"…For some reason, they all look old and worn out."
"Yeah, I know."
I could hear the disappointment in Yun-Jung and An-Hyun's voices. But while they were discouraged, I was carefully inspecting each weapon with my third eye activated. Most of them were in such poor condition that they could no longer serve their original purpose. Given that the others had recently had their weapons custom-made, it was no surprise that these seemed even less impressive by comparison.
However, even among these relics, items infused with powerful magic tend to retain their form despite the passage of time. While the others casually dismissed and tossed some of them aside, I made sure to pick them up again and examine them carefully.
"Oppa, what's this?"
At the sound of Sol's voice, I immediately turned my head. Since Sol had a luck stat of 100, anything she picked out was bound to be special. The others must have felt the same because they all turned their attention to her at the same time. Taken aback by the sudden focus, Sol shrank back a little.
"What is it?"
"This…"
What Sol held out was none other than a bracelet. Although heavily rusted, I could sense something unusual about it. Without hesitation, I took it from her and examined it closely. After a moment, I turned to Jung Ha-Yeong.
"Ha-Yeong, can you use a Restore spell?"
"A restoration spell? Of course, but keep in mind that it only restores appearance and functionality. I can't do anything about durability or other aspects."
"That's a job for the blacksmiths. This is more than enough."
"In that case, hand it over."
As I handed the bracelet to Jung Ha-Yeong, the previously uninterested expressions of the others suddenly lit up with curiosity. Unable to hold back any longer, An-Hyun asked me, "Hyung, what's so special about that bracelet?"
"I'm not sure yet. I want to check it again after the restoration spell."
Of course, having used my third eye, I already had a rough idea of what it was. I had even decided to give it to An-Hyun. The reason I asked for a restoration spell was that it was in too poor a condition to use as it was—I wanted to at least remove the rust.
Jung Ha-Yeong held the bracelet and quietly chanted a spell. Then, with her slender fingers, she gently tapped the center of the bracelet. Immediately, a bright light enveloped the entire piece. As the glow faded, the rust crumbled away, revealing the bracelet's original surface. Now fully restored, it emitted a soft, silvery glow under the light.
Seeing this, Jung Ha-Yeong's eyes widened in surprise.
"This is… could it be…?"
"Hehe, looks like Sol found a real gem."
The others all wore curious expressions. Jung Ha-Yeong examined the bracelet from different angles before finally handing it back to me with a look full of envy.
"Congratulations. This material conducts mana far better than regular steel. It's just my guess, but… I think it contains a small amount of mithril. That means, depending on how you use it, it could even help channel magic."
"Mithril? Unnie, is that good?"
At Yun-Jung's sudden interjection, Jung Ha-Yeong nodded.
"Of course. Mithril is an incredibly rare mineral. It's lighter than regular steel, yet far stronger. More importantly… its mana conductivity is extremely high."
"Is it expensive?"
"…The price depends on the seller."
I slipped a finger through the bracelet's loop and spun it around. Based on my analysis, it contained exactly 5.7% mithril. It didn't boost any specific stats, but simply wearing it would enhance the player's mana efficiency. In fact, its effectiveness surpassed any of the gear we currently had.
Turning to An-Hyun, who was now practically drooling, I handed him the bracelet.
"Try it on."
"H-Huh? No, Hyung, you should—"
"Oh? Alright then."
I coolly withdrew my hand and took the bracelet back.
An-Hyun's face immediately twisted in an odd expression, his eyes fixated on the bracelet like a child watching candy being taken away.
I chuckled and, after enjoying the moment, handed it back to him.
"Just kidding. Anyway, don't say things you don't mean. If you don't want it, I'll just give it to Yun-Jung instead."
At that, An-Hyun quickly snatched the bracelet from my hand. As our group watched enviously, the bracelet adjusted itself perfectly to fit his wrist. Oh? So it had an auto-adjustment feature too.
"…How does it feel?"
"Hmm."
An-Hyun tilted his head in thought before tapping the bracelet lightly with his fingers.
"I'm not entirely sure yet… but I feel more energized. The flow of my mana seems faster too."
That was good enough. An-Hyun, still fascinated, kept fiddling with the bracelet. Leaving him to it, we resumed our search. Thanks to Sol's lucky find, everyone was now even more determined, rummaging through the pile of items with renewed enthusiasm. Even Sol was smacking her lips, eyeing the scattered loot like a gourmet faced with a grand feast.
