Chapter 47

00047 Dungeon Of Alchemist =========================================================================

To put it simply, the children couldn't master detection in just one day. Not even the one hour I demanded, and Yoo-jung, who lasted the longest, collapsed after 28 minutes. Honestly, it was praiseworthy for a first attempt, but I deliberately didn't say much.

The small town of Muel, being a frontier town, only had the buildings that were there when it was discovered. New buildings that had been added were only the essentials. There was no place for specialized training like in a big city. Therefore, for the time being, I planned to have the children practice detection only.

While the children were training, I left the inn under the pretext of gathering information. Even though I remembered the past, there was no guarantee that the information I had was accurate. Moreover, for minor matters, it was best to verify them before taking action. However, there was one thing I needed to settle first.

Before moving, I first went to the user storage. The user storage can be thought of as an inventory that can't be carried around. Classified as a <Setting> in Hol Plain, it is a personal space that no one else can touch, but with the limitation that only items purchased with GP can be stored.

I found the user storage by recalling my memory and slowly examined the items inside. I felt it was better to use everything I could now, rather than hoard and waste them. I took out all the potions I had and swallowed them all without hesitation.

『Using Angel's Tears. 6 ability points have been added.』

『Using Health Potion. Health points have increased by 2.』

『Using Vision Potion. 1 ability point has been added.』

I smiled contentedly as I read the messages that appeared in sequence. Eager to check my information, I immediately loaded the user status window.

< User Information (Player Status) >

1. Name: Kim Su-hyun (0 years)

2. Class: Sword Specialist Master

3. Nation: -

4. Clan: -

5. True Name · Nationality: Master of the Sword (劍) · Republic of Korea

6. Gender: Male (24)

7. Height · Weight: 181.5cm · 75.0kg

8. Alignment: Lawful · Chaos

< Ability Points (12 points remaining) >

1. [Strength 94] [Endurance 92] [Agility 98] [Health 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 88]

< Achievements (1) >

1. Rite of Passage Boss Monster

< Unique Abilities (1/1) >

1. Third Eye (Rank: S)

< Special Abilities (1/1) >

1. Sword and Spirit Union (Rank: EX)

< Potential Abilities (4/4) (1 point remaining) >

1. Close Combat (Rank: A Plus)

2. Unyielding (Rank: A Plus)

3. True Insight (Rank: A Plus)

4. Blessing of the Battlefield (Rank: EX)

The more I looked at my current abilities and points, the more I felt a mix of pride and unfamiliarity. A strange pleasure that I couldn't feel in the first round seemed to take hold of me.

2 points from the boss monster, 6 points from Angel's Tears, 2 points from the health potion, and 4 points from the user mission reward. Excluding the 2 points from the health potion, I had 12 points left. Additionally, I had one point left to upgrade my potential ability ranks.

I still hadn't decided where to invest my ability points. Logically, investing in health would be the right choice. But emotionally, I couldn't help but be drawn to strength, magic, and agility. I didn't really want to stop myself, either. This dilemma was similar when it came to ability points. I was very disappointed that I couldn't invest in my unique ability.

Abilities: Strength, Endurance, Agility, Health, Magic.

Potential Abilities: Close Combat, Unyielding, True Insight.

If others, or rather, other users, saw this, they would probably throw stones, calling it a happy dilemma.

In the end, I couldn't make a decision and put it off again. Since I had already absorbed everything, I could raise the points whenever needed. I also wanted to think more about it and prepare for any situation that might arise in the future.

After some thought, I decided to keep the sword and elixir in the user storage for the time being. Both were late-game items, so there was no need to take them out or use them in the early stages. Moreover, even a simple-looking sword could cause trouble if seen by a user with a keen eye for exploration. I could take them out when I acquired a subspace, a symbol of a high-level user. I took out 300 gold coins, which was 30% of my total gold, and finished my business at the storage.

Turning my head, I saw the leisurely main street of the town. The information I wanted was not about the current situation of the northern continent but about the information needed to achieve our goals. Honestly, if I had more time, I would have liked to go to an unstable area and clear out monsters while growing steadily.

However, the time we had left was too short. I wanted to have an official clan name before the first coalition war broke out and the clans rose up. Forming an official clan within three months, except for creating a branch of a large clan, was a very difficult task.

In the end, the only remaining method was to quickly pick the best parts of Muel and build up our achievements.

