We connected eight tables together. I sighed, thinking it was unnecessarily long, but Yeon-Joo blew away my concerns by preparing a feast so grand it made the current spread look like nothing.
As we took our seats, I noticed a bit of sauce on Sol's lips—probably from sneaking a few bites while moving the food, driven by hunger. When Vivienne pointed it out, the group burst into laughter, and Sol bowed her head in embarrassment. (For the record, Vivienne didn't laugh. She seemed genuinely upset.)
Yeon-Joo, with a cheerful laugh, lightened the mood, saying that since we'd soon need to clear out the inn and ingredients, eating as much as possible was a way to help her. The group didn't hold back at all. No, "holding back" doesn't even begin to describe it. The moment I picked up my spoon for a bite, the kids attacked the food like ravenous beasts, as if compensating for a day's worth of hunger. After a few rounds of drinks, the heavy, stagnant atmosphere from exploring Cave Of Wailing vanished in an instant.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the caravan's attention naturally shifted to the Chaos Mimics. They'd been drooling over them since we found them, and now, with the cleaned mimics in sight, they stared at my lips with pleading eyes. Since I was already planning to open them, I gave a faint smile, grabbed the two mimics slumped on the chair, and stood.
Just then, I felt someone tugging at my clothes. Glancing over, I saw Sol, her face flushed from a drink, pulling at my shirt with both hands. In a slightly drunken, slurred voice, she said, "Oppa… I-I wanna do it too… I want the Mommy Mimic… Mommy Mimic… I wanna do it…"
Piecing together her words, it seemed she wanted to open a mimic and get its treasures. Since they were already cleaned, I casually handed her one—the slightly Smaller one that, as Sol put it, looked like the "Mommy Mimic."
Sol's move sparked a commotion among the others. They raised their voices, clamoring to open the remaining one. Not just An-Hyun and Yun-Jung, but even Vivienne joined the fray. I settled the dispute by giving it to Yun-Jung, who'd spoken up first.
Each holding a mimic, the two excitedly moved to an open space in the center. I'd already placed a sword and an elixir in each mimic, so I wasn't too worried. They positioned themselves apart, opened the tightly shut lids, and at that moment, the group fell silent.
A deathly quiet settled over the inn, broken only by Yun-Jung's countdown: "3, 2, 1…" At "0," they flipped the Hall Plain's greatest treasure chests upside down.
Clatterrrrr! Thud! Thud! Clunk! Clunk!
Unlike the Baby Mimic's spill, heavy, dull sounds echoed. As I'd expected. Strictly speaking, there wasn't the same flood of coins or gems as before. Instead, hefty items occasionally dropped, clearly valuable equipment far surpassing the worth of money or jewels. Unlike the Baby Mimic, these mature mimics knew real value, and I smiled with satisfaction.
It didn't take long for them to empty everything. The stream of items, weighed down by heavy objects, quickly dwindled. With fewer coins and gems, other items took up the space. Finally, the Daddy Mimic spat out a long, thin wooden box, and the Mommy Mimic a round shield, and nothing more came out.
Yun-Jung and Sol smacked the backs, but all that emerged was dust amid coughing. The group moved with surprising speed, as if they'd planned it. They swiftly cleared coins and gems, moving equipment aside. An-Hyun was so hasty he kicked piles of gold coins, a sight that would make players struggling for ten gold to cover lodging scream. Ha-Yeong, Sang-Yong, and Vivienne, holding stacks of appraisal scrolls, approached the equipment the others were moving.
Seeing Yeon-Joo join them with an intrigued look, I leisurely activated my Third Eye.
First, I tallied the coins and gems. Last time, we had 60,000 gold coins and gems worth even more. This time, it was noticeably less. Combined, the two mimics yielded just over 30,000 gold coins, though the gems were decent, with over 200 top-grade ones. I figured if we combined all the gems we'd collected so far, we might exceed 1,000—an astounding amount.
After quickly tallying the gold coins and gems, I turned my attention to the heavier-looking items. The kids had already sorted them into piles, making it easy to inspect. I first looked at a nearby helmet. Its silver gleam and bent iron plates suggested it was a Helm type, with striking red thread decorations on top.
Next, I saw a Brigandine armor. It consisted of sturdy, flexible leather layered with small metal plates riveted in multiple rows, covered again with leather, making it hard to tell at a glance whether it was armor or just a leather coat. As the kids kept bringing more equipment, I began examining each piece slowly with my Third Eye.
Soon, messages flooded into view.
[Helm of Courage]
Description: A magical helmet containing a significant amount of mithril (17%). The red ornament fluttering atop is a symbol of the Knights of Courage, revered as a holy order before the rise of mages. The wearer gains immunity to status effects like fear and curses. However, this effect only applies while wearing the helmet, and its maximum strength depends on the player's magic power stat.
[Mighty Sun]
Description: From an ancient era in Hall Plain, a temple worshipped the Sun God. Invaded by unknown forces, the temple sent a hero to confront them. The hero fought bravely but fell to overwhelming numbers. In honor of his death, the Sun God bestowed a minor blessing on this armor. While the sun is up, the wearer's Resistance stat slightly increases (+5). It offers strong physical defense and, thanks to the divine blessing, reduces damage from magical attacks from players with magic power stats of 75 or below. The effect only applies when worn and depends on the player's magic power stat.
