"Oppa, oppa. Back then, at that inn… uh, where was it again? Oh, right! The
"Oh, you mean that time when you messed up all by yourself?"
"Ugh… don't point it out so bluntly like that. It's too embarrassing. Anyway, I think that's when I started to change."
"Really? What changed?"
"I didn't even realize it myself… Who would've thought I'd end up like this? A crazy bitch soaked in blood… ahh. Wait a sec, let me finish talking, hnn!"
"Oh ho. Your voice sounds extra sultry today. To think the infamous Mercenary King of the Northern Continent, Lord of Mercenaries, would let out such a shameless moan. If those male mercenaries who see you as the epitome of terror saw this, they'd faint from shock."
"Aiiing. Hnngh, stop saying stuff like that. Do you think I act like this with anyone else besides you, hnn, other people…? Whew. Even letting you touch me like this… kyaa! Only you, hnn, because I'm yours… hngh!"
"Tch."
"O-oppa! Seriously… why are you like this today?!"
"You like it though."
"W-well, I do, but— kyaa! W-wait a second!"
*
Whether it's a small caravan or a large clan, everyone becomes cautious when bringing in new members. This tendency is even stronger in a place like the Hall Plain, where lives are constantly at risk. Considering that, even though Go Yeon-Joo's recruitment came with the tag of being 'temporary,' it could still be seen as the best choice.
Without anyone telling her to, she was accomplishing more than double her share of work. She was essentially providing a training space for the younger members and taking responsibility for the group's meals. But that wasn't all. Around the time I woke up in the morning, a fragrant cup of tea would always be sitting on my desk, steam gently rising from it. And the neatly arranged documents revealed, in sharp and refined handwriting, a thorough record of the current state of affairs in Hall Plain.
In short, Go Yeon-Joo made me feel like I was truly running a clan.
However, her kindness wasn't something I could just accept at face value. After that night, where we had at least a glimpse into each other's intentions, it was clear she was trying to make an impression on me. If that were the case, then I had to respond in kind.
Simply 'working hard' wouldn't be enough for her. There's nothing more pitiful than working hard without results. So, I had a duty not only to put in effort, but also to produce results worthy of it. The first step toward those results was going to be The Cave Of Wailing.
Still, I showed a bit more interest in poring over the records. Not just about The Cave Of Wailing, but I also began to consider the possibility of unknown explorations—ones that perhaps hadn't been discovered during the first life. Of course, the chances of that happening had shifted from "plucking stars from the sky" to "plucking asteroids," but you never know—there might still be a case of just maybe.
External achievements aside, what really mattered was the internal situation of the clan. How were the finances? How were the relationships among the members? What was everyone up to these days? Judging by her behavior, Go Yeon-Joo had likely been part of a clan before, even if only briefly, and now that she had joined us, she was definitely watching and assessing all of this.
An-Hyun was following the textbook elite course. The slightly lacking magic stat from his early common class days had been partially covered by acquiring the Energy Spearman class. I was a bit worried he might get distracted by Go Yeon-Joo, but during training, he kept himself disciplined and focused, which made me feel genuinely proud.
An-Sol and Ha-Yeong were also diligently sticking to their daily routines. Ha-Yeong had always been someone I didn't need to worry about, but seeing An-Sol following Ha-Yeong's schedule was genuinely surprising. (Of course, she still let out dramatic sighs every time she saw me.)
Since they had different classes, I couldn't expect much diversity in divine magic, but even if they could just improve their mana control, that alone would be a huge gain. Given her inherently strong stats, even just using Binding, Healing, and Protection would provide more than enough support.
Vivienne and Shin Sang-Yong were also showing remarkable dedication. Especially Vivienne—ever since Go Yeon-Joo joined, she had been leading quite a busy life. She was deciphering An-Hyun's journals, mentoring Shin Sang-Yong, and significantly expanding her personal training time. It seemed like seeing Go Yeon-Joo had ignited a competitive fire within her.
Shin Sang-Yong, too, was working harder than anyone, even if it wasn't obvious. He was naturally quiet and didn't often step forward, but when something unpleasant needed doing, he was the first to raise his hand. Players like him were the hidden strength of a clan. That's why I always greeted him with a warm smile whenever I saw him.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but when you looked a bit deeper, it wasn't without its problems. And the biggest issue among them was Yun-Jung. While the group generally maintained a good rhythm, there were moments when an awkward atmosphere would settle in. And at the center of that atmosphere was always Yun-Jung.
