two women had already discussed this privately behind Han Shin’s back and were of the same mind.