"Rare Class? Energy Spearman?"
Yun-Jung repeated my words, then widened her eyes in shock and let out a deep breath. The reactions from the others were similar. In a way, they seemed even more shocked than when I revealed that I had a Secret Class.
I had already proven my skills and gained some level of recognition from the group, but An-Hyun was different—he hadn't shown any particularly outstanding abilities before suddenly ranking up. That might have been why the reaction was even stronger.
"N-no way! Why is it only An-Hyun...!?"
"Is this caravan blessed by the goddess of luck or something? Seriously..."
"Shh."
I furrowed my brow slightly and placed my index finger against my lips. At that, Yun-Jung and Shin Sang-Yong, who had been voicing their complaints and exclamations, immediately fell silent. Meanwhile, An-Hyun was trembling uncontrollably, biting his lip hard. His body was struggling to withstand the power that far exceeded his original magical ability.
But this was undoubtedly a good thing. For a Year 0 player, whose stats and abilities were still undeveloped, evolving into such a high-tier class could be considered a stroke of fate. Having such immense predefined power enter an unrefined body meant his abilities had, to some extent, naturally improved.
"That's unlikely to happen, but ranking up is an extremely important process. It's already difficult enough, and if the surroundings are noisy, it could make things even more distracting. Even if you're curious, hold back for now and ask after the succession is complete. It won't take too long."
At my words, I could hear the sound of everyone swallowing nervously. Beside me, Yun-Jung openly gulped while keeping her eyes locked on An-Hyun. Her face was filled with longing—it was obvious she was incredibly jealous.
I stroked the demon sword, Sculepf, resting in my arms before shifting my gaze back to An-Hyun.
"Ugh… Ugh… Ah…"
An-Hyun was following my words faithfully. His whole body was trembling like a leaf in the wind, but the way he gripped the Spear Of Raven so tightly showed his determination not to let go. Inwardly cheering him on, I gently wrapped an arm around Yun-Jung's shoulders.
After hearing her true feelings today, I felt guilty for being a little cold to her. From now on, I decided to cherish her more and be more affectionate.
"Hing… Oppa…"
Yun-Jung pouted and immediately buried her head against my shoulder. Meanwhile, An-Sol was too focused on watching her own brother to pay attention to anything else.
I absentmindedly stroked Yun-Jung's soft hair while keeping my eyes locked on An-Hyun, watching his every tiny movement.
Soon, I could see the trembling in his body gradually subside. He was now breathing intermittently, his eyes darting around, signaling that the process was nearing its end.
And finally, the moment his arms went limp and his grip on the spear loosened, his entire body became enveloped in a radiant golden light.
"It's a success."
With a satisfied expression, I spoke as the golden light elegantly swirled around An-Hyun's body before vanishing in an instant. As the glow faded, An-Hyun emerged, staring blankly into space as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. He was probably checking his player status.
Curious myself, I naturally activated my Third Eye.
< Player Status >
Name: An-Hyun (Year 0)Class: Energy Spearman (Rare)Nation: -Clan: -True Name · Nationality: Successor of Forgotten Ancient Spearmanship · South KoreaSex: Male (22)Height · Weight: 178.8cm · 67.5kgDisposition: Amity · Moderation
[Strength: 61] [Resistance: 58] [Agility: 74] [Vitality: 63] [Magic: 58] [Luck: 61]
< Achievements (0) >
< Special Abilities (1/1) >
Spear Master (Rank: C Zero)
< Latent Abilities (1/4) >
Defensive Formation (Rank: E +)
< Recent Stat Comparison >
Before:
[Strength: 59] [Resistance: 57] [Agility: 74] [Vitality: 61] [Magic: 49] [Luck: 61]
After:
[Strength: 61] [Resistance: 58] [Agility: 74] [Vitality: 63] [Magic: 58] [Luck: 61]
As I carefully read through An-Hyun's player status, I couldn't help but be impressed. The changes were truly remarkable. While it was expected for his class and true name to change, the shift in disposition, the increase in stats, and the awakening of special and latent abilities were all at the highest level.
Originally, An-Hyun's disposition was True · Neutral, but it had now shifted slightly toward the good-aligned Amity · Moderation. His actions over time had influenced his inner nature. But that wasn't all.
