By lunchtime, Yoo-jung still hadn’t shown up. The only sounds were the occasional thuds from the first floor. I was curious about what kind of training was going on inside, but I had no choice but to wait.
Go Yeon-ju reappeared around noon. It seemed she intended to continue her work while teaching Yoo-jung. However, she no longer joined us for meals. When Ahn Hyun invited her to eat, she responded with a smile.
“I’m making the kid skip meals too. So, I’m not planning to eat either.”
I had officially entrusted Yoo-jung to Go Yeon-ju. This meant I was leaving everything regarding Yoo-jung to her. The others seemed quite curious, but they didn’t ask questions after I told them to just wait. Go Yeon-ju gave me a bright smile and headed straight to the kitchen. Yet, even by dinner, Yoo-jung hadn’t emerged.
Yoo-jung finally came out of Go Yeon-ju’s room as dusk settled over the
As I got closer, I saw Ahn Sol chanting a healing spell, and there on the floor was Yoo-jung, collapsed.
Yoo-jung looked utterly battered. It was surprising she wasn’t bleeding. Her visible skin was covered in bruises, and her clothes clung to her, soaked. It seemed more likely that water had been poured over her than just sweat. This suggested she had fainted during training.
The others were worried, saying she might die or that it was too harsh. But I dismissed their concerns, telling them to take her to her room after healing her. I thought experiencing something like this once wouldn’t be bad. I also had a sense of Go Yeon-ju’s intentions.
Our teaching methods were polar opposites. Even considering the whole plane, neither of us could be considered normal. Despite the lack of necessity, Go Yeon-ju had chosen to play the villain. It seemed she intended to overhaul Yoo-jung’s mindset, not just her skills. I felt grateful and a bit sorry for Go Yeon-ju, who was providing what was truly needed.
What surprised me even more was Yoo-jung’s reaction. As Ahn Sol’s healing spells took effect, Yoo-jung’s eyes fluttered open. Her first words were, “I’m hungry.” Ahn Hyun, taken aback, hurried downstairs to fetch food, while Yoo-jung groaned and got up, her face swollen, and headed to her room.
I didn’t ask if she was okay, and Yoo-jung didn’t complain about how hard it was. All that remained was a look of exhaustion mixed with determination. Ahn Sol, feeling sorry, supported her as she walked unsteadily.
“Unni, are you okay?”
“Does this look okay to you?”
“No…”
“Sigh… I might really die next time. So, you, be ready to heal me anytime, anywhere.”
Yoo-jung flicked Ahn Sol’s forehead lightly and said nothing more. Watching her, I turned away. Her resolve and awareness of mortality were more than I expected.
With the initial challenges of Go Yeon-ju joining our group settled, the caravan began moving forward again. I hadn’t been idle during this time. I couldn’t afford to dwell on unresolved issues, so I focused on other matters.
Training was as routine as daily life for me. Unless I was unconscious or it was unavoidable, I meditated at least once a day. My physical abilities had already reached their peak. It was nearly impossible to improve further through training alone. It was hard to gauge how much time it would take to increase even one point.
I pondered daily over how to allocate my remaining ability points. Especially regarding my stats, I hadn’t made a decision yet. Should I focus on stamina to maintain my current skills, or should I aim for a higher level by raising other stats to 101?
I might gain more ability points in the future, but even combined, they would only amount to three or four points. So, I had to be cautious. For now, I decided to save them for when I might need them, as my current stats were more than sufficient.
As for exploration, the path to the
I also resolved the equipment issue that had been on my mind. I withdrew an additional 1,000 gold from the user shop. This brought the caravan’s funds to over 2,300 gold. However, I had to reserve some for clan registration, so I couldn’t spend it all.
I needed to use some funds to show Go Yeon-ju what we could do.
This time, I decided to focus on Yoo-jung. Her current armor was the weakest. Having invested in Ahn Hyun before, I planned to invest heavily in Yoo-jung now. I intended to support her growth decisively. Moreover, as a close-combat specialist, Yoo-jung needed sturdy armor that wouldn’t restrict her mobility due to her class’s nature.
Yoo-jung was a melee dealer. Wielding daggers meant she had to get close to monsters, and as a mercenary, she needed to specialize in chaotic combat techniques.
I stripped Yoo-jung of her existing equipment. I started by buying her a light beige shirt. This shirt was the most expensive item I had purchased, even considering all the equipment I had bought so far. It cost 520 gold coins.
I acquired it from a novice user in the Mule market. It seemed he had taken it from a deceased companion. His caravan had been wiped out, and he was looking for a new one. After checking the seller’s information, I decided against recruiting him. His stats explained why other caravans wouldn’t take him. Lacking funds, he seemed to be selling equipment to raise money, and I impulsively bought it. Despite costing over 500 gold, it was worth every coin.
There are several ways to enhance armor with magic, mainly divided into two: applying potions and using magical effects. Magic required permanent enchantments, making it more expensive but also more effective. The shirt I bought had magical effects for physical defense.
The shirt was made from threads magically processed from ogre tendons, making it incredibly tough. It had both magical and potion treatments for physical defense, making it resistant to most attacks. The novice user also mentioned it had minor all-around magical defense, which my third eye confirmed, though the effect was minimal.
Additionally, it had basic options to aid the user’s mana activation and slightly lighten the body. It was perfect for Yoo-jung, who valued both defense and mobility.
The shirt also had an auto-repair function, making it an extravagant piece of equipment for a novice user. I spent nearly a quarter of my gold, but it was a bargain, as such equipment would typically cost at least 700 gold.
