Chapter 91

00091 Wow, wow. And another wow. ==========================================================

"…Somehow, they all seem old."

"Yeah, that's true."

I could hear the disappointed voices of Yoo-jung and Ahn-hyun. However, I was activating my Third Eye and examining each weapon one by one. Most of the weapons, having been left for a long time, were in poor condition and could no longer function properly. Also, since the kids had recently upgraded their equipment, the items they were seeing now seemed relatively fewer.

However, items that possess powerful magical power tend to maintain their form even after a long time. I was also carefully examining the items that the kids had casually thrown aside.

"Bro. What's this?"

At the sound of Sol's voice, I turned my head lightning-fast. If it was something that Sol, with her 100 points of luck, had picked out, it was bound to be something extraordinary. The kids also seemed to feel the same way, as they all turned their gazes to Sol at the same time. With everyone's attention on her, Sol took a step back, looking a bit flustered.

"Why?"

"This one…."

The item Sol held out was a bracelet. Though it was heavily rusted, I could sense something from it, so I immediately took it. After examining the bracelet for a moment, I looked at Jung Hyeon.

"Jung Hyeon. Is it possible to use the Restore spell?"

"Restore spell? Sure. But it can only restore the appearance and internal functions. I can't guarantee the durability or other aspects."

"That's the blacksmiths' job. That's enough."

"Then, give it to me."

After a while, as I handed the bracelet to Jung Hyeon, the kids' previously indifferent eyes sparkled. Ahn-hyun, unable to contain his curiosity, asked me.

"Bro. What's so special about that bracelet?"

"I don't know yet. I'm going to use the Restore spell and take another look."

Of course, after using my Third Eye, I already had a rough idea of what it was. I had already decided to give it to Ahn-hyun. I asked for the Restore spell to be cast because I wanted to remove the rust as much as possible to make it usable.

Jung Hyeon held the bracelet and quietly recited the spell. Then, she lightly tapped the center of the bracelet with her slender fingers, and the entire bracelet was enveloped in a bright light. After a moment, when all the light disappeared, the rust fell off, revealing the surface of the bracelet. The restored bracelet was emitting a gentle moonlight. Jung Hyeon's eyes widened as she confirmed this.

"Could this be…?"

"Hehe. Sol did a good job."

The kids all looked curious. Jung Hyeon held the bracelet for a moment, examining it from all angles, then returned it to me with a look of envy.

"Congratulations. The mana efficiency is much higher than regular steel. Based on my guess… it seems to contain a small amount of mithril. In other words, it can be used to enhance mana, depending on how you use it."

"Mithril? Is that good, sis?"

Yoo-jung's interruption made Jung Hyeon nod.

"Sure. Mithril is a very rare mineral. It's lighter and stronger than regular steel, and… its mana efficiency is extremely high."

"Expensive?"

"…It's worth what you pay for it."

I slipped my finger into the ring and spun the bracelet around once. It was a bracelet containing 5.7% mithril. While it didn't boost the user's stats, it could increase mana efficiency just by wearing it. It had a higher efficiency than any of the equipment we were currently using. I handed the bracelet to Ahn-hyun, who was drooling.

"Try it on."

"Y-Yes? No, bro. This should be for you…."

"If you say so, then I won't."

At Ahn-hyun's refusal, I coolly took the bracelet back. Ahn-hyun's face changed strangely, and his eyes followed the bracelet endlessly. I chuckled and handed the bracelet back to him.

"Just kidding. Anyway, don't say anything you'll regret. If you don't use it, I'll give it to Yoo-jung."

At this, Ahn-hyun quickly took the bracelet. As he put it on, it automatically adjusted to fit his wrist. Oh, it has an auto-adjust function.

"…How is it?"

"Hmm."

Ahn-hyun tilted his head slightly and tapped his bracelet with his fingers.

"I'm not sure yet… but I feel more energy in my body. The flow of mana seems to be faster too."

That's enough. Ahn-hyun, looking amazed, stopped searching and kept touching his bracelet. We left him alone and resumed our search. Thanks to Sol, the kids were even more enthusiastic about searching for items. Sol was even licking her lips at the sight of the scattered items.