Yun-Jung, who had always brought a bright and cheerful rhythm to the group, had lately been wearing a noticeably gloomier expression. The way she used to chime in like comic relief during conversations was gone, and more often than not, she stayed quiet and eventually slipped away alone. For now, I'd decided to leave her be after listening to what the others had to say, but I couldn't help feeling frustrated every time I saw her.
Back in my first life, I probably would've dropped her on the spot. During the rite of passage, I might've even cursed her out for being useless. And truthfully, I still had a bit of that mindset—but at the same time, I also felt a stronger sense of pity for her now. It wasn't exactly emotional attachment, per se. I knew that Yun-Jung had always looked up to me and thought of me a lot since we'd been together. But more than that, I could understand what she was going through internally.
I started noticing it from the moment An-Hyun obtained his rare class. After all, the clan was aiming to be a gathering of the top 1% of players, and every new member we brought in had formidable skills. To make matters worse, the one person Yun-Jung considered her rival—An-Hyun—had gone on to inherit a class.
In short, Yun-Jung was now trapped in a mix of inferiority complex and mannerism, floundering in self-doubt.
"Can I really do this? Even if I try, will I ever be able to keep up?"
Strictly speaking, Yun-Jung's contributions after the expedition were minimal compared to the other players. But that was perfectly natural to begin with. I'll admit—An-Hyun had more potential, and I did want to nurture him more, even giving him more opportunities. But Yun-Jung was different from An-Hyun. Due to her class and weapon characteristics, the moment she entered battle, it was practically a fight where she had to put her life on the line.
The actions I took to protect Yun-Jung had come back to me like a poisoned boomerang. So now, there were only two possible ways for her to break through her current situation. One: to find and grant her a rare class of her own. The other: for her to accept reality and work even harder to improve herself—in other words, to come to a realization on her own. The former was realistically difficult, and Go Yeon-Joo had advised me to wait until Yun-Jung accepted it herself.
From Go Yeon-Joo's perspective, Yun-Jung's current behavior probably looked laughable. Sure, she had a secret class and excellent stats, but she must have endured relentless hardship—sacrificing blood and flesh—to make it into the so-called Top 10. The reason Go Yeon-Joo had spoken so coldly was because, to her, all of Yun-Jung's efforts up to now probably looked like nothing more than child's play.
But my view was quite different from hers. Yun-Jung, though outwardly strong and rough, possessed a deeply fragile inner self. And no matter how right something might be in theory, that didn't mean it could be applied the same way to everyone.
Players at the bottom—they have feelings only they can understand. Right now, Yun-Jung was facing the very same questions I had agonized over endlessly during my first life. In times like that, sure, people should try harder. But the human heart isn't that simple.
That's why I felt my judgment might be the right one, at least for now.
I slowly closed my eyes and began to recall the things she had said, one by one.
"Oppa… Are you really Su-Hyeon oppa? You're not someone else, right?"
"The money Hyun, Sol, and I have been saving from our weekly wages all this time… It should be around 7 gold and 80 silver."
"Not you guys, us."
"Oppa didn't deceive us—if anything, he sacrificed himself for us. And even if he did lie… it wasn't really a lie. I'm sure he had his own reasons for it."
"Do you know who was constantly running around without rest, even when we were training comfortably or taking it easy? It was oppa. Su-Hyeon oppa."
I let out a sigh and pressed a hand to my forehead. There was definitely still conflict within me, but I decided once more to embrace Yun-Jung.
Only this time, I was going to make sure to draw a clear line.
*
Late at night. Once again, I couldn't bring myself to go to bed early. I had been lost in thought, worrying about the kids' gear. Last time, I'd completely forgotten to bring extra gold coins, and now it was becoming clear that if I wanted to get them proper equipment, I'd need more funds. Since I still had some GP to spare, using that extra money to shop for gear wouldn't be a bad idea.
I took a warm sip of tea and gently tapped the table with my fingers. Suddenly, her words from earlier came to mind—something she'd said as she was leaving after setting down the tea.
"Huh? That was a joke, and you really took it seriously?"
"No… I mean, that's not what I meant. Haha."
"Oh my, unbelievable. Player Kim Su-Hyeon? Don't even dream of drinking the tea I brew starting tomorrow. What a nerve you have."
