The same question, different outcome
As expected, I found a cleverly concealed door on the ground where Belphegor and I had clashed. It was similar to the entrance to the ancient alchemist’s dungeon we discovered in the castle lobby. It wasn’t that I missed it before; I simply hadn’t activated my third eye. In this world, there’s virtually nothing that can deceive the third eye.
Opening the door to the underground, I found a staircase leading down. Before entering, I meticulously scanned the area below. Once I confirmed there were no signs of danger, I descended swiftly.
“Light.”
Jung Ha-yeon, who followed me, immediately cast a Light spell. The orb of light illuminated the dark interior, revealing a secret room that had been hidden underground.
“Wow…”
Ahn Hyun’s voice echoed in awe. The secret room felt more cramped compared to the rooms on the first floor. Wooden boxes and barrels, still intact, were neatly stacked against one wall. There was an old bed, a dresser, a table, and scattered dishes on the table. It was hard to imagine the room had any special purpose.
I approached the bed and lifted the sheet, revealing old bone fragments lying quietly. After a moment of silent contemplation, I gently covered them again. Turning to my companions, who stood quietly, I spoke.
“This is the last room. We don’t know what we might find, so please search every corner thoroughly.”
With my command, the group dispersed eagerly. The anticipation of this being the final room, coupled with the excitement of possibly discovering something new, seemed to energize everyone. Watching Shin Sang-yong, Jung Ha-yeon, and Vivian move methodically, I reactivated my senses and the third eye.
”…”
It didn’t take long. I bent down and reached under the bed. As I swept my hand in a semicircle, I felt several objects catch on my arm. The saying “hidden in plain sight” came to mind. Relieved to have found something quickly, I pulled them all out.
Looking at the items that emerged, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill. The reality of what I had only half-believed was now unfolding before me. Although I hadn’t confirmed the information yet, I was confident it was what I had anticipated.
There were four items in total: a slightly thicker and longer black spear than usual, a sleek, square wooden box that fit in one hand, an old book that seemed ready to crumble at a touch, and a single glove.
I focused on the glove for a moment. It was a leather glove with a bluish-black hue, simple yet adorned with a chain that shimmered like moonlight. It was a shame there was only one, but I didn’t mind.
Hoping to find the other glove, I lay flat and searched further under the bed. But there was no sign of it.
“Just break everything! We’re done once we leave anyway!”
“Sounds good.”
Behind me, I heard Ahn Hyun and Yoo Jung smashing boxes. Frustrated by their lack of progress, they seemed to be taking out their impatience on the furniture.
Meanwhile, I maintained my excitement, keeping my third eye active as I examined the dusty items. If my predictions were correct, these were likely relics of an energy spear master.
As I continued to analyze them with my third eye, information about the items began to surface.
『Spear of Raven』
<A black spear made from an alloy of steel (85.6%), mithril (12.7%), and adamantium (1.6%). Crafted by a skilled ancient blacksmith, it boasts excellent performance. While steel is the primary material, mithril is distributed throughout to significantly enhance mana efficiency. A small amount of adamantium is concentrated at the spear’s core to increase its strength. Although it lacks magical enhancements, it focuses on durability and sharpness. The spear holds the power to inherit the skills of an energy spear master. If you find the owner’s records, you can unlock even greater power.>
『Elixir』
<A concoction of various rare elixirs. If consumed by someone with a stamina stat below 70 points, it can slightly increase stamina (1 to 2 points).>
『Ancient Spearmaster’s Records』
<Records of a famous ancient spearmaster, detailing insights, techniques, and knowledge gained through training. If you find the black spear he used, the user can gain even greater power.>
『Glove of Reduction』
<A glove with only one remaining due to certain circumstances. The left-hand glove reduces the weight of objects by 1/5 when held. If you find the right-hand glove and complete the pair, the weight reduction increases to 1/6, and it grants a slight increase (2 points) in strength.>
“Ha…”
“Finally found a pouch! Hey, what are you doing?”
Yoo Jung called out to me, but I was too absorbed to respond. After all, the energy spear master was indeed resting near the small town of Mule.
