Report
I had a dream.
After finishing work, I returned to my small studio apartment. I quickly cooked and ate a bowl of instant noodles, then took a shower.
I sat down in front of the computer. First, I turned on “Seronis,” and then I opened an overseas community website.
Lately, not many posts have been appearing on the community. Occasionally, there are newcomers, but since the site is essentially waiting for its demise, they quickly leave. Or they delete the game.
Still, Soohyuk logged into the community every day. He didn’t write posts much these days, but Soohyuk, the “Immune to Flattery,” was a veteran of the community and an expert in Seronis. He insisted on using his Korean nickname even on this foreign site.
The reason he didn’t write posts was simple. After meeting in the community and exchanging information, most players had given up. So, Soohyuk naturally became a lurker and left more comments than posts.
Occasionally, when a new player with potential posted a question, he diligently provided answers. That was the position of the ‘Immunity to Flattery’ in the current community.
After skimming through the new posts on the community, he checked the Hall of Fame in Seronis, the only competitive content it had.
“This guy will probably reach first place soon.”
The person who had been stuck at fifth place for almost half a year had finally risen to second place today. It seemed like he had made some significant improvements. Maybe he optimized his build or gave up and switched to a completely different one.
“Hmm.”
He felt pleased with this development.
“I should do this before that guy reaches first place.”
Trying to achieve first place was a common goal for both that friend and Soohyuk, but Soohyuk could achieve it right away if he wanted to.
Anyway, all the builds had been optimized. He could reach first place in the Hall of Fame at any time. He was squeezing out the best clear time while excluding “luck,” but now, apart from “luck,” there was no significant room for improvement.
His character’s stats were completed yesterday, and he had even cleared the path to the hidden boss. The clear itself was achievable even if he played with his eyes closed. Of course, consecutive critical hits and not getting hit by stray attacks could lead to instant death, but he had prepared as much restraint as possible for such variables.
“Yeah, you won’t get first place.”
He chuckled at the thought.
“Oh, damn…”
He woke up from his dream.
Yuri covered her eyes with both hands while recalling the dream he just had. He thought he shouldn’t have dreamed that. He regretted his past actions.
“He probably doesn’t even know that I’m his benefactor.”
Yuri sighed deeply and got out of bed. The bed Elena had bought a few days ago was large enough for two people, and unlike the one he had in Oldor, it didn’t make any creaking noises.
It wasn’t just the bed; the barren room had been filled with various pieces of furniture, all bought by Elena. Even the pajamas Yuri was wearing right now were from her. Yuri got out of bed and sat down on the carpeted floor.
Despite having dreamt what could be considered a nightmare, he got up as usual. 5 AM. Yuri confirmed the dark outside the window and pulled the curtains closed.
It had already been almost four days since he had come here. Initially, living with Elena in the same house had felt uncomfortable, but once he started living here, he found it much more comfortable than living alone in Oldor. Elena was hardly ever at home, which made things even more comfortable.
Elena’s absence was a huge part of it. She woke up every day at the same time, had breakfast, prepared, and left for Dersia Tower by 10 AM at the latest. Then she returned around 7 PM.
During Elena’s absence, Yuri took care of the household chores. In fact, calling it household chores was an exaggeration since cleaning and laundry could be done with magic. Yuri’s only task was cooking using the ingredients in the pantry.
“Leftover stew for breakfast, bacon…”
As he thought about it, Yuri closed his eyes.
Once in the morning, once for lunch, and once before bed. Thanks to the three meals he prepared using magic, he felt a sense of accomplishment. He couldn’t boast to anyone, but it was his own achievement.
And today, this achievement would grow even further.
“I’ll be staying home today.”
Seated at the dining table, Elena looked far from someone who had just woken up. She spread the bread with stew and spoke.
“Jim Namgung is coming over today. It’s better if you’re here with me; we don’t want a repeat of last time when you were alone.”
“After experiencing that, I doubt he’ll cause another fuss.”
“You never know. Oh, and you don’t have to prepare lunch or dinner.”
Elena’s face lit up with a happy smile as she dipped the bread into the stew. Even though she had occasionally tried to improve her cooking skills by experimenting in the past, Elena had completely given up on cooking since Yuri arrived.
“Why?”
“I’m going out.”
