After confirming that Gabriel and the archangels had left, a sudden wave of tension drained from my body. Why did I feel so exhausted all of a sudden? I’d just been sitting still, yet my body felt as if I’d been through a fierce battle—heavy and sluggish. Or maybe it was more like dizziness.
Anyway, is it really over now?
“Phew.”
I exhaled lightly and leaned back a little, only to catch the Seraph staring blankly at me. I wanted to snap, “What are you looking at?” but I was too tired, so I just stared quietly into space. The secret shop was already active, the troublemakers had left, and now it was time for some fun shopping.
“Click.”
Just as I reached for the list, a strange chuckle caught my attention. Glancing sideways, I saw the Seraph squinting slightly, covering her mouth with one hand. She seemed to be trying to smile demurely, but honestly, it was a bit creepy. At least if her mouth was visible, it would be less unsettling. But just those wide-open eyes? Weird. Wait, why was she even laughing?
“Oh, pardon me.”
Noticing my gaze, the Seraph quickly composed herself. Yet there was a calmness in her expression that felt oddly serene.
“Suhyun…”
She began tentatively.
“You’re… truly remarkable.”
“Remarkable?”
“Yes. To show such a side in front of Gabriel, whom no ordinary angel dares to even look at… I can only say it’s incredible.”
“Is Gabriel really that amazing? Well, I know he’s in charge of the angels, of course.”
“Yes. He’s the only angel that Satan—the leader of the Seven Great Demons—respects. Of course, Gabriel also keeps his distance from Satan.”
“I see.”
I couldn’t help but sound indifferent. It was the first time I’d heard that, but it didn’t spark much interest. More than that, being called “Suhyun” felt oddly irritating, but I decided to let it slide. I still had requests to make.
Turning my attention back to the list, my eyes caught the remaining GP count in the upper right corner.
『Current user Kim Suhyun’s Gold Points: 20,609,684 GP.』
Heh. That was quite the refund… or rather, no.
Even with so many GP, I had a couple of essential items to buy, so I couldn’t just splurge recklessly. Speaking of which, my elixirs were running low, weren’t they?
First, I’d set aside enough GP to buy about six elixirs and some stat-boosting potions, plus around six million GP reserved for emergencies like the Ha Seungwoo incident. That left me with exactly 14,609,684 GP to spend freely. No guarantee I’d get another chance to use the secret shop, so I might as well use it all now. GP could always be earned again.
“Ah.”
As I sorted through my thoughts, a sudden memory flashed through my mind.
“Seraph, didn’t you mention another item last time? Besides the rite of passage ticket?”
“The monster summoning boxes, you mean?”
Her voice brought me back, and I immediately searched the list.
『Monster Summoning Box 1 (1,000 GP)』
『Monster Summoning Box 2 (10,000 GP)』
『Monster Summoning Box 3 (100,000 GP)』
『Monster Summoning Box 4 (1,000,000 GP)』
(Description: Randomly summons monsters from across the whole Hall Plain. The higher the number engraved on the box, the stronger the monster likely to appear. If you win, you can claim the corpse or any equipment the monster was wearing.)
“Excellent choice. This is a newly added item that can summon monsters not only from the East, West, South, and North continents but also from distant regions the user hasn’t even set foot in.”
Seraph’s explanation was much like before.
“As you said, it depends heavily on the user’s luck… but if fortune favors you, very rare and special encounters can occur.”
“Oh?”
“Of course, your luck has to be exceptional… Oh, and the box doesn’t have to be opened by the purchaser.”
“Right, right.”
She kept emphasizing luck, and I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. If she’s spelling it out this clearly, only a fool wouldn’t get it. So, I just need to have Ansol open it, right?
A fun idea popped into my head. What if I gave Ansol a luck potion and had him open the box? With a luck stat of 105 points, I couldn’t even imagine what might happen. Haha.
“Not bad. I guess I should buy the best one—the Box 4.”
“Of course.”
“But a million GP… that’s pretty steep. Isn’t it a bit much to spend it all here?”
“Well, since it’s a random summon, not a designated one, yes. But considering you won’t be able to buy these again, six to ten boxes should be enough.”
