Moneybags Youth - 3
“Ha…!”
As they reached the third trial, Cress let out a disbelieving laugh.
It was because Hines had swept up every single item that could possibly help with the trial—again.
Just how much money does this guy have?
The prices of those tools had been set by the will of Donetoungk himself.
An omniscient god would surely know the value of gold coins.
They were undoubtedly exorbitant prices, yet Hines pulled them out without batting an eye, shattering Cress's sense of economics.
Maybe gold coins are worth less back in the challenger's homeland.
It wasn't entirely wrong.
In Altesia, the world's richest domain, gold coins overflowed like rotten fruit.
With enough wealth to bathe in money, their relative value might seem diminished.
But their absolute value hadn't changed.
The prices set by Donetoungk were steep—even for a typical noble, they'd have to uproot their entire estate to afford them.
Hines himself would have found them burdensome without the massive profits from Arachne silk and elixirs.
“Gonna tackle the next trial right away?”
“Nah. The sun's setting, so we should set up camp here.”
On a reasonably flat stretch of ground, Hines pitched a temporary tent using the fabric he'd brought.
To guard against gusts that might carry it away, he draped a wind-blocking cloak over it.
He tied ropes from the tent to stakes driven into the earth, securing them with heavy stones.
The barbarians could lift those rocks with a single finger, but Hines grunted and strained with both hands.
Watching him, Cress felt a strange mix of emotions.
He's definitely the frailest guy I've ever seen.
There wasn't a shred of reliability in him.
Her ideal man was someone sturdy enough to lean on.
“Sturdy” was a word far removed from Hines.
Yet for some reason, Cress couldn't tear her eyes away from him.
Every time I look at him, something itches in a corner of my heart…
What was this feeling?
She couldn't figure it out, no matter how closely she observed him.
Emotions were a baffling topic for a spirit to begin with.
“Fascinating. Other challengers treat the snow as their bed and the sky as their roof—they crash right there.”
“You'd die sleeping in this cold. Even if you survived, your mouth would freeze crooked for sure.”
“Scared of dying, huh?”
“Who wants to die pointlessly?”
Hines slipped into the cozy tent and unrolled his insulated sleeping bag.
Then he stepped out, lit a fire in a brazier-shaped magic tool.
Cress watched the unfamiliar device with curiosity.
Hines set a pot over the brazier.
“Whatcha doing?”
“Cooking. Gotta get some nutrition for tomorrow's trial.”
“Whoa! Came prepared to sharpen your knife, did ya?”
“I'm no barbarian—my stomach can't handle raw meat.”
Hines started grilling the leftover drake meat he'd fed to the others.
He even used the deodorizing tool he'd bought from Cress to ensure no wild beasts were attracted.
Expensive spices, assorted vegetables sizzled in the meat fat until golden brown.
Sizzle—!
The smell was gone, but the sound was pure perfection.
Staring at the beautifully seared meat, Cress swallowed without realizing it.
Sensing her gaze, Hines offered her a forkful.
“Wanna share?”
“What? You think a spirit like me can eat human food?”
“Weird. I thought spirits could eat human food too.”
“F-Fine! I'll just absorb the mountain's essence—that's plenty for me!”
Cress turned away firmly.
But once he started eating, she couldn't look away.
Every time he speared meat or veggies, she bit her upper lip to stop the drool.
When he savored it, she let out a sigh-mingled breath.
Watching her, Hines chuckled and offered again.
“Just one bite?”
“I said no…”
Her eyes were locked on the forkful of stir-fried meat and veggies, her refusal noticeably weaker.
“My arm's gonna fall off.”
“Stubborn as hell!”
Cress opened wide and took the bite.
The juices burst on her tongue, mingling with roasted veggies in electric bliss.
Cheeks puffed, she beamed in ecstasy.
Hines watched fondly; blushing, she whipped her head away.
“How's it taste?”
“D-Delicious!”
“More?”