“Do I have to go too?”
“We are going to buy the supplies, so of course, you should come with me.”
“What more do we need? Didn’t we buy everything we needed?”
“War arts.”
Elena answered with a nonchalant face.
“Today, there’s a Lesayun auction, so you’ll use the compensation money to buy your war arts.”
Yuri blinked his eyes, not quite understanding. Elena saw that expression and couldn’t help but smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Should I call you ‘Noona’.’ Or should I address you as Elena-nim? Or Miss Elena?”
“Ew, don’t say anything weird.”
Her words and expression didn’t match. Elena held back a smile that seemed to be creeping up and adopted a serious expression.
“Oh, and as for the Changcheonhwan… Since you and I each ate one, and there’s one left… Well, what should we do?”
“You can have it young lady.”
“Uhh… Okay… Well then, let’s just leave one. We’ll give it to someone who needs it later, either you or me. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
“Stop that weird tone.”
Seeing how she was being openly teased, she made a disgusted expression.
After finishing their meal, I fetched a book from the study.
‘Easy and Quick Guide to Common Magic, by Arsen Lucionel’
Although I had read the book on the carriage, I went over it a few more times.
Unlike martial artists, mages don’t learn mana cultivation techniques or meditation methods. They understand the mana existing in the world, borrow it, and cast spells through incantations. By repeating this process, their affinity with mana increases, and their souls naturally become vessels filled with mana.
From then on, they can call themselves 2nd Grade mages. Mana affinity is the most essential talent for a mage.
“Arsen Lucionel. Have you ever met him?”
As I pushed the incantations from the common grimoire into my mind, I asked.
“Once when I was young.”
It was a casual question, but the answer was unexpected.
“When I was 13, I think? When I was determined to reach the 3rd Grade and was obsessed with the common magic, Arsen visited the Dersia Tower. I received various advice from him at that time.”
Elena, sitting on another sofa, looked at Yurie.
“Why? Do you want to meet him too?”
“I doubt I’m great enough to meet him just because I want to.”
“True, I heard he’s not even at the Lucionel Tower.”
While they were having a conversation, Haryeong arrived. She glanced between Yurie and Elena, both reading on their respective sofas, then let out a deep sigh.
“These nobles are truly something.”
“Why the complaint as soon as you arrive?”
“I’m not complaining, just sharing my feelings. So, does that mean we’re skipping martial arts training today?”
Thanks to the updated contract, Haryeong has been giving martial arts training. She initially grumbled about why she, a bodyguard, had to teach martial arts, but her attitude changed after confirming the amount of advance payment.
“You don’t have to.”
Elena replied.
“We’ll leave soon after this.”
“Yurie, you’re a fun student to teach. It’s a pity you won’t get to experience that fun today. What a shame.”
Her expression didn’t convey disappointment.
“Are you learning well?”
“Seems like he has a talent for martial arts, just as Orca said. You seem to be learning much better than I expected.”
Elena’s lips twisted in displeasure. Deep down, she had hoped that Yurie would aspire to be a mage rather than a martial artist, so the fact that Yurie had talent for martial arts was gratifying but not entirely welcome.
“Do you dislike learning martial arts instead of magic?”
“Who said I disliked it?”
“Your expression suggests otherwise.”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
Elena quickly held back her lips.
Jim Namgung didn’t even have a chance to enter the mansion. He handed Elena a large bag and apologized.
“I’m sorry about last time…”
Though only a few days had passed, Jim Namgung appeared much older. His eyes were heavy, possibly from lack of sleep, and his face looked worn. Elena briefly glanced at his face, then let out a deep sigh and accepted the bag.
“Please don’t worry about Lord Jim Namgung mistake.”
“Didn’t Tower Master say anything separately?”
“No.”
Only after hearing that answer did a slight brightness return to his face. He couldn’t help but gaze at Elena’s face, hesitating.
“Is there something else you need?”
Elena’s voice turned cold at that gaze.
“No.”
With a heavy sigh, Jim Namgung lowered his head.
“1 billion Sel. Oh my goodness!”
Haryeong, sitting across from the carriage, shook her head in disbelief. She seemed to find it hard to believe that someone would possess such a sum of money personally, rather than withdrawing it from the family vault. It must be JIm Namgung’s personal fund.
