Chapter 41

# 41

Guide for the Reincarnated 041

Let's Raise Our Value (1)

The Blue Guild offered us an investment in what they called an unscratched lottery ticket.

The conditions they offered were so generous that they might seem excessive to newcomers.

It's surprising that a mere four-person party managed to clear the tutorial dungeon in the shortest time, but the fact that they offered such conditions suggests that the Blue Guild's leadership isn't stupid.

'They're not stupid.'

In fact, they can be considered quite competent.

I glanced to the side and saw Park Deok-gu reading something intently, so I slowly opened my mouth.

"Reading the catalog?"

"Yeah, I guess. We might have to stay here, so I thought it would be good to read it... The guild cafeteria is supposed to be amazing."

"Hmm?"

"They say a famous chef from Earth, someone named Raymond Park or something, is in charge of the restaurant... Just looking at it makes my mouth water..."

"Ah, I see."

"The accommodations also seem great... Wow. Who would have thought Park Deok-gu would rise to such heights? If only my grandfather could see this..."

I'm not sure if he was being serious, but I doubt his grandfather would want him to live in this world.

"The guild seems really impressive... How big are the other guilds, I wonder?"

"Probably not much different. They say it's not like before, but the rich can last for three years even when they go bankrupt. If they have something to fall back on, they can endure. Trying to recruit us might be because they want to regain their former glory..."

"Ooh. Feeling special and treated well, I don't mind it, sir."

"You'll be treated even better in the future."

"Really?"

"Of course."

It won't take long.

An unscratched lottery ticket, that's right.

We are an unscratched lottery ticket.

And it's a ticket with a pretty high chance of winning.

The amount we can receive in our current position is this much, but if we win, our value will skyrocket beyond imagination.

"By the way, your sister's expression didn't seem too good... She probably doesn't want to be separated from you. You should take good care of her."

"I'm doing a good job even without you saying that. This is necessary, you know. It can't be helped."

"Still..."

'You don't have to say it...'

Even without Park Deok-gu's design, I know better than anyone else how important Jung Hae-yeon is.

One of the reasons I can say that the Kim Hyun-sung party is a sure win is because of her.

Jung Hae-yan, who will become a grand mage in the future with legendary-level magic ability, and Kim Hyun-sung, the reincarnated one, who is a given.

Potential isn't just about the limits of ability.

Players with high potential see their stats increase much faster.

My intelligence and luck are prime examples.

Jung Hae-yan's magic ability was growing at a terrifying rate, and she had already completed her second class change.

'Elemental Mage.'

The second class she chose, recommended by Kim Hyun-sung and me.

Unlike me, who only had the option of a Fire Mage, Jung Hae-yan had an affinity for all elements.

She didn't even have the Alchemist class in her list.

The characteristic 'How to Become a Mage' she possessed encouraged her growth as a mage.

Considering the reward for completing the quest she forgot in the tutorial, the 2 stat points, and her talent, her growth was already predetermined.

What was needed was a little push. Just a little push.

I'm not sure if the dungeon incident became a trauma, but what's important is that she has the enthusiasm.

I also created an unspoken rule between us.

Like giving a well-behaved student a small reward, I would give her a treat whenever she achieved something.

'...'

The effect was even better than I imagined.

Starting with simple praise, I gradually increased the intensity of physical contact.

At first, it was just patting her head and holding hands, but as I slowly increased the level, she started to obsess over results.

It seemed that getting praise and rewards was more important to her than getting stronger.

Showing a slightly cold response when she didn't achieve anything also made her quite desperate.

It's probably because of the recent incident. She barely saw me, especially before the demonstration.

She's the type who gains magic ability just by eating.

It's strange that her ability didn't increase when she was so focused on achieving results.

Among us, the one who spends the most time on personal training is not Park Deok-gu, me, or Kim Hyun-sung, but Jung Hae-yan.

I nodded and continued from earlier.

"Initially, Hae-yan couldn't concentrate when I was around. That's why we were apart for a while."

"Ugh... But still..."

"It's a demonstration for the Blue Guild's executives and scouts from other large guilds... I don't want to ruin things because of me. Besides, we agreed to be together after this is over."

"Every night, I could hear her sniffles..."

"You need to learn to be apart. I can't always be with her. This was a good opportunity. It was only a week."

"Ugh... Why do they even have such demonstrations..."