At first, they were throwing things around, but this time they were doing the opposite, bringing anything that seemed valuable to me. However, due to their low luck or lack of discernment, all they showed me were chunks of scrap metal.

Eventually, I got annoyed and the kids became well-behaved. I planned to gather the decent items and check them all at once later.

Anyway, before this expedition, I had prepared the equipment with great effort, so I didn't see any usable gloves. Even the chest guards, armor, and shields were better than what we were currently using.

Since it would take some time, I decided to take a long break here. After sensing the surroundings and confirming that no one was around, I called Shin Sang-yong. He politely refused a couple of times, but when I kept calling, he ran over. Though he didn't say it, he seemed eager to join us. We spent about 30 minutes selecting the necessary items.

"Phew. That's about it."

"Sis. Hurry up, hurry up."

"Wait a moment."

After a while, we threw the scrap metal far away and gathered the decent items in the center, sitting around them. Jung Hyeon was casting the Restore spell on each item one by one. While she was restoring them, I counted the gold coins and gems.

We had 32 10-gold coins and 58 1-gold coins, totaling 378 gold. There were 8 large gems, all rubies, each worth at least 100 gold.

We needed a lot of money to apply for a formal clan, but I was relieved that we didn't have to touch the gem bag given by Vivian. The kids looked at the gold coins and gems with dazed eyes. These items were a reward for all their hard work.

Turning my head, I saw Jung Hyeon breathing heavily. She had just finished casting the Restore spell and was looking at the items with a wistful gaze. In front of her were a dagger, a cloak, and two rings. A total of four items. Including the bracelet Ahn-hyun was wearing, we had obtained five items. I quickly activated my Third Eye, and Jung Hyeon spoke.

"I don't know how to describe it, but I want to congratulate you. First, the dagger. Though there's only one, it seems to have a spell that increases the user's attack speed. However, it's not suitable for combat. It's more decorative."

She lifted the dagger. It resembled a stiletto, but it didn't seem suitable for combat. Unless it was used by an assassin….

"Sis. Is it good?"

"Actually, it's quite rare. Weapons with permanent special abilities are not easy to come by."

"Ah…"

Yoo-jung immediately turned her gaze to me. I answered calmly.

"What."

"A-Ah!"

Unable to ignore her bright eyes, I reluctantly nodded. Yoo-jung took the dagger as quickly as a hawk snatching its prey. Though the blade was shorter than the one I had given her, she looked very satisfied.

Jung Hyeon then pointed to the cloak and spoke.

"This cloak looks like a faded, ordinary cloak, but it seems to have a magic resistance spell. I'm not sure to what extent, but we'll probably need to appraise it in the city to find out."

"Hmm. That's enough."

Taking the cloak from Jung Hyeon, I smiled gently. I knew this cloak well. It was a cloak that could defend against acid-based magic. It was probably called the Block of Fire.

In terms of damage, it could defend against a certain level of magic. If a higher-level magic attack came, it could reduce the damage by 40%. Not only that, though it looked like a simple cloth cloak, it had a physical resistance spell applied to the entire surface, making it much tougher than regular cloth. Even if it was sold at a very low price, it would cost at least 600 gold. This cloak….

"Vivian."

"Wow. Thanks."

Seeing Vivian excitedly put on the cloak, Jung Hyeon gave her an envious look. However, she quickly composed herself and placed the remaining two rings on her palm.

"These two rings are probably the best items we've found so far. They are really…."

Jung Hyeon paused, looking at the two rings. I smiled slightly. I could hear Shin Sang-yong swallowing hard. Finally, one of the rings I wanted appeared. Unfortunately, it had no effect on me.

Jung Hyeon looked at the ring I had marked and then at me.

"Su-hyun. Would you like to try this ring? I'm not sure, but it might increase your mana stat. I don't feel any magical abilities, but when I hold it, my mana reacts. This is the first time I've experienced this."