“As expected of the Fourth Master of Namgung, he truly has a generous spirit. And three Changcheonhwan? Converted into money, that’s at least 3 billion sel.”
Haryeong was murmuring, but then she clapped her hands together.
“I’m amazed. Mr. Yurie, a 3 billion man. Countless young men from the countryside come to Rootran with dreams of windfall, but you must be the only one to earn 3 billion Sel in a day.”
“Stop teasing.”
“I’m not teasing, what are you saying? I’m truly amazed.”
Elena also hadn’t realized that she would receive such a massive sum as a reward for the task.
“I thought I might receive around 100 million Sel at most… seeing 1 billion Sel is quite astonishing.”
She was taken aback by the amount, even though she didn’t show it.
“Originally, I was thinking of hiring top-tier martial artists… with a budget of 1 billion sel, I’ll need to reconsider the list.”
Haryeong crossed her arms and fell into thought.
“Soul magic is essential, and as for protection magic… we can postpone considering that since it’s not immediately necessary. What about weapons? Will you be using any?”
“I have no intention of using weapons.”
The sum and the surprise made Yurie uneasy, but he didn’t show it.
“I find it more convenient to fight barehanded. Plus, buying weapons seems wasteful.”
“Hmm, I’d recommend swords or spears, though.”
“Do you have a reason?”
“Arguments like ‘swords are the king of all weapons’ and ‘spears are the king of all weapons’ have been around for a long time. That’s because both weapons have clear advantages and few disadvantages.”
Haryeong shrugged.
“Moreover, there are several martial arts related to those two weapons. In other words, there’s a wide variety to choose from.”
“What do you think of fist techniques?”
“Ascending to higher levels is arduous. No matter how much you train your fists, it’s difficult to face a flying opponent. Weapons may break, but fists won’t end with just that. The severity of injuries is different.”
Haryeong’s words were the common consensus.
“That’s why practitioners of unarmed combat often learn both fist techniques and external arts. The fusion of external arts into fist techniques is quite common. The Cheolsajang is a prime example. Cheolsajang tempers their hands into weapons by repeatedly thrusting them into red-hot sand, thickening the flesh and treating the hand itself as a striking tool against a flying opponent.”
Elena, who was absentmindedly listening, found herself looking at her own hands unknowingly. Then, she glanced at Yurie’s hands as well.
“Although it might sound disadvantageous, it’s not without merits. “
Haryeong nodded.
“Ascending to the higher levels of unarmed combat is brutal and powerful. From the perspective of a fighter… when comparing fighters of the same level, it’s far more challenging for an unarmed combatant to defeat a swordsman.”
Haryeong’s pupils sunk slightly.
“Even though a swordsman also trains their body, an unarmed combatant who relies solely on their body to deflect strikes is inevitably less trained. Once they reach the 4th Grade and are able to imbue attributes into their inner energy, an unarmed combatant becomes a weapon in themselves. They can generate shockwaves with their fists, and even when struck by a blade, it won’t cut through.”
The 4th Grade.
Reaching it isn’t an easy feat. Even Elena, who had a talent recognized by Celestial Thunder Orca, took 10 years to become a 4th Grade mage.
“How many years will it take for me…”
Yuri was certain he would be faster than Elena, but it was difficult to judge exactly how long it would take.
The carriage stopped.
<Lesayun.>
Getting off the carriage, Yurie was momentarily overwhelmed by the grandeur of the casino-like building. This place was managed directly by the Ascard family, which could be considered the real owner of Rootran.
It was a place where all sorts of elixirs, artifacts, martial arts, and spellbooks were traded. Especially at the auctions open only to VIPs, even items related to Ascension Martial Arts and Magic were put up for sale.
While it was said that martial towers and prestigious lineages, as well as secret transmissions from sects, were traded at the auction house of forbidden arts, the prices were exorbitant and the risks were high. Today, what Yurie and Elena were purchasing were martial arts that had been acquired through ‘legal’ means and could be practiced without repercussions.
“The 3-billion man is entering.”
Haryeong, who got off the carriage, muttered toward the splendid entrance of Lesayun.
“Please be quiet.”
Beside Elena, who was suppressing a laugh, Yurie’s face twisted in response.