Hmm. Six to ten boxes.
I hesitated a bit over how many to buy, but the indecision didn’t last long.
“Alright. I’ll get six.”
『Purchasing 6 Monster Summoning Box 4.』
『6,000,000 Gold Points have been deducted. Remaining GP: 14,609,684.』
My GP dropped sharply in an instant, but strangely, I didn’t feel it was a waste. Seraph wouldn’t lead me astray, and thinking of Ansol made me even more excited.
With the monster summoning boxes purchased, I glanced over the list again.
[……
『Argos’s Eye (1,400,000 GP)』
『Moirai’s Souvenir (55,000,000 GP)』
『Ankara’s Mirror Shield (700,000 GP)』
『Mark of the Stigma (500,000 GP)』
……]
There were quite a few intriguing items. What should I buy?
“…Huh?”
At that moment, snapping out of my thoughts, something odd caught my eye. A neat cascade of silver hair bent over the list, intently scanning the items. Looking down, I saw a delicate hand gently holding my left arm. Of course, it was Seraph.
…When did she get here? And why did she leave the perfectly fine altar to stick right next to me? No wonder I felt weird. It was like we were happily arm-in-arm, shopping together at a supermarket…
“Suhyun, it’s about time to upgrade your equipment, isn’t it?”
Seraph tugged lightly on my arm as she spoke.
“Uh, well?”
“Even if you don’t need a new weapon… I understand that your Noble Mithril Shirt and Blue Dragon Knight’s Cloak were damaged in the war two years ago.”
“That’s right.”
“Then this is a good opportunity to replace your armor entirely. You should focus on maximizing your physical defense.”
She wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t exactly dissatisfied with the Sky and Glory gear I was wearing, but durability aside, I’d been using it for far too long. It was good equipment, no doubt, but since it was made from spider silk, its physical defense was much lower than actual armor. Especially vulnerable to piercing attacks.
So, what Seraph was saying was to pay more attention to physical defense rather than relying solely on my already strong magic resistance. I did have the best protection—the ‘Gehenna’s Fortress’—but that was a last resort. Its mana consumption was insanely high. I’d felt that clearly on this expedition.
“That sounds good. Do you have anything decent?”
“Of course. Didn’t you buy some from the secret shop, Mugumdo?”
“I did. But isn’t it too expensive?”
“Your GP is more than enough.”
“No, but still, armor means helmet, chestplate, gauntlets, boots, and so on. It’s a heavy investment.”
“……”
Seraph fell silent for a moment, perhaps acknowledging my point.
“True… there are many items.”
“I’m not planning to change the gauntlets anyway. And we don’t have to get everything here, right? I have those boxes, too.”
There might be better gauntlets out there, but the ‘TOPG’ I’m wearing isn’t something to scoff at. It boosts my strength stat unconditionally and has an active ability hidden inside. Granted, it’s conditional, but still.
Seraph seemed to understand and nodded.
“If you insist, very well. Then how about reinforcing only part of your gear here?”
“Part?”
“You can get the rest elsewhere. Focus on the most important pieces like your chestplate or cloak. Accessories are fine, too. If you want, I can recommend the best items based on your current user data.”
“Uh… sure.”
For some reason, Seraph felt unusually eager today, like someone desperate to help.
“The chestplate should definitely be the one you saw last time… This cloak is powerful, but it doesn’t really match the armor… Presence is important, after all… And…”
“No, it’s fine…”
“Ah, I found them. Suhyun, could you take a look at these?”
“……”
Wait a minute.
If she just thought, ‘This would suit you best,’ then that must be my imagination, right?
But her eyes were sparkling as she looked at me, so maybe not.
Yeah. This felt a lot like a wife happily picking out things for her husband. We’re not even a couple, yet seeing her so joyful and excited made me feel oddly pressured.
“…Suhyun?”
Oops.
I forced myself to keep a calm expression and focused on the items in front of me.