[Legend of Hoplon]
Description: A large, round shield with a 60 cm diameter. From an ancient era, it was used by soldiers of the mightiest army. The Legend of Hoplon was wielded by elite guards protecting a king on campaign, considered the strongest defensive shield of its time. It can reflect physical or magical attacks if the player can withstand them. This ability depends on the player's magic power and luck stats.
[A Four-Leaf Clover]
Description: A ring made from ten dew drops collected once a year from a four-leaf clover, believed to bring luck. Its stunning appearance offers protective functions (maintains constant temperature, partial resistance to curse and corruption-based mental magic). Players with a luck stat of 90 or below gain a slight boost (+2) to that stat.
[Twin Head Ogre Power Gauntlet (TOPG)]
Description: Gauntlets crafted from a Twin Head Ogre, a variant of the King of Ogres, by a skilled blacksmith and legendary sage. They unconditionally boost the wearer's Strength stat slightly (+2). The gauntlets' inherent ability,
[Coat of Plate]
Description: An integrated plate coat adorned with mithril, stylish enough for a banquet. Reflecting the creator's taste, it resembles a leather coat rather than typical armor. It offers high physical defense and some magical defense but is heavy. It has a self-repair function.
[Bow of Exorcism]
Description: Bow of Exorcism - First Wing. It holds the power to shatter evil and corrupt energies, boasting overwhelming attack power against demonic forces. However, its maximum attack power is limited by the player's magic power stat.
[Glory of Heaven]
Description: A black robe named Glory of Heaven, woven from silk spun by the male Arachne, a notorious spider monster in ancient Hall Plain. After slaying the spider, the robe was offered to a temple, gaining divine properties. It is highly resistant to cutting or tearing and offers excellent physical defense. It has self-purification and repair functions.
[Glory of Sun]
Description: A red belt named Glory of Sun, woven from silk spun by the female Arachne. After slaying the spider, it was offered to a temple, gaining divine properties. When worn with Glory of Heaven, their divine energies resonate, unlocking their true power. Wearing the belt over the robe generates high-level anti-magic resistance. This effect stems from the interaction of the two items, not the player's stats, and cannot be adjusted.
[Elixir (Vitality)]
Description: Increases Vitality stat by 4 points for players with a Vitality stat of 80 or below.
[Nil Sword]
Description: An ancient Nil Sword bound to its player. Existing in the spirit realm, it is unseen and can strike beings in any dimension. Under specific conditions, its blade can be summoned to the physical world. It boasts exceptional cutting power, is nearly unbreakable, and can absorb and neutralize 100% of magic attacks and defense of all elements. It has a self-repair function.
[Elixir (x3)]
Description: Fully recovers all status ailments, health, and mana. It can revive anyone who isn't dead.
"...."
I paused reading and clutched my head. Not out of exhaustion, but because the items were far beyond my expectations. Honestly, when I first saw the Helm of Courage, I thought maintaining that level of quality would be enough. But most of the equipment that followed surpassed it, leaving me dazed as I read through them.
Yet, it wasn't over.
"Hey, I found another one. A long wooden case. Something's inside."
"I found one too! What's this? It looks like an ostrich egg."
"Ouch, it's hot! Wah… I got stabbed by a horn!"
"Eww, what's this filthy pouch? Gross."
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
I'd just reviewed twelve pieces of equipment, and now the kids were bringing more. Swallowing hard, I couldn't muster the courage to read further and decided to check the item list. What else could've come up…?
Sun-Moon Divine Sword
Egg (Pegasus Egg)
Unicorn Horn
Rare Class (Twilight Shrine Maiden)
Cough! Cough-cough-cough!
I barely held it together until the Unicorn Horn, but the last item made me choke. What the hell was in that pouch for it to list as a Rare Class? The moment I read "Twilight Shrine Maiden," I racked my brain, but nothing came up. It seemed like a class that hadn't appeared in my first cycle.
I was too drained to be shocked anymore. Slumping onto a nearby chair, I felt joy but also unease from this overwhelming stroke of luck. Fine, the Nil Sword was one thing, but two more Elixirs? What was going on?
While I was reeling, the kids treated the equipment like sacred relics, sorting them meticulously. They roughly separated the gold coins and gems, shoving them into the mimics, clearly uninterested in them now. The three mages, sweating profusely, were appraising equipment with scrolls in hand.
Watching them, I quietly pulled a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. A strange, lingering unease wouldn't fade. For some reason, I felt an urgent need to leave Mule as soon as possible.
*
Looking back, I think I vaguely sensed it rather than being completely unaware. Distracted by the equipment and suppressing my unease, I couldn't have known then. How could I have dreamed that the anxiety I felt would soon become reality?
Unbeknownst to me, the player I least wanted to meet in Hall Plain—the one I desperately wanted to avoid early on—was about to find me. I just sat there, blankly staring at the equipment.
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