Listening to Go Yeon-joo, I felt a surge of interest. Despite her change of heart, her expression was nothing but serious. Glancing between An Sol and Go Yeon-joo, I asked with curiosity in my voice, “Did An Hyun, or An Sol, say anything?”
“No, they haven’t,” she replied immediately, shaking her head. Her gaze was fixed on An Sol, her eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions.
Silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of An Sol bustling around. I began to understand Go Yeon-joo’s feelings. During our last exploration of the Cave of Screams, An Sol’s abilities had surprised even her. It wasn’t just Go Yeon-joo; others like Jung Ha-yeon and Shin Sang-yong had also been skeptical at first.
Luck was a mysterious thing—undefinable, inexplicable, and beyond common sense.
Go Yeon-joo seemed like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Sensing her hesitation, I decided to prompt her. The best approach was to revisit the facts and form a hypothesis. First, I needed to ask what made her change her mind.
“Being called a lunatic isn’t pleasant. Like it or not, they’re still my… clan member. So, it’s a welcome change for me.”
“Pfft. You almost said ‘child,’ didn’t you?”
“You must have misheard. Anyway, I’m curious why you decided to cancel.”
Go Yeon-joo chuckled softly at my denial. Then, closing her eyes as if to recall something, she began to speak calmly.
“When Su-hyun first asked me, I thought it was a good idea. Living together had been frustrating at times. An Hyun was the best of the three, and I taught Lee Yoo-jung through tough love. But An Sol was different; Su-hyun was always protective of her, making it hard to approach.”
”…”
“It was the same when we left Barbara. Seeing her cry after passing through the warp gate was infuriating. I almost wanted to slap her. But I couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
I listened intently, prompting her to continue. Go Yeon-joo paused, as if gathering her thoughts, then resumed her story with a steady rhythm.
“I wanted to understand why. Our relationship was awkward after she caught me… in a compromising situation, so I needed to improve it. I decided to fill Su-hyun’s role because I thought maybe she lacked affection growing up.”
“Lack of affection…”
“After that, I treated An Sol differently. I was strict with An Hyun and Lee Yoo-jung, but with her, I was more nurturing, like a mother or sister. I think that’s why her symptoms seem more pronounced now. She has both a father and a mother figure.”
“I see. Did it work?”
“Not entirely. We improved our relationship, but I couldn’t delve deeper. Whenever I tried, she would shrink back, as if blocked by an invisible wall. I couldn’t reach the core issue.”
“Hmm…”
“Then one day…”
Just as I was feeling disappointed by the lack of progress, Go Yeon-joo continued. I refocused my attention.
“About a week later, I joked during dinner that the clan member with the best training results would get to visit Su-hyun.”
“Haha. Did An Sol suddenly awaken?”
“I wish. It was just a joke, not meant seriously. But everyone did work harder afterward. Then, two days ago…”
The mention of two days ago piqued my interest. At that time, I was frustrated with unresolved academy matters. I waited for her to continue.
“An Sol came to me in the middle of the night. I was surprised when she opened my door herself. We were closer, but not that close. Her words shocked me even more.”
Go Yeon-joo kept her eyes closed, recounting the story in a calm voice, as if reliving the moment. I swallowed hard, sensing we were reaching the climax.
“She was different. Her speech was clear, her expression determined, her eyes alive. And there was an indescribable aura about her.”
“An aura? What did she say? Did she ask to come with me?”
“Yes. I refused at first, told her to go back to sleep. But then… I felt that aura envelop me. And in that moment, An Sol spoke again.”
Go Yeon-joo’s arms were covered in goosebumps. I thought of the luck attribute. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit. The change from 100 to 101 in luck, An Sol’s mysterious ability, was beginning to reveal itself.
“I’m sorry, but you need to take me. My brother needs me. If you go alone, you might regret it. I don’t want you to regret it. If you won’t take me, I’ll go on my own.”
Go Yeon-joo mimicked An Sol’s words. Then she opened her eyes and looked at me, her light gray eyes glistening.
“Do you know what’s really interesting?”
“That she spoke differently than usual?”
“No.”
A deep smile spread across Go Yeon-joo’s face. She glanced at An Sol, who was still playing energetically, and continued in a low voice.
“That little girl, she overwhelmed me. Not with magic, but…”
“But?”
“I felt like I had to do it. Like something inside me was compelled to move. I couldn’t refuse, and I nodded. Then she smiled, relieved, and left. At that moment, she didn’t seem like a lunatic. Not normal either, but… I don’t know.”
Go Yeon-joo sighed deeply, as if she had finally said everything she needed to. A wry laugh escaped her lips.
“It felt like I was under a spell. Can you believe it? That I was swayed by that girl?”
It’s possible. When the 101 luck attribute manifests. I answered silently. It wasn’t time to discuss it yet. Now that I had a lead, only experimentation remained. If I could confirm even part of it, and if I was right, I might gain a powerful weapon.
She said nothing more. It was my turn to speak.
“To be honest.”
“Yes.”
“As I mentioned earlier, I hadn’t considered it until you contacted me. But…”
“Brother!”