Earlier, they had been carelessly tossing things around, but now it was the complete opposite—whenever they found something that even seemed valuable, they would rush over and shove it in my face. Unfortunately, whether it was due to their low luck stats or lack of discernment, everything they brought me turned out to be nothing but scraps.
They kept insisting so much that I eventually lost my patience and snapped at them, which finally made them settle down. I decided to just set aside anything that looked remotely promising and check them all at once later.
Given that we had invested in good gear before coming here, I hadn't found any gloves worth swapping out. The same went for chest guards, armor plates, and shields—what we were already wearing was far superior.
Since this was going to take a while, I decided we might as well take an extended break here. After scanning the surroundings to make sure no one else was nearby, I called out to Shin Sang-Yong. He hesitated out of politeness, declining once or twice, but after some encouragement, he eagerly trotted over. He hadn't said anything, but it was obvious he had been itching to join in.
And so, for the next 30 minutes, we carefully sorted through the pile, picking out anything that seemed useful.
"Whew. I guess that's about it."
"Unnie, hurry up!"
"Geez, be patient."
After sorting everything, we tossed the useless scrap metal far away and gathered the more promising items in the center. We sat around them in a circle while Jung Ha-Yeong started casting restoration spells on each piece.
While she worked, I took stock of the coins and gems.
We had:
32 ten-gold coins58 one-gold coins
That totaled 378 gold—not bad.
We also had eight large rubies, each worth at least 100 gold.
Since registering as an official clan required a hefty sum, this haul meant I wouldn't have to touch the gemstone pouch Vivienne had given me. That was a relief.
The others stared at the gold and jewels with dazed expressions. It was as if all their struggles had finally been rewarded at once.
Turning back, I saw Jung Ha-Yeong taking a deep breath. She had just finished casting her restoration magic and was gazing at the items with a dazed look. In front of her lay four newly restored artifacts: a dagger, a cloak, and two rings.
Including the bracelet An-Hyun had already equipped, that made five enchanted items—an excellent haul.
Activating my third eye, I examined the items just as Jung Ha-Yeong spoke up.
"I don't even know what to say… but first of all, congratulations. The dagger, for example, seems to have an enchantment that increases the player's attack speed. However… it's not really suited for combat. It seems more like a decorative piece."
She lifted the dagger. It closely resembled a stiletto—a thin, needle-like blade known for its piercing ability rather than slashing. Honestly, it didn't look very practical for battle. Perhaps an assassin might make use of it…
"Unnie, is it valuable?"
"Technically, yes. Weapons with permanent enchantments like this are rare—you can't just find them anywhere."
"Oh…"
Yun-Jung immediately turned to me, her eyes sparkling.
I sighed. "What?"
"Aaaah~!"
I couldn't bring myself to ignore those pleading eyes. With a reluctant nod, I gave in.
Yun-Jung snatched the dagger at lightning speed, like a hawk diving for prey. Though its blade was much shorter than the one I had originally given her, she still looked completely satisfied, holding it close like a precious treasure.
Jung Ha-Yeong then pointed to the cloak and spoke.
"This cloak may look like a plain, faded piece of fabric, but it seems to have some kind of magic resistance enchantment. However, I can't determine the exact level of protection. We'll probably need to have it appraised in the city."
"Hm. That's more than enough information."
Taking the cloak from her, I couldn't help but smile.
I already knew exactly what this was.
It was a Block of Fire cloak, an enchanted item that provided protection against flame-based magic. It could fully block weaker fire spells and, even against stronger ones, it would reduce incoming damage by 40%.
But that wasn't all. Despite its ordinary cloth-like appearance, the entire fabric was imbued with physical resistance magic, making it far more durable than regular fabric. Even at the lowest estimate, this cloak would be worth at least 600 gold on the market.
Which meant there was only one person this should go to.
"Vivienne."
"Waaah, thanks!"
Vivienne eagerly grabbed the cloak and wrapped it around herself with a delighted expression.
Jung Ha-Yeong, watching this unfold, sent her a jealous glance but quickly composed herself. Without a word, she picked up the last two remaining items—a pair of rings—and placed them on her palm.