His stats had increased significantly: +2 Strength, +1 Resistance, +2 Vitality, and +9 Magic, for a total of +14 points. In less than two months since arriving in Mule, he had achieved a double-digit stat increase. While the Rare Class promotion naturally caused a major boost in Magic, even considering that, this level of growth was astounding.
Then there were his abilities: Spear Master and Defensive Formation. Awakening both a special ability and a latent ability in less than six months was already impressive, but Spear Master even started at Rank C. Though Defensive Formation was a lower rank, it provided top-tier defense by blocking both physical and magical attacks. In other words, he was starting off with an incredible advantage.
I wanted to shout that it was unfair, that it was broken—but my conscience stopped me before I could even think about it. After all, just looking at Sword's Heart, which had reached EX Rank, was enough to completely overshadow everything An-Hyun had just achieved.
With that in mind, I set aside any petty thoughts and chose to wholeheartedly celebrate An-Hyun's growth.
"Hyung."
"...Yeah. Congratulations."
An-Hyun looked at me with a dazed expression, still lost in a fog of disbelief. Smiling brightly, I congratulated him. But instead of responding, he staggered toward me, his unfocused eyes locked onto mine.
I figured it was just his overwhelming emotions getting the best of him, so I gently patted his shoulder as he approached. And at that moment—
"Hyung!!!!"
He lunged at me.
This wasn't the first time he'd done something like this, and I had already anticipated it. So, as An-Hyun charged forward with open arms, I calmly lifted my foot.
I fully intended to kick him away the moment he got close.
*
"Now, let's summarize all the items we obtained from the Ruined Laboratory."
By now, it was probably dark outside. It was best to avoid the nights of the Hall Plain. The journey from the Ruined Laboratory back to Mule would take three days on foot. While camping out along the way was inevitable, voluntarily moving through the night was something to be avoided. It was much safer to depart early in the morning and push forward with a forced march.
Besides, my body wasn't in peak condition yet—I needed some time to recover.
Since we had already decided to stay the night, it made sense to take stock of everything we had acquired. This expedition had been nothing short of a jackpot. If we included the equipment the others were already using, the gains were truly staggering.
Financial Gains:
480 Gold Coins
8 Large Rubies (worth approximately 100 gold each)
Total earnings: 1,280 Gold
Equipment Acquired:Mithril Bracelet (enhances mana flow) → An-Hyun
Decorative Dagger with Mithril Traces → Yun-Jung
Block of Fire (a cape with fire-related properties) → Vivienne
Ring that increases Magic Power by 1 point → An-Hyun
Ring with Anti-Magic properties (allows for 3 uses) → Me
Key Items:
Heart of the Demon Count Belphegor
Demon Sword, Sculepf
Spear Of Raven (obtained in the secret room, triggered An-Hyun's Rare Class evolution)
Elixir of Vitality Enhancement
Ancient Spearmaster's Records
Gloves of Reduction
Pendant found in a pouch
Necklace discovered by Jung Ha-Yeong
Jung Ha-Yeong, who had cast restoration magic on most of the items, tilted her head slightly before handing me the pendant and necklace.
I had already used my Third Eye to analyze both items, but I patiently listened to everything she had to say.
"...I understand the necklace, but the pendant doesn't seem to have anything special. The necklace, on the other hand, is a very valuable item. It appears to be imbued with an ancient Memorize magic, which has been lost in the Hall Plain… Well, I can't say for sure, but it's definitely a similar type of magic. And not just that—it's an enhanced, permanent version of it.
This necklace can store up to two spells at a time. Whenever the player speaks the activation phrase, the stored spell will be instantly released. However, it cannot store divine spells—it's strictly a tool for mages."
As Jung Ha-Yeong explained, the necklace—named Glory Necklace—was a relic of the lost Memorize magic. While undeniably useful, it wasn't as groundbreaking as An-Hyun's Rare Class promotion. Perhaps that's why she remained relatively composed.
As for the pendant, well… it was exactly that—just a worthless pendant. I had half a mind to crush it underfoot right then and there. However, seeing An-Sol's anxious expression, I held back. Instead, I quietly pushed it aside, making a mental note to dispose of it later when she wasn't looking.
"Hehehe..."
An-Hyun let out a creepy chuckle, clearly thrilled about something. From time to time, he even cast lovestruck glances at me, his eyes practically sparkling with admiration. Each time he did, I casually pointed at my foot—a silent warning.