An Sol, holding something triumphantly, beamed at me. I waved back, then continued calmly.
“Bringing An Sol was a good decision.”
“Ha. You must have some faith in her.”
“Yes, I do. There are still uncertainties, but there’s much to look forward to.”
“Hmm. I don’t know.”
Go Yeon-joo sighed and lay back, exasperated. I chuckled softly and turned my gaze to An Sol, who was still frolicking around.
Watching her, I activated my third eye.
“Yum yum yum.”
After playing to her heart’s content, An Sol was devouring her lunch, crumbs all over her face. She looked up, scanning the area, seemingly searching for the absent Go Yeon-joo.
“Brother, where’s Mom… I mean, Sister?”
“She had something to do. She’ll come back later, so stay with me until then.”
“Oh, okay~.”
Go Yeon-ju claimed she had some errands to run. Apparently, Vivian, who was deep into her research on elixirs, had asked her to pick up a few materials from Barbara. Of course, that was just a surface-level excuse. Once she realized I needed to talk to Ansol, she seemed to have deliberately made herself scarce. She must have thought it better for us to have an honest conversation one-on-one rather than in a group. I had planned to tell Ansol everything eventually, so I didn’t mind.
Watching Ansol devour her lunch, I let my gaze drift into the air, where her player status information hovered.
Name: Ansol (0 years)
Class: Normal Priest Runner
Nation: Free Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: D Zero)
True Name · Nationality: Guide of Light · South Korea
Sex: Female (20)
Height · Weight: 160.1cm · 45.7kg
Alignment: Lawful · Good
[Strength 22] [Endurance 22] [Agility 26] [Stamina 32] [Magic 88(+1)] [Luck 101]
(3 ability points remain unallocated.)
There were a few changes, but what caught my eye was her true name: Guide of Light. While I couldn’t be sure, I cautiously speculated that it might have influenced her luck reaching 101.
Of course, there was still much I didn’t know. The moment I assumed this was a catch-all solution, the threads I’d barely grasped would tangle again. It was unclear when her abilities would activate or what their range might be.
For now, I decided to focus her specialized abilities on anxiety detection and direction finding. Narrowing it down like this made her past actions seem much more credible.
However, there was one thing to note. So far, her use of abilities had been quite self-defensive. For instance, when exploring ruins, she would tremble at a fork in the path and refuse to go further alone. But the moment she clung to my sleeve, her demeanor changed. This suggested that her abilities might be influenced by others’ presence.
So how did she sense my frustration when we were apart? I had two hypotheses. First, her luck reaching 101 might have upgraded her range-limited abilities. Second, there might be remnants of the time we mixed our magic at the trap point. Both theories had their flaws, but together, they seemed to fit.
Just then, Ansol, who had been engrossed in her meal, suddenly looked up with a pout.
“Ugh, oppa.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“I’m sorry. I was so hungry, I ate everything.”
She looked apologetic, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Haha, it’s fine. Watching you eat fills me up too.”
“Really? Hehe.”
Ansol squirmed with embarrassment at my words. Watching her, I decided to set aside my thoughts for now. Delving too deep would lead nowhere, and it seemed wiser to take my time figuring things out. For now, making the most of her presence for the task at hand seemed the best course of action.
“Let’s clean up.”
Ansol began tidying up the remnants of her meal. As I watched her, I spoke to her in a calm voice.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
If this chapter was difficult, just remember a few key points: 1. Luck isn’t a cure-all. 2. Ansol’s luck is specialized in anxiety detection and direction finding. 3. Ansol’s luck ability has been upgraded. 4. The protagonist always gets a bonus. (Oops, that last one was a mistake. Just kidding!)
Oh, and I’ll be doing a double update on Saturday. I was thinking of taking a break because of a headache, but it seems right to wrap up this part by then. I find that publicly committing to it is the only way I actually follow through. ㅜ.ㅠ
『 Reader Comments 』
Miwolya: Congrats on being first! It seems you’re getting the hang of it lately. Some readers might be feeling the heat. Haha!
破天魔痕: Ah, I don’t think I’ve seen a five-time streak. Maybe a four-time streak once or twice. :)
Takatsuki: I think it might go even further. I’ll make sure to tie up all the loose ends.
Daebagi: Ah, I know that taste. Isn’t it just the best? Mixing it all up with rice when you have no appetite!
hohokoya1: For some reason, double updates have been tough lately. Haha. I couldn’t do anything for Buddha’s Birthday because I had plans. Please forgive me. Bowing deeply. (__)
Hiranya: Really? The length is about the same as usual. ㅜ.ㅠ
letzgo02: I was originally going to cut this chapter again, but I decided against it. Haha. In the next chapter, Suhyun will finally get a clue about the experiment + academy.
sereson: Ansol is getting some flak. Don’t be sad. She’ll be revered as a goddess by readers later on.
Aldis: Yes, that’s correct. I wanted to highlight the difference between 100 and 101 in this chapter.
gkgngh: Hahahaha. That will never happen. ^ㅅ^ Even during reserve training, it was incredibly tough. ㅜ.ㅠ
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