There are three essential places to conquer in Muel:

The Ruined Laboratory, the Ancient Alchemist Vivian's Dungeon, and the Cave of Screams.

The Cave of Screams was a cave that my caravan accidentally discovered after the second year. However, the laboratory and the alchemist's dungeon were only known by rumor and required preparation.

Most new users mistakenly think that finding caves or dungeons is easy. But such places don't just pop up easily. They are often hidden behind barriers or require specific items to enter.

Of course, with the Third Eye I currently possess, it might be possible to solve a significant part of the problem, but there were too many uncertain factors to be optimistic.

I decided to go to the library. In Hol Plain, the library is a facility that collects and opens various types of documents and records for users to read.

Since the surrounding situation was chaotic and the town was just starting, the representative clans prioritized stabilizing the city. In such a situation, openly declaring that you would explore a cave or dungeon was foolish. I knew going to the library was a bit futile, but I had no choice.

If all else failed, I could start with the Cave of Screams. But I wanted to leave it as a last resort if possible.

*

Four days passed. During this time, the children clearly showed their growth. Among them, Sol made the most significant progress. It seemed he had too much magic power from the beginning and had trouble controlling it. However, after I taught him my efficient mana management techniques and guided him a few times, his skills improved rapidly.

As time went on, I began to demand more from the children. I required them to maintain magic detection while moving around, not just standing still. The children, who had just achieved 40 minutes of detection, immediately fell back when I added movement.

An-hyun and Yoo-jung complained, but I silenced them with a single sentence: "Then do you want to stand still and fight in battle?"

I added one more requirement for Sol. Among the basic divine spells that priests learn, there is a spell called Shackles. Along with Cure, it was one of the most useful divine spells in the early stages.

Clang!

I took out a silver coin and flicked it high into the air. The silver coin, spinning in the air, soon fell back into my hand. Looking at Sol, who was watching with a serious face, I calmly explained the training method.

"Remember the part of the silver coin I caught well. For mages and priests, the next most important thing after magic ability is spell speed. How quickly and efficiently you can cast the spell you intend to. That's the key. Try to catch the silver coin with Shackles before it hits the ground."

"Yes!"

Seeing Sol answer enthusiastically with a smile, I smiled softly. Then Sol suddenly leaned his head forward, making me flustered. But I soon understood his intention and reached out to pat his head.

After sending Sol off, I was about to focus on the documents I had brought from the library when the door to the next room burst open. A moment later, the door to my room opened with a rough sound. Lifting my head, I saw Yoo-jung's face peeking in.

============================ Author's Note ============================

Oops. Today's volume is short. The aftereffects of yesterday's 17K... I'm a bit down.

Still, I don't feel as bad as I did on the 45th chapter. I'm glad. Back then, writing was really depressing, but it seems people change with the situation.

Many readers gave me valuable advice. My writing follows one principle: slow down on necessary parts, speed up on fast parts. Haha. But if this principle affects the quality of the writing, it means there's a problem with my writing skills.

However, I realize I was wrong about the comedy. I wanted to add serious comedy, but it didn't work as well as I hoped. After talking with many writers, I realized my mistake. I will avoid this in the future.

By reducing the explanations and descriptions as much as possible today, the volume seems to have decreased by almost 1K~2K. I'll try to bring a bit more volume tomorrow. I appreciate your understanding. :)

『Replies to Comments』

1. Ayliria: Congratulations on being number one again. You're back to the first OP. :)

2. Einthe: Despair builds a man! Hahaha. It's been a while since I thought of that line.

3. GradeRown: Correct. There is a more complex setting, but it would be too long to write in the afterword... It's a bit awkward to say "well done" in the afterword. If you send me a message, I'll send you the setting.

4. Pobori: Yes. Su-hyun said not to use it. 101 points is indeed a great ability, but investing in luck is a bit ambiguous (please refer to the order of importance of the abilities mentioned in the early stages).

5. SealedTolstoy, BaekIntimo, HuhHuhSangin: I sincerely appreciate your valuable advice. Thanks to you, I had a lot to think about today and found a way to improve. I will work harder to meet your expectations.

I always read all the comments. I hope you don't feel too disappointed if your comment isn't in the replies. If you have any specific questions, please send me a message and I'll answer.

I hope you always read the story with a comfortable mind.

I welcome all recommendations, comments, criticisms, and questions.