The other equipment, while not as impressive as the shirt, was still far superior to anything Yoo-jung had worn before. I bought matching leather pants (with physical defense and flexibility potions), a pair of leather long boots, a leather jacket (with physical defense and flexibility potions), and a women’s belt for her daggers.
At Go Yeon-ju’s request, I also decided to change one of Yoo-jung’s weapons. She originally used dual daggers, but now she would wield a scimitar and a curved dagger. The new weapon resembled a katana but with a narrower blade and slightly longer length. It was too long to be called a dagger and too short to be a longsword, a perfect fit for dual-wielding.
It seemed Go Yeon-ju intended to teach her proper dual-wielding techniques, so I ordered the new weapon without complaint. I also requested magical treatment to enhance its sharpness. This equipment would typically cost over 300 gold, but by trading in her old ring mail and two daggers, I negotiated it down to 207 gold.
I spent nearly 1,000 gold on Yoo-jung alone, but it was worth every coin. I still had the capacity to withdraw more funds, and I expected to earn profits from the
The day Yu-jeong finished purchasing all her equipment, she also wrapped up her training late at night. After receiving a healing spell from Sol, I caught her as she staggered and brought her to my room. As I helped her put on the new gear, I could see a noticeable change in her appearance.
Her hair, with its soft reddish hue, matched perfectly with the slightly tight-fitting equipment. It was as if the clothes transformed her into a seasoned user. As she hung two daggers on her belt and looked in the mirror, Yu-jeong turned to me with a sorrowful expression.
Seeing her face, I tilted my head in confusion. Her demeanor was completely different from when she had been overjoyed with new gear in the past. Sensing something was amiss, I quietly observed her until she spoke in a cautious voice.
”…Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Can you hug me just once?”
”…Come here.”
A flurry of thoughts crossed my mind, but I embraced her without a word. Nestled in my arms, Yu-jeong seemed to relax a bit, rubbing her face against me before reluctantly pulling away. Her face showed lingering reluctance, but she seemed to be holding back. She quickly said, “Thank you for the equipment, oppa. I’ll really do my best,” and then dashed out of the room.
I later found out that Go Yeon-ju had told her I was focusing on buying equipment for Yu-jeong. She implied that my investment was a last chance, suggesting that if Yu-jeong didn’t exceed expectations in the next expedition, she might be abandoned. Although I had no intention of discarding her as long as she tried, I didn’t offer any explanations. In the harsh reality of the Hall Plain, users who couldn’t keep up were left behind, and since that day, Yu-jeong had been training even harder.
Ahn Hyun, who had seen me buying equipment for Yu-jeong, didn’t say anything further. He was also lacking in armor, but since he was learning martial arts as a Qi Gong Spearman, I planned to hold off on armor for now. Even a single pair of Reduction Gloves would nearly match the investment I’d made in Yu-jeong.
Yu-jeong had been the least rewarded during our time at the Ruined Laboratory, so this gave me some peace of mind.
Aside from that, I occasionally asked Vivian about Shin Sang-yong’s progress. However, Vivian always deferred her answers, indicating that while he seemed like a good person, she needed to observe him more. It seemed the contract we had drawn up was proving effective. Recognizing the value I placed on rare classes, she was more cautious than ever.
The kids’ skills were improving by the day, and I could see our group becoming more stable. Ahn Hyun had returned to his roots, training diligently. It seemed he understood my warning immediately. An Sol was no longer being dragged along.
Both Shin Sang-yong and Ha-yeon were doing well. Ha-yeon, in particular, was working so hard that I had to tell her to take a break, but she silenced me by saying she’d rest when I did.
Watching the caravan gradually find its footing, unlike when I had to guide them step by step, filled me with satisfaction. The clan I envisioned was slowly taking shape. Once we completed the exploration of the
The sky was gradually brightening, signaling the approach of morning. Thinking I could still get an hour of sleep, I gently closed my eyes.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
Yes, it’s about time to leave Mule again. Once this chapter wraps up, we’ll be heading to the
PS. I’ve tried to speed up the pacing a bit. Is this pace okay for you?
『 Reader Comments 』
Repil: Congratulations on being first. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy this chapter too. :)
SaulabiHunterT: Haha. I’m always eagerly waiting for your next comment, SaulabiHunterT. I hope everything wraps up well for you. (__)
Frittez: Yes, it’s about giving Yu-jeong a much-needed wake-up call. :)
masdf: Yesssss. Thank you. Hehe. :)
UnderTheNameOfLegend: Haha. The rivalry has heated up, but with Su-hyeon around, there won’t be any backstabbing.
Juary: Haha. As a user of the Hall Plain, it’s true they lack some understanding. They’ve been here less than a year, so please be patient. They’ll mature with time.
BrokenFan: Ha, Han-byeol is a good kid too. When Han-byeol appears later, I’ll do my best to present him in a good light… cough cough.
GoodBody: Haha. I’ve raised it a bit. How do you find it? I thought it was about time to raise it. Thank you for the coupon. (__)
Goksd: Correct. Now that we’ve set the stage, it’s time to move forward. :)
TrayBead: Haha, I burst out laughing at “<I hope you’re not struggling… sob>”. Han-byeol will be very happy too. Haha.
hohokoya1: Haha. Thank you. Is the Mercenary King a rare or a secret? I’ll leave it to the readers’ imagination. Yu-jeong becoming the Mercenary King is a long way off. Hahaha.
Toranoanal: Ah, I always keep it in mind but tend to forget. It’s hard to change something I’ve been doing unconsciously since I was young. ㅜ.ㅠ
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous writing. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly.
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!
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.