Chapter 23 : Adventure Level 15 (1)

After the shortened classes due to the CSAT season passed through November, we took the final exams.

Do Yugeon’s grades went up, perhaps thanks to the effect of the cram school.
Well, he was forced to study when he hadn’t before, so of course they would rise.
He was happy his grades improved, but at the same time, he didn’t like that the cram school was effective.

“It would