“I'm good—you eat up! You're the challenger; stuff yourself to power through the trials. Now chow down and sleep! I'll wake you when it's time!”
With that, Cress floated off gracefully.
Not far—just behind a tree out of sight, catching her breath.
She soothed the emotions she couldn't control.
He's pretty good at cooking too…
Sighing at how her symptoms were worsening, Cress wondered—and feared—what this feeling would become when Hines reached the summit.
The next morning.
After breaking camp and greeting the dawn, I faced the next trial.
“The third trial's like the first. Just reach near the summit. This one's probably a battle of stamina.”
Climb the damn mountain, in other words.
As a trial, dangers lurked everywhere along the path.
Thanks to my spending spree, external threats weren't an issue—but as Cress said, stamina was.
The remaining distance to the peak was longer than what we'd covered so far.
Higher altitude meant steeper paths and thinner air; I'd be gasping in no time.
“By the way, you'll get the fourth trial midway through the third. Skip it, and you'll have to backtrack—keep that in mind!”
“Can you tell me where the fourth trial is?”
“...You'd normally find it yourself, but since you bought everything, I'll make an exception!”
“Thanks.”
The fourth trial's location changed daily.
One day in an open field, another amid trees, or even under a crevasse.
Finding it in these snow mountains was a nightmare—like being lost with no rescue.
Donetoungk's tools couldn't help locate it either. Headache-inducing.
That's why I worked to get on Cress's good side!
As the resident grand spirit, she knew exactly where it was.
A near-omnipotent spirit GPS.
That's why I'd shed my wastrel ways to build rapport.
In the game, buying lots of stuff got her to spill locations…
This was reality.
So I'd paid full price without haggling and consistently shown her consideration.
Her willingness to share without reward proved it was working.
Easy peasy!
“Let's go.”
“Wh-Why're you offering your hand? Don't expect me to hold it—lead the way!”
Still stage 3, huh.
Cress's favor stages totaled five, each distinct.
Stage 1: Arrogant and rude, like a true grand spirit.
Stage 2: Still prickly, but with grudging respect for the challenger.
Stage 3: Grumbling and acting annoyed, yet eagerly granting requests and offering unasked help.
Stage 4: Holding hands, light touches okay; she'd initiate contact.
Stage 5: Who knows?
No one had reached it; conditions unknown.
Her biggest fans had pulled all-nighters trying—total wipeouts.
Communities treated stage 4 as the cap.
Tsunderes weren’t my type, so I skipped their routes in-game.
But meeting her in person? Just a woman bad at expressing herself. Cute.
She sometimes blesses close friends, so pushing to 4 sounds smart.
But not at the trials' expense.
I shook off persistent snow wolves and yetis with clever tool use.
Ice golems neutralized via mana-sealing orb, then bypassed.
Wendigos? Dosed every female reindeer with aphrodisiacs—no encounters.
“Three-day potion, so they're having hot nights.”
“First challenger to handle an immortal monster like that.”
“Barbarians would never stoop to this.”
“True. But you know about wendigos? Surprising.”
“Read about 'em in books. Big interest in the north.”
“Don't tell me you knew about me from the start…”
“Pardon?”
“N-Nothing!”
Of course, I kept up the steady favor-building with Cress.
Stuck at stage 3 for some reason, but her attitude suggested 4 was close.
“Get tense—fourth trial's nearby.”
“What's it involve?”
“Face your mirror self, then defeat it. No helpful items this time—handle it solo.”
“Fight myself, huh.”
“This one's tough. Stay sharp—”
Cress cut off mid-sentence.
It was terrifying, yeah.
Doppelganger with identical conditions—win or die.
In-game, without mid-fight level-ups from combat XP, near-certain loss.
“That weapon on your belt's a demon sword, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, then…”
A unique demon sword—only one in existence.
Doppelganger couldn't copy it.
And I? Total pushover; anyone could squash me.
The mirror me would freak: This guy's weak as hell?!
“I'll be off.”
“Yeah…”
This was Hines's stage for a reason.