"If you want to get kicked, come closer."
That seemed to keep him in check, at least for now.
Now, it was time to distribute the newly acquired items. The group stared at me, anticipation written all over their faces.
I decided to finish up with An-Hyun first, pulling out the Gloves of Reduction and the Ancient Spear Master's Records.
"An-Hyun, that spear feels a bit heavy, doesn't it?"
"Hehehe. Yeah, it's much heavier than the one I used before."
Watching him grin like a fool, I sighed and casually tossed him the gloves and record book.
"As Jung Ha-Yeong mentioned earlier, these gloves have the effect of reducing the weight of whatever you're holding. Keep in mind, though—it doesn't actually increase your strength. It simply lowers the perceived weight. And the record book is written in Ancient Script. It's probably related to spear techniques, so once we get back to the city, ask Vivienne to decipher it for you."
"Understood, sir!"
An-Hyun eagerly swept up the items assigned to him, looking positively elated.
Meanwhile, I turned my gaze toward Shin Sang-Yong, who was watching An-Hyun with undisguised envy. Beside him, Vivienne sat idly, her expression unreadable.
At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind—a connection between the elixir, Vivienne's purified soul orb, the demon heart, the Harmonious Magic Square, and alchemy.
Maybe… just maybe…
"Hyung!"
"…Alright, that's enough. Cut it out already."
As I was lost in thought, An-Hyun lunged at me again, and I swiftly kicked him away before shaking my head.
I had managed to piece together a puzzle in my mind, but the field in question wasn't my area of expertise, so I couldn't confidently guarantee success.
For now, I decided to keep the Glory Necklace and the pendant in my possession. I had considered giving the necklace to Vivienne, but since she mainly relied on beast summoning magic, she refused it herself. Honestly, even I had to admit—it suited Jung Ha-Yeong far better than Vivienne. However, I couldn't give it to her yet. Strengthening our relationship would have to wait until after we returned to Mule and settled things between us.
"Tch. He's the only one benefiting from this. It's like this whole place was made just for him." Yun-Jung grumbled beside me.
She pouted and huffed openly, her jealousy plain as day.
For a brief moment, I thought about the demonic sword, Sculepf, which was still in my possession. But now wasn't the right time to hand it over.
That thing was, without a doubt, a demonic sword—an incredibly dangerous weapon. Even if it was behaving obediently for now, I needed to fully tame it before passing it along.
Still… seeing Yun-Jung's slumped shoulders, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for her. Since I had already decided to pay more attention to her moving forward, I figured I should personally make it up to her later.
Since we were underground, the risk of being ambushed was low, but just in case, I ordered a watch rotation.
An-Hyun, who was usually slow and sluggish when it came to setting up camp, was moving faster than anyone today. Normally, he maintained a stoic demeanor, but watching him buzz around excitedly, I was reminded that he was still just a kid.
Yun-Jung, seemingly annoyed by the sight, snarked at him again.
But for once, An-Hyun was in too good of a mood to care—he simply responded with a warm, content smile.
"Hmm... Vivienne? Come here."
"Huh? Why?"
Since An-Hyun rarely called for her, Vivienne tilted her head in curiosity as she responded.
Then, in the gentlest tone he'd ever used, An-Hyun spoke—right in front of Yun-Jung.
"Since we're both Rare Class, let's get along well. Come on, lay your sleeping bag next to mine. We'll leave a space in the middle for our great Secret Class hyung. That sounds about right, doesn't it?"
At those words, An-Sol stared at him, completely dumbfounded.
And it wasn't just her—Jung Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong also gawked at the conversation in disbelief.
It was embarrassing as hell, but at the same time, I wanted to let him enjoy this moment.
Unsurprisingly, Yun-Jung lunged at An-Hyun shortly after. It was practically inevitable.
Despite that small commotion, we eventually settled things and had dinner.
There was still a bit of time left before we had to sleep, but since we planned to wake up at dawn, we decided to turn in early.
Lying down in my sleeping bag, I watched Vivienne's back as she took the first watch.
By tomorrow, we'd be on our way back to Mule.
It hadn't been an easy expedition, but we'd gained a lot from it.
With that final thought, I closed my eyes, feeling at peace.
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