"For athletes, it's routine. They need to know our value to set the right price. Even if it's a bit tough... If I ruin this, it won't be good for Hae-yan either."

"Thinking about it, it seems your sister really likes you."

If it were just liking or loving, it would be better.

It's been a long time since it went beyond that.

Thanks to Park Deok-gu's design...

I wonder if she's pretending not to know or if she really doesn't know.

I stood up slightly and spoke to him.

"Let's go."

"Let's go together, sir."

"Come on, hurry up."

"Ugh..."

As we started walking, various scenes passed by.

It felt completely different from the tutorial dungeon.

It was luxurious, safe, and made us feel valued.

Looking out the window, I saw people gathered, probably receiving basic training or education.

I briefly thought of Lee Ji-hye but ignored it and continued walking. The internal training ground came into view.

There were already quite a few people.

I naturally scanned the surroundings with my mind's eye.

Before considering their ability levels, the clothes they wore were quite high-end. Not just the Blue Guild's executives.

People with different flags, looking like executives of large corporations, were observing the training ground.

'Scouts?'

Yes, they were probably scouts.

Following their gazes, I saw Jung Hae-yan, who looked quite tense.

It felt like I hadn't seen her in a while.

The initial negotiations with the Blue Guild had concluded a week ago, and this demonstration was decided then.

Apart from checking on her once, it had been exactly three days since I last saw her.

If someone said three days isn't a big deal, I'd have nothing to say, but it seemed to be a painful time for her.

"Doesn't she look a bit thinner?"

"A bit."

She looked more tired than thinner.

Her eyes were strangely red, as Park Deok-gu had mentioned her sniffles at night.

She seemed to have groomed herself for the demonstration, but she didn't look in good condition overall.

She was looking around, probably searching for me.

Seeing her slightly anxious, I heard murmurs.

"Ugh... I was looking forward to it..."

"Doesn't she look a bit off?"

"Maybe she's just nervous. And... it hasn't been long since they came out of the dungeon. This is relatively good."

"I was hoping for something impressive since they cleared the dungeon in the shortest time... But she seems mentally..."

I couldn't tell whose voice it was, but I recognized one person.

'This isn't good...'

She looked anxious in every way.

I wondered if she could see us on the second floor, but she still looked anxious.

Finally, I raised my hand slightly, and Jung Hae-yan, spotting me, smiled brightly.

'This can't fail.'

This event was that important.

- Ah, if Miss Jung Hae-yan is ready, please give the signal...

I heard her nod.

She started chanting a spell, which looked a bit unstable.

It seemed like she was praying for it to go well.

Seeing this, the executives from the large guilds clicked their tongues again, and I wondered if my plan might fail.

'Maybe I pushed her too hard...' I regretted, but then I felt a flow of mana that I couldn't even imagine.

"Huh?"

"What...?"

Dust around Jung Hae-yan was flying, visible to the naked eye.

It was astonishing that moving the mana inside her body could have such an effect.

I couldn't tell what spell she was casting, but the incantation was quite long.

The executives from the large guilds, who had been clicking their tongues, were now staring at Jung Hae-yan with their mouths open.

Occasionally, voices of surprise could be heard.

"Report immediately! Hurry!"

"Hey! Get that woman's profile quickly!"

They were understandably shocked.

No, my mouth was even wider open.

I had expected some achievement, but not to this extent.

As the incantation grew longer, the murmurs grew louder.

Strange Hee, from the Blue Guild, looked at Jung Hae-yan with a puzzled expression.

It hadn't been like this just a week ago.

'What is this...?'

Just as Jung Hae-yan opened her mouth.

"Elemental Bomb."

BOOM!

An enormous sound accompanied the explosion from her hand.

It was so loud that I had to cover my ears.

I quickly shielded my ears with mana to prevent my eardrums from rupturing.

The unknown magic flew towards the large target in the middle of the training ground, creating a deafening sound and turning the path between Jung Hae-yan and the target into a wasteland.

"What is this...?"

BOOM!

The second explosion that followed obliterated the target without a trace.

There were no cheers.

Instead, the silence that enveloped the venue was even louder than any cheers.

"What... is this...?"

Park Deok-gu also spoke to me.

"Sir."

"..."

"Is this real?"

That's what I wanted to say.

I have no idea what kind of reward she deserves for this.