"These two rings… I'd say they're the best items we've found so far. They're truly…"
Jung Ha-Yeong trailed off as she examined them, momentarily lost for words.
I smirked.
Beside me, Shin Sang-Yong gulped audibly.
Finally, one of the rings I had been hoping for had appeared. Unfortunately, it was useless to me.
Jung Ha-Yeong's gaze shifted to the very ring I had set my sights on. Then, she turned to me.
"Su-Hyeon, would you try this ring on? I can't say for sure, but I think it might enhance magic power. I don't sense any direct magical abilities, but just holding it makes my mana instinctively react. I've only ever heard of such cases—I've never experienced one myself."
A collective gasp swept through the group.
Every one of them had studied at the Player Academy, so they knew exactly what this meant. Items that directly boosted stats were priceless. The kind of treasure where the seller named the price, and buyers scrambled to meet it.
Without hesitation, I accepted the ring and slipped it onto my finger.
Immediately, I checked my Player Status—but as expected, my magic power stat remained unchanged.
I let out a small sigh of disappointment.
This ring did enhance magic power—but only for players with a magic stat of 90 or lower.
Moreover, it had a binding effect.
The strange thing about this ring was that if a player with 89 magic power wore it, their stat would increase to 90. If they then trained and naturally surpassed 90, the ring—already bound to them—would continue to provide its bonus indefinitely.
But with my magic power already at 96, the ring's effect didn't apply to me.
Letting out another sigh, I removed the ring. Since I didn't meet the conditions, there was no risk of it binding to me.
"Su-Hyeon…?"
Jung Ha-Yeong's voice carried a note of confusion.
Ignoring her for the moment, I turned to Sol and called her in a gentle tone.
"Sol, come here."
She had been quietly watching from the sidelines, but when I called her name, she flinched before hurrying over with small, quick steps.
"This would be better in your hands."
"Huh…?"
The room fell silent.
Everyone was staring at me in shock, eyes wide with disbelief.
I simply shrugged.
"Su-Hyeon, I didn't mention this earlier because I wasn't sure… but the ring might have a binding effect. Are you sure you want to give it away? You won't be able to take it back once it's equipped."
So she had noticed.
But I had already made up my mind.
I shook my head decisively.
"It's fine. A class that relies heavily on magic power should use it."
"…You do realize that if we sold this ring, we could get at least 20,000 gold, right?"
"I have enough money. Sol will make better use of it."
"Sol, put it on."
"Orabeoni…"
"Wow… Leader, you really are something else…"
Beside me, Shin Sang-Yong muttered in admiration.
Jung Ha-Yeong also looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.
Normally, in expedition caravans, the strongest or the leader claimed the best item—it was an unspoken rule.
By giving it up, especially something so valuable, I had clearly shattered their expectations.
Of course, the truth was simple: the ring was useless to me.
But if they wanted to misinterpret this as an act of selfless leadership, I saw no reason to correct them.
"O-O-O… orabeoni… I-I don't know… I just… I just c-can't wear it…."
At the mention of 20,000 gold, Sol hesitated, staring at the ring with clear unease.
I let out a short sigh, then firmly took her left hand with one of mine while holding the ring in the other.
"Come on. Hand it over. You're not a kid anymore. When are you going to grow up?"
Sol kept trying to pull her hand away, but the more she resisted, the tighter I held on.
Finally, as I gently but firmly pried open her fingers, she gave in, shyly extending her left ring finger.
"Here…?"
She didn't respond verbally.
She just averted her gaze, nodding ever so slightly.
And then—
As soon as the ring slipped onto her delicate, pale finger, it automatically adjusted itself, just like Hyun's bracelet had done.
A few seconds later, Sol checked her Player stats—her voice barely above a whisper:
"My magic power… increased by 1…"
A collective gasp filled the room.
The others stared in envy, eyes wide with awe.
"Alright, that settles the ring. Now for the rest—"
I was about to move on when I noticed something strange.
Sol's face was red—really red.
She was fidgeting, turning her head left and right, trying to avoid looking at me.
…Wait.
This—
This kind of looked like…
—A scene between lovers, or even a wedding.
I nearly laughed at the absurdity.
She's embarrassed over that?
I found it amusing and let it go without much thought.
But back then, I had no idea…
…That this small action would one day lead to something much, much bigger.
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