In short, the kids couldn’t master detection in just one day. They couldn’t even last the hour I had asked for. The longest anyone managed was Yoo-jung, who collapsed after 28 minutes. Honestly, for a first attempt, it was commendable, but I chose not to say anything.
The small town of Mule, being a frontier town, only had the original buildings from when it was discovered. Any new constructions were strictly necessary ones. Unlike a big city, there were no specialized training facilities. So, for now, I planned to focus on training them in detection.
While the kids were training, I left the inn under the pretense of gathering information. Even though I remembered the past, there was no guarantee that my information was accurate. Especially for minor details, it was best to verify them before taking action. But first, there was something I needed to wrap up.
Before moving on, I headed to the storage used by players. Think of it as an inventory for items you can’t carry around. It’s a personal space classified under Hall Plain’s
I found the player-exclusive storage by retracing my memories and slowly examined the items inside. Better to use what I could now than let them go to waste. I took out all the potions and downed them without hesitation.
“Using Angel’s Tear. 6 additional stat points have been generated.”
“Using Potion of Health Increase. Health points increased by 2.”
“Using Potion of Vision. 1 additional stat point has been generated.”
Watching the messages pop up in sequence, I couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction. Eager to check my stats, I immediately loaded the player status screen.
<Stats (12 points remaining)>
<Achievements (1)>
<Unique Abilities (1/1)>
<Special Abilities (1/1)>
<Potential Abilities (4/4)> (1 point remaining)
Looking at my current stats and abilities, along with the remaining points, filled me with pride and a strange sense of unfamiliarity. It was a peculiar thrill I hadn’t experienced in my first playthrough.
With 2 points from the boss monster, 6 from Angel’s Tear, 2 from the health potion, and 4 from mission rewards, I had a total of 12 spare points, excluding the 2 from the health potion. I also had one point left to raise the rank of a potential ability.
I was still undecided on where to invest my stat points. Logically, investing in health made sense. But emotionally, I couldn’t help but be drawn to strength, magic, and agility. Not that I intended to resist. The same dilemma applied to the ability points. It was frustrating that I couldn’t invest in unique abilities.
Strength, endurance, agility, health, magic. Potential abilities: melee combat, unyielding, insight. Others would envy my dilemma, calling it a happy problem.
In the end, I postponed the decision again. Since I had absorbed everything, I could increase them whenever necessary. I wanted to think it over more and prepare for any unforeseen situations.
After some thought, I decided to store the sword and elixir in the player storage for now. Both were endgame equipment, so there was no need to use them early on. Besides, even a plain-looking sword could attract unwanted attention from observant explorers. Once I acquired a high-level player’s mark, I could retrieve them. I finished my business in the storage by taking out 300 gold coins, equivalent to 30% of my gold.
Turning my head, I saw the leisurely streets of the city. The information I sought wasn’t about the current state of the Northern Continent but about achieving our goals. Honestly, if we had more time, I would have preferred to gradually grow by clearing monsters in unstable areas.
But time was too tight. Before the first alliance war broke out and clans rose, I wanted to at least have an official clan name. Unless a large clan established a branch, forming an official clan in three months was a daunting task.
The only option left was to quickly rack up achievements by targeting the prime spots in Mule.
I could select three key locations to conquer in Mule: the Ruined Laboratory, the Dungeon of the Ancient Alchemist Vivian, and the Cave of Screams.
The Cave of Screams was discovered by my caravan in my second year. However, the laboratory and the alchemist’s dungeon were only known through rumors and required preparation.
Many novice players mistakenly believe that discovering caves or dungeons is easy. But such places don’t just pop up. They’re often hidden behind barriers or require specific items to enter.
While my Third Eye might solve many issues, there were too many uncertainties to be optimistic.
I decided to head to the library. In Hall Plain, libraries are facilities that collect various documents and records for players to access.
Given the chaotic state of the surrounding regions and the newly established frontier town, the leading clan prioritized stabilizing the city. In such a situation, openly declaring an intention to explore caves or dungeons would be foolish. I knew going to the library was a long shot, but I had no choice.
If all else failed, I could start with the Cave of Screams. But I preferred to leave that as a last resort.
Four days passed. During that time, the kids showed clear signs of growth. Among them, Sol made remarkable progress. It seemed she struggled initially due to her abundant magic power. But after I taught her efficient mana control and guided her a few times, her skills improved rapidly.
As time went on, I raised the bar for the kids. I asked them to maintain mana detection while moving around, not just in a stationary position. Those who barely managed to maintain detection for 40 minutes reverted to square one when movement was added.
An-hyun and Yoo-jung complained, but I silenced them with, “Do you plan to stand still during a fight?”
I added another task for Sol. Among the basic holy spells priests learn, there’s one called Shackles. Along with Cure, it’s one of the most useful early holy spells.
Clink!
I flicked a silver coin into the air. It spun and flew before landing back in my hand. Watching intently, Sol listened as I calmly explained the training method.
“Remember where I caught the coin. For mages and priests, casting speed is crucial after magic stats. How quickly and swiftly you can cast the spell you intend. That’s the key. Try to catch the coin with Shackles before it hits the ground.”
“Yes!”
Sol beamed and answered energetically, making me smile gently. Then she suddenly leaned her head forward, catching me off guard. But I quickly realized what she wanted and patted her head.
After sending Sol off with a grin, I was about to dive back into the documents from the library when I heard the door next to mine swing open. Shortly after, my own door burst open with a loud noise. Curious about who it was, I looked up to see Yoo-jung peeking in.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Oops. Today’s chapter is a bit short. It seems the 17K words I wrote yesterday took their toll… ㅜ.ㅠ.
Still, I don’t feel as discouraged as I did with chapter 45. Thankfully. Writing that one was truly depressing, but I guess people change with circumstances.
Many of you have given me valuable advice. My writing follows a principle: slow where needed, fast where necessary. Haha. But if adhering to that principle affects the quality of my writing, it clearly indicates a problem with my skills.
However, I realize I was wrong about the humor. I wanted to incorporate serious humor, but my hands didn’t follow my intentions. After talking with many authors, I understood my mistakes. I’ll avoid that in the future.
By reducing explanations and descriptions today, the word count seems to have decreased by about 1K~2K. I’ll try to bring you a longer chapter tomorrow. I ask for your understanding. :)
『Reader Comments』
Ailillia: Congratulations on being first. You’re the OP of the first comment again. :)
Aintje: Frustration is what makes a man grow! Haha, I haven’t thought about that line in ages.
GradeRown: That’s correct. There’s a bit more complexity to the setup, but it’s too lengthy to explain here… It’s tricky to say it’s entirely accurate. If you send me a message, I can provide more details.
Pobori: Yes, Suhyeon specifically told me not to use it. While having 101 points is indeed impressive, investing in luck feels a bit uncertain. (Please refer to the early section on the importance of different stats.)
SealedTolstoy, WhiteTimothy, HeheMerchant: I sincerely appreciate all your valuable advice. Thanks to you, I’ve had a lot to think about today and discovered a way to improve myself. I’ll strive to meet your expectations even more in the future.
I always read all the comments repeatedly. Please don’t feel too disappointed if I don’t reply to each one. If you’re really curious about something, feel free to message me, and I’ll respond!
With that, I’ll take my leave for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Your support, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.