At that moment, the entire group gasped. The kids knew from the User Academy that items that increase stats were worth their weight in gold. I took the ring Jung Hyeon offered and tried it on. After checking my user information, I saw no increase in my mana stat, as expected. I sighed in disappointment.

This ring definitely increases stats. However, like Vivian's core, it only works for users with a mana stat below 90. It also had a binding function. If I had a mana stat of 89 and put on the ring, it would increase to 90. Even if my mana stat grew beyond 90, the bound ring would still increase the user's mana stat.

However, since my mana stat was already 96, it didn't apply to me. I sighed and took off the ring. Since I didn't qualify to use it, there was no risk of it binding to me.

"Su-hyun…?"

"Sol. Come here."

At Jung Hyeon's questioning voice, I called Sol softly. Sol, who had been watching, suddenly looked up. Then, she quickly came to my side.

"This is better for you to use."

"Eh…?"

Everyone looked at me in surprise. I just shrugged at their intense gazes.

"Su-hyun. There's something I didn't mention. The ring might have a binding function. Choose carefully. Will you give it up, or…?"

I knew, but since I had already decided to give it, there was no problem. I shook my head firmly.

"It's fine. It's better for a class that relies on mana to use it."

"…If you sell it now, you could get at least 20,000 gold."

"I have enough money. It's better for Sol to use it. Sol, put it on quickly."

"O-O brother…."

"Wow… Leader. You are really…."

I heard Shin Sang-yong's admiring voice. Jung Hyeon was also looking at me with a new respect. According to the principle of the exploration caravan, the best items go to the leader. This was the unspoken rule of the caravan. However, by giving the ring to Sol, they seemed to view me differently. In reality, it was useless to me, but I thought it was better to let this positive misunderstanding continue.

"O-O brother… I don't know. Just… I can't put it on…."

After hearing about the 20,000 gold, Sol looked hesitant, holding the ring. I sighed and took her left hand with one hand and the ring with the other.

"Phew. Hold out your finger. You're not a child. When will you grow up?"

Sol tried to pull her hand away, but I held it more firmly. Finally, she reluctantly extended her left ring finger.

"Is this where it goes?"

Sol didn't answer, just turned her gaze away and nodded. As the small, white finger slipped into the ring, it automatically adjusted, just like when Hyun put on the bracelet.

After checking her user information, Sol said her mana stat had increased by 1 point. The group's exclamations shook the room. They were all envious of her.

"So, the ring is settled. The rest…."

I had no particular thoughts. However, Sol's face was unusually red, and she was turning her head and avoiding eye contact. Was she acting like this because it was similar to a behavior couples or newlyweds might do?

I found it cute and dismissed it casually, but at that moment, I had no idea that this action would lead to unexpected consequences later.

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

Hello, I'm Ro Yujin.

Ah, I went to the convenience store today and saw some sausages. It reminded me of my military days (the sausages you draw lines on with a toothpick and heat in the microwave. Those who know will know.). I bought one and ate it at home, and it was delicious. Maybe it was because I was hungry, though. Hahaha.

Ps. A reader (Gieumxxx) sent me a growth item as a gift. I'll use it wisely. Thank you. (__) I also sincerely thank everyone who has given me pre-reads, recommendations, comments, and coupons. Bow.

『 Reader Comments 』

1. Jo Chang-hyun: Oh. I'm seeing a new face in the top comment. Congratulations on being first. It's impressive that you finished it all in one day. I hope you continue to enjoy it. :)

2. Kkoya: Our Shin Sang-yong is a really good friend. Maybe the group should consider themselves lucky to have met him. I set him up to be a good guy. Hehehe.

3. GradeRown: Bingo. Such equipment could definitely exist. TS's belt. Hahaha. It would cause a lot of chaos if it existed. If I made Park Dong-geol a TS… hmm?

4. 風月主人: Wow. That's a possible thought. I never even considered it. Hahaha. I'll look into it and see if I can incorporate it into future settings. Thank you. (__)

5. zjekfksqlc: Hahaha. I'm not like that… Ah, no. Hmm. That's right. Sol is best when she's crying…. O