『Armor of Chiwoo Cheonwang (5,400,000 GP)』
『Red Moon Cloak (1,400,000 GP)』
『Blessing of Rasillas (900,000 GP)』
But the moment I saw the list, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
A sleek, jet-black full-body armor that looked solid and impressive. An antique cloak that softly shimmered with clear, crimson moonlight. And a beautifully crafted bracelet. Visually, it was undeniably appealing.
But what kind of concept is 7.7 million GP in total? The armor alone was insanely expensive, the cloak wasn’t cheap either, and that tiny bracelet—how on earth could it cost 900,000 GP?
“It may look like a small bracelet on the outside, but I didn’t recommend it without reason.”
Oh no, did she hear that? I must have blurted it out without realizing.
“Suhyun, please explain first.”
Feeling the urgency in her prompt, I began to carefully go over the details.
“Hmm…”
“So, what do you think?”
“Yeah, it’s good. I like it.”
“That’s a relief.”
When I spoke honestly, Seraph smiled gently.
After much deliberation, I finally decided to buy everything. The performance was jaw-droppingly good, but fundamentally, it was for the same reason as before. Since I had already decided to spend all my GP, it made more sense to invest in one solid piece than to buy several mediocre items.
『Purchasing Armor of Chiwoo Cheonwang.』
『Purchasing Cloak of the Red Moon.』
『Purchasing Blessing of Rasillas.』
『7,700,000 Gold Points have been deducted. Remaining GP: 6,909,684 Gold Points.』
Now, about 6.9 million GP remained. But considering I needed to reserve 6 million for essential purchases, that left only around 900,000 GP to spare. Seraph seemed satisfied with that amount and didn’t interfere further, so I decided to spend the leftover GP and see if anything else caught my eye.
Time passed.
Though my options were limited, there were still worthwhile items. First, I bought the 『Shackles of Binding (750,000 GP)』, which I judged to be quite useful. Then, I picked up the 『Ring of Essence (100,000 GP)』, which seemed perfect for teaching a lesson to the women who had been recklessly challenging me lately…
“S-Suhyun? Please wait a moment. Why that ring…?”
I heard a belated protest, but I quickly completed the purchase. Seraph stared at me in disbelief, and I quickly averted my gaze.
“So, the remaining GP is barely 50,000 now?”
“Suhyun?”
“Phew, finally spent it all.”
“User Kim Suhyun?”
Damn it. Yeah, I know. Seraph probably thought it was an irrational purchase, and I can’t deny feeling a bit embarrassed myself.
But on the other hand, I felt a little wronged. After investing so much in new gear, couldn’t I spend just 100,000 GP on myself?
Well, whatever.
With the non-essential shopping done, I finally remembered the reward I had been putting off.
There was nothing left to worry about or delay. My heart began to beat faster.
I spoke quietly.
“Seraph.”
“…”
“Shopping’s done for now. Can you show me the list of Arousal Secret Classes?”
“…”
“Seraph?”
“Yes. Understood.”
Her voice was like a cold breeze passing by. But I didn’t mind—it meant she wouldn’t interrupt me anymore.
Gabriel was probably grinding his teeth somewhere right now, but honestly, I hadn’t come out of this empty-handed either. I had just minimized the damage, though I had sacrificed some things.
Now, the real choices began. One decision could lead to irreversible consequences—or bring results beyond my expectations.
Feeling my heart pounding with excitement and nerves, I closed my eyes tightly.
Maybe it was thanks to my keen insight.
My mind soon became as calm and clear as a still mirror.
A moment later.
“Arousal Secret Classes have been unlocked.”
As I slowly opened my eyes, ten options appeared before me.
And my gaze naturally fixed on one.
『Arousal Secret Class List』
[Sovereign of Sword]
[Empress of Iron]
[Grand Pathfinder]
[Sacred Champion]
[Celestial Bow]
[Royal Princess of Chaos]
[Saint of Pandemonium]
[Arcane Emperor]
[Blade Runner]
[Dancer of the White Night]
“This is…”
My eyes locked onto a single choice.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Apologies.
I almost dozed off while writing this note.
I’m feeling a bit worn out right now, so I’m going to get some rest first.
To those who have been waiting, I’m truly sorry. (__)