Following the chimera alchemist, discovering an energy spear master was no trivial matter. I recalled the time Vivian gave me a book, feeling a surge of joy and excitement that made me clench my fist. Despite trying to suppress it, I couldn’t help but smile as I stood up.
“Hey? What’s going on?”
Yoo Jung whined beside me, and I pulled her close. Initially surprised, she soon nestled comfortably against me, her eyes widening at the items scattered below.
“Looks like we hit the jackpot. Hahaha.”
“Is that a spear? Wow, Ahn Hyun’s lucky.”
I tried to push Yoo Jung’s head away, but she resisted, snuggling closer.
“Hey, move your head.”
“Come on, you were just hugging me. Let’s stay like this a bit longer. I get why Sol always wants to cling to you. It feels nice.”
With a sigh, I relented and withdrew my hand.
Choosing the third eye as my unique ability was truly a stroke of genius. In this second round, dungeons, explorations, and rare classes that I had searched for so desperately in the first round were now appearing effortlessly.
I knew that luck played a part in these discoveries. But the important thing was that I had found two rare classes in succession. What seemed impossible was becoming reality. Ahn Hyun, who was loyal to both the group and me, becoming a rare class was incredibly encouraging.
Calming my racing heart, I reached for the black spear. Brushing away the dust, I grasped the cold, dark metal. At that moment, a surge of power flowed into me, and instead of the third eye, messages from the whole plane’s settings appeared in the air.
『Congratulations. You have discovered a rare class. By accepting the power within the Spear of Raven, you can evolve into an Energy SpearMan.』
『The Energy SpearMan is considered a higher tier among spearmen. They possess unique martial arts and spear techniques, maximizing the effects of their skills by efficiently utilizing internal energy. The methods to train in these arts are recorded in the heir’s journal. If there is a user skilled with spears, it is recommended to pass on this legacy.』
『Currently, Kim Soo-hyun’s profession is the highest secret class in the swordsman category, Sword Specialist. While you can acquire the book, based on your unique, special, and latent abilities, the overall efficiency would decrease by 40%. However, with a strength stat of 94 points and agility stat of 98 points, you can recover 20% of the reduction. Additionally, the EX rank of the special ability, Sword Unity, allows for another 20% recovery. Although you can wield any weapon effectively, using a spear would be less efficient than a sword. Since all special and latent abilities have already been developed, it is not recommended to acquire the Energy SpearMan’s power.』
The room wasn’t large, and with all seven of us searching, it didn’t take long to finish. Soon, reports from my companions came in one by one.
“Hyung, it’s a bust.”
“Brother, I found a pouch… huh?”
Ahn Hyun shook his head with a sigh, and An Sol, waving a pendant, gasped at the sight of Yoo Jung and me. I quickly pushed Yoo Jung’s head away.
“Darn, I didn’t find anything either.”
“Me neither, Master.”
Vivian and Shin Sang-yong showed me their empty hands with disappointed faces. Meanwhile, Jung Ha-yeon, who was in charge of the drawers, handed me a long, shiny string.
“I found a necklace. It feels like it has some kind of magical aura.”
Jung Ha-yeon and Ahn Sol quietly handed over the items they had discovered. I dropped them onto the pile of ancient relics I had found on the ground. As soon as the group, except for Yoo-jung, saw the relics of the ancient spear masters, their eyes widened in amazement.
“We probably need to sort this out, but let’s handle the urgent matters first.”
“Urgent matters? I just want to get back to the city as soon as possible…”
I gave Vivian a steady look, and she quickly changed her tune.
“Wow. I’m really curious about these items. So curious~!”
”…Ahn Hyun, come over here.”
“Yes.”
Ahn Hyun obediently came to my side. I bent down to pick up the obsidian spear and slowly lifted it. Ahn Hyun glanced at the spear and grinned, probably thinking I was going to give it to him. I was certain that smile would soon turn to shock.
“Hyun, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
“Hehe, whatever it is, just give the order.”
Seeing Hyun’s eyes gleaming with excitement, I gave a wry smile and continued quietly.
