Chapter 91 - Memorize | Novel Seeker

“Wow, wow, and wow again.”

“Everything looks so old.”

“Yeah, it does.”

Yujeong and Ahn Hyun’s voices were tinged with disappointment. Meanwhile, I was busy examining each weapon with my third eye activated. Most of the weapons were too worn out to be of any use. Given that the kids had recently upgraded their gear, these relics seemed even less impressive by comparison.

However, even among these relics, items imbued with powerful magic tend to retain their form over time. I was meticulously inspecting each item the kids casually tossed aside.

“Oppa, what’s this?”

Sol’s voice snapped me to attention. If An Sol, with her 100 points of luck, picked something, it had to be special. The others seemed to sense it too, as they all turned to look at her. Sol took a step back, looking a bit overwhelmed by the sudden attention.

“What is it?”

“This…”

Sol held out a bracelet. It was heavily rusted, but something about it caught my senses, so I took it from her. After a quick inspection, I turned to Jeong Ha-yeon.

“Ha-yeon, can you use a Restore spell on this?”

“A Restore spell? Sure, but it only restores the appearance and basic functions. I can’t guarantee durability or anything else.”

“That’s what blacksmiths are for. This will do.”

I handed the bracelet to Jeong Ha-yeon, and the others’ eyes lit up with curiosity. Ahn Hyun couldn’t hold back his question.

“Hyung, what’s so special about that bracelet?”

“I’m not sure yet. I want to see it after the Restore spell.”

I had a hunch about its nature, and I intended to give it to Ahn Hyun. The Restore spell was just to clean off the rust and make it more presentable.

Jeong Ha-yeon chanted the spell, and with a gentle tap on the bracelet’s center, it was enveloped in a bright light. When the light faded, the rust had fallen away, revealing a bracelet that shimmered with a soft, moonlit glow. Jeong Ha-yeon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Could it be…?”

“Looks like Sol hit the jackpot.”

The others were visibly intrigued. Jeong Ha-yeon examined the bracelet with a mix of envy and admiration before handing it back to me.

“Congratulations. Its mana efficiency is much higher than regular steel. I suspect it contains a small amount of mithril. Depending on how you use it, it could enhance your magical abilities.”

“Mithril? Is that good, unnie?”

Yujeong asked, and Jeong Ha-yeon nodded.

“Yes, mithril is a rare mineral. It’s lighter and stronger than regular steel, and its mana efficiency is exceptional.”

“Is it expensive?”

“It’s worth whatever someone is willing to pay.”

I slipped the bracelet onto my finger and spun it around. It contained exactly 5.7% mithril. While it didn’t boost the wearer’s stats, it significantly increased mana efficiency, surpassing any equipment we currently had. I handed the bracelet to Ahn Hyun, who was practically drooling over it.

“Try it on.”

“Uh, no, hyung. You should keep it…”

“Really? Alright then.”

I pretended to take it back, and Ahn Hyun’s face fell, his eyes glued to the bracelet. I chuckled and handed it back to him.

“Just kidding. Don’t say things you don’t mean. If you don’t want it, I’ll give it to Yujeong.”

At that, Ahn Hyun quickly accepted the bracelet. As he put it on, it adjusted to fit his wrist perfectly. Oh, it even has an auto-adjust feature.

“How does it feel?”

“Hmm.”

Ahn Hyun tilted his head, tapping the bracelet with his fingers.

“I’m not sure yet, but I feel more energized. The flow of mana seems faster too.”

That was enough. Ahn Hyun continued to marvel at the bracelet, while the rest of us resumed our search. Thanks to Sol’s find, everyone was more motivated, eagerly sifting through the items. Even Sol was eyeing the scattered goods with interest.

Initially, the kids had been tossing things around, but now they brought anything remotely interesting to me. Unfortunately, their luck or eye for quality wasn’t great, as most of what they showed me was junk.

Eventually, I had to snap at them to calm down. I planned to gather anything that seemed worthwhile and check it all at once later.