I held the tea Go Yeon-Joo had brought and activated my Third Eye. Not out of suspicion, really—it was more out of habit, something I used to do often during my first life. Watching me inspect the cup so carefully, Go Yeon-Joo laughed and teased, asking if I was checking for poison. But when I flinched slightly at her words, her eyes immediately narrowed, and she shot me a sharp glare.
After that playful threat, she slammed the door behind her and left. Still, I was sure that come morning, another hot cup of tea and a report would be waiting on my desk like always. Smirking at her little act of rebellion, I chuckled to myself and took another sip. The smooth finish and refreshing aftertaste told me she had added some herbs good for relieving fatigue.
Just as I was leisurely reviewing the equipment the others currently had, I heard a knock at the door. As I called out for them to enter, the door flew open and An-Hyun burst in, drenched in sweat, stepping forward with urgency.
"Hyung. It's me, An-Hyun. I'm coming in."
"Bit late for that line when you're already through the door. But alright, come in and sit."
I let out a wry smile and gestured toward an empty chair. An-Hyun, striding in confidently, gently leaned his spear against the wall and dropped into the seat with a thud. Even from a bit of a distance, I could feel the heat radiating off him—he'd clearly been practicing hard.
Just as I expected, the reason for his visit was a question. Ever since he'd begun seriously studying the record book, he'd been coming to see me more and more often. I had planned on heading down soon anyway after organizing the equipment list, but I figured I might as well help him now. Seeing how determined he was to figure things out made it easy to say yes.
After listening carefully to what he was stuck on, I began to explain in a calm voice.
"Energy Spearmans have their own unique movements. You can't really call them pure offense types. In fact, if you look at the overall flow of their combat style… hmm. It's more about using defense and control to wear down the opponent, then striking with a counterattack. In that sense, it's a class that emphasizes defensive technique."
"I think you're right, Hyung. I've been reading the records too, and it's totally different from what I expected. I thought 'Energy' meant it would be all flashy attacks and explosive power, but there's so much on defense I didn't even know where to start."
I smiled at An-Hyun's grumbling and continued speaking with a bit of amusement.
"Energy Techniques—basically, the core of this class is about dramatically improving the efficiency of internal mana control and refining it into martial arts. Especially when it comes to learning spear-based defensive techniques, it's absolutely not a waste. These kinds of spear techniques that look for openings will always create opportunities. And if you can seize those moments, you can shift the flow of battle—even against players who are a tier or two stronger than you. If the matchup's right, you might even push beyond that. And it's not like the class doesn't have a solid finishing move, right?"
"Hmm… Hyung… I'm sorry, but I still don't really get it. Could you maybe explain it a bit more clearly?"
Of course I could. At An-Hyun's request, I nodded and took a moment to organize my thoughts. I finished off the last sip of tea and began a more detailed explanation.
"According to what's written in that record, the Energy Spearman is a very logical combat class. That means there's a lot you need to assess before a fight even starts. First, through reconnaissance—how far away the opponent is, what class they have, and as you exchange attacks, which of their stats are most specialized, what weapon they're using, and how they're likely to use it. Beyond that, you have to make constant, split-second judgments to choose the best martial technique for each moment. You need sharp instincts. No one knows what kind of situation will unfold. But when it does, assembling the right response and executing it—that part's all up to you."
"Uuuugh. It's so hard."
"Hahaha. What, did you think rare classes were going to be easy?"
An-Hyun clutched his head and let out a dramatic groan at my explanation. I gave a faint smile, and he let out a heavy sigh before slowly gathering up his notes and spear. His slumped shoulders said it all—things weren't going the way he hoped, and it was clearly wearing on him.
When he first got his rare class, An-Hyun probably pictured a rose-colored future. But reality, of course, was far from easy.
The reason I hadn't chosen a mana-talent-based secret class despite having high stats in the 90s was quite similar. I had already reached the peak of success as a swordsman—what they called the realm of a Sword Master—and I could carry over all of that experience. In other words, I was treading a path I had walked before, but now aiming to go deeper. I believed that was a better choice than trying to carve out some unknown territory with half-baked ambitions.
In any case, An-Hyun still had a long way to go before he could fully wield the power of an Energy Spearman. Just as he bowed his head with a tired face and was about to turn to leave, he suddenly stopped, as if something important had slipped his mind. He turned back around, a look of realization crossing his face.
"Ah, right… Hyung. There's something I wanted to tell you."
"Yeah? What is it?"
I asked right away, and though An-Hyun hesitated with a conflicted look, he soon hardened his expression and spoke clearly.
"It's about Yun-Jung."
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