“When you hold this spear, messages will appear in the air. Read them all and accept them in your mind. The important thing is, don’t drop the spear, no matter what. Got it?”
“Huh? I’m not sure I understand, but I just need to do as you say, right? What’s so special about this spear?”
“Just remember what I said and follow the messages. You’ll understand soon enough.”
“Hehe, you’re making me excited. Hand it over, brother.”
“Here you go.”
I handed the spear to Ahn Hyun. The moment he grasped it, his body stiffened. Watching him, I allowed myself a faint smile. My own magical power and blessings allowed me to handle the spear without issue, but Ahn Hyun, with his relatively lower magical ability, was a different story.
“Uh… uh…”
Ahn Hyun’s eyes stared into the air, his expression turning to one of confusion. A small commotion arose among the group, but I raised a hand to signal for silence.
“Everyone, quiet down. The succession ritual is more challenging than it seems. The quieter it is, the better, so please remain silent and just watch.”
“Succession… ritual?”
Yoo-jung, standing next to me, asked in a hesitant voice. I nodded and explained.
“Yes. This spear allows one to inherit the rare class of Energy SpearMan. The succession ritual is the process of Ahn Hyun evolving into a rare class.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Today, I’ll explain the settings for ranks and stages.
Minus, Zero, Plus are defined as
F ~ EX are defined as
EX
S → S+
A- → A → A+ → A++
B- → B → B+
C- → C → C+
D- → D → D+
E- → E → E+
F- → F → F+
Kim Soo-hyun’s unique, special, and potential abilities explained.
《The Third Eye (S Zero)》
Forced manifestation due to unknown power results in a 2-rank downgrade.
Influence of Hwajeong results in a 1-rank increase.
Originally, The Third Eye is a unique ability that should be at EX rank. Due to reasons 1 and 2, it is currently at S Zero rank.
《Union of Sword and Spirit (EX Zero)》
Years of experience and numerous achievements result in a 1-rank increase.
Job correction results in a 1-rank increase.
In Soo-hyun’s first life, Union of Sword and Spirit was purely rated at A rank based on
(This was previously stated as a 3-rank increase. It has been corrected to a 2-rank increase.)
《Close Combat (A Plus)》
Close Combat was rated at B+ rank in Soo-hyun’s first life. However, due to reason 1, it is currently at A+ rank.
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Hmm. Today might be the last day of the continuous update streak.
I’ll provide more details in the note at midnight.
And… thank you so much to everyone who left kind words.
Reading them has been a great comfort. (__)
I hope you all have a wonderful day. Thank you.
『 Reader Comments 』
Kuroshion: Congratulations on being first. You’ve broken MT Bear’s streak. Clap clap clap!
HumanLife: Haha, that’s unfortunate. How are you feeling? Are you much better now? Sol was so nervous back then that she couldn’t speak properly. Haha.
MartialArtsNovelFan: Woohoo! Unity! I also stand united with the readers! :)
WoodSword: Ouch. Ouch ouch.
Starland: Hahaha. Think about Jung Ha-yeon’s younger sibling, and you’ll find the answer. :)
CrossDie: Of course, I don’t think “Brother, the misunderstanding is cleared. Let’s be friends again” is the right approach. Personally, Soo-hyun plans to get involved in their issue, and if you consider that Yoo-jung initially liked Ha-yeon, it’s not entirely hopeless. There’s also a hint laid out for Ha-yeon. Writing on your phone must have been tough. Please look forward to how their relationship unfolds. :)
Changrang: I completely agree.
DemonShrine: Thank you. After a nap, I feel a bit calmer. Haha…
Toranoanal: Yes, time seems to be the remedy. Although there’s still some regret, it will get better gradually, right?
SwordLover: I see. I’ll provide more details about the ranks in a future note. Ah, I’m planning to upload user information in the story settings soon, so it might be better to include it then. If you want to know right away, please send me a message.
BearLover: Thank you for your kind words. I miss your cute comments from the early days. Haha.
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly. (Especially today, I read them even more.)
Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the comments.
If you’re really curious about something, send me a message, and I’ll reply!
For now, I’ll take my leave.
I hope you always read the story with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.