Having invested in new gear before this expedition, we didn’t find any gloves worth keeping. Even the chest plates, shields, and other armor seemed inferior to what the kids already had.

Realizing this might take a while, I decided we should take a break here. After ensuring the area was safe, I called Shin Sang-yong over. He hesitated out of politeness, but when I insisted, he eagerly joined us. It seemed he was quite keen to participate. We spent the next 30 minutes sorting through the items.

“Phew, I think that’s about it.”

“Unnie, hurry up!”

“Hold on, just a moment.”

We tossed the junk aside and gathered the more promising items in the center. Jeong Ha-yeon began casting Restore spells on each one. While she worked, I counted the gold and jewels.

We had 32 ten-gold coins and 58 one-gold coins, totaling 378 gold. There were also eight large rubies, each worth at least 100 gold. We needed a lot of money to officially register as a clan, so it was a relief to know we wouldn’t have to dip into the pouch of jewels Vivian had given us. The kids gazed at the gold and jewels with dreamy eyes, feeling rewarded for their efforts.

I glanced over to see Jeong Ha-yeon catching her breath, having just finished her spells. She looked at the items with a satisfied expression. In front of her were a dagger, a cloak, and two rings—four items in total. Including the bracelet Ahn Hyun wore, we had found five treasures. I quickly activated my third eye as Jeong Ha-yeon began to speak.

“I’m not sure how to put this, but congratulations. The dagger seems to have a spell that increases the wearer’s attack speed. However, it’s more decorative than practical for combat.”

She held up the dagger, which resembled a stiletto. It didn’t seem suitable for battle, more like something an assassin might use.

“Unnie, is it good?”

“Well, it’s rare. Weapons with permanent special abilities aren’t easy to come by.”

“Oh…”

Yujeong turned to me with hopeful eyes. Unable to resist, I nodded, and she snatched the dagger with the speed of a hawk. Though it was shorter than the one I had given her, she seemed quite pleased with it.

Jeong Ha-yeon then pointed to the cloak.

“This cloak looks ordinary, but it seems to have a magic resistance spell. I’m not sure how strong it is, though. We’ll need to have it appraised in the city.”

“That’s more than enough.”

I took the cloak from Jeong Ha-yeon, smiling. I recognized it as a cloak that could defend against flame-based magic, known as the Block of Fire. It could absorb a certain amount of magic damage and reduce any excess by 40%. It also had physical resistance, making it much tougher than it appeared. It was worth at least 600 gold, even at a bargain. This cloak was meant for…

“Vivian.”

“Wow, thank you!”

Vivian gleefully wrapped the cloak around herself, while Jeong Ha-yeon looked on with a hint of envy. She quickly composed herself and picked up the two rings, placing them in her palm.

“These rings are probably the best items we’ve found. They’re really…”

Jeong Ha-yeon paused, staring at the rings. I smiled knowingly. I heard Shin Sang-yong gulp beside me. Finally, one of the rings I had been hoping for had appeared. Unfortunately, it had no effect on me.

Jung Ha-yeon glanced at the ring I had my eye on and then turned her gaze to me.

“Soo-hyun, would you like to try this ring on? I can’t be sure, but it might boost your magic abilities. I don’t sense any magical aura, but when I held it, my own magic seemed to react. It’s something I’ve only heard about, never experienced.”

Everyone around us gasped. Even the kids knew from the Academy that items enhancing abilities were priceless. I took the ring from Ha-yeon and slipped it on. As expected, my magic stats didn’t change when I checked my user information. I sighed in disappointment.

The ring did enhance abilities, but only for users with magic below 90, like the core of Vivian I had acquired before. It also had a binding feature. If my magic was at 89 and I wore the ring, it would increase to 90. Even if my magic grew beyond 90, the bound ring would still boost my stats.

But with my magic already at 96, it was useless to me. I sighed again and removed the ring, relieved it hadn’t bound to me since I didn’t meet the criteria.

“Soo-hyun…?”

“Sola, come here.”

Ha-yeon’s voice was filled with curiosity, but I called Sola over gently. She had been watching quietly, but when I called her, she looked up in surprise and quickly came to my side.

“This would be better for you.”

“What…?”

Everyone stared at me in shock. I just shrugged at their intense gazes.

“Soo-hyun, there’s something I didn’t mention. The ring might have a binding feature. Are you sure you want to give it away?”

I knew, but I had already decided. I shook my head firmly.

“It’s fine. It’s better for someone whose class relies on magic stats.”

”…You could sell it for at least 20,000 gold.”

“I have enough money. Sola using it is more beneficial. Sola, put it on.”

“O… Oppa…”

“Wow… Leader, you’re really something…”

Shin Sang-yong’s voice was filled with admiration, and Ha-yeon looked at me with newfound respect. Normally, the best items in an exploration caravan went to the leader. That was the unspoken rule. But by giving the ring to Sola, I seemed to have changed their perception. In truth, it was useless to me, but I decided to let them keep their positive misunderstanding.

“O… Oppa… I can’t… I just can’t wear it…”

Hearing the ring was worth 20,000 gold, Sola looked at it with a troubled expression. I sighed and took her left hand with one of mine, holding the ring with the other.

“Sigh. Give me your finger. You’re not a child. When will you grow up?”

Sola tried to pull her hand away, but I held on tighter. When I gently forced her delicate fingers open, she finally extended her left ring finger.

“Here?”

She didn’t answer, just nodded slightly while looking away. As the ring slipped onto her small, white finger, it adjusted automatically, just like when Hyun had equipped his bracelet.

Sola checked her user information and quietly announced that her magic stat had increased by one point. The room erupted in awe, and everyone looked at her with envy.

“Alright, the ring’s sorted. Now for the rest…”

I had no particular thoughts, but Sola seemed unusually flustered, her face redder than usual as she avoided eye contact. Was she embarrassed because this felt like something couples or newlyweds would do?

I found it cute and didn’t think much of it at the time. Little did I know what consequences this action would bring later.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Ro Yujin.

Ah, I went to the convenience store today and saw some sausages. It reminded me of my military days (the kind you score with a toothpick and heat in the microwave). I bought one, heated it up at home, and it was delicious. Maybe it was because I was hungry. Haha.

Ps. A reader (Gwiyeomxxx) sent me a growth item as a gift. I’ll make good use of it. Thank you. (__) I also want to sincerely thank everyone who gave recommendations, comments, and coupons. Bow.

『 Reader Replies 』

Jo Chang-hyun: Oh! First time seeing you in the first comment spot. Congratulations on being first. You read everything in one day, wow. Please look forward to more. :)
Kkoya: Our Shin Sang-yong is a really good friend. The group might consider themselves lucky to have met him. Even though I created him, he’s a great character. Hehe.
GradeRown: Bingo. Such equipment could definitely exist. A TS belt, haha. If it existed, it would cause quite a stir. If Park Dong-geol were TS’d… huh?
Wind Moon Master: Wow, that’s an interesting thought. I never considered it. Haha. I’ll look into it and see if I can incorporate it into future settings. Thank you. (__)
zjekfksqlc: Haha, same as me… Oh, never mind. Ahem. Yes, Sola crying is the best… Oops. ㅜ.ㅠ
Miwolya: Oh dear. What is an Imprason? Haha. Correction complete. Thanks for pointing out the typo.
Bear Liz: Roar! If you don’t comment on the next chapter, I’ll bite! Just kidding. Haha. It’s been a while. How have you been? :)
Red Moon Sky: Good. That’s a very good question. Since it’s from a secret shop, it should be effective, right? It doesn’t just increase a level; it raises the rank itself. Haha. It’s really good.
Final Dragon: Ah! Not only Soo-hyun but me too, turning me into a virgin. Well, at least I’m not being treated as a eunuch. Haha. Look forward to after the exploration. It might not be a love scene, but… (　—).
Nine Spirits: Haha. I received it from Noswood. Isn’t it amazing? I finally got a cover!

Your recommendations and comments are the driving force for continuous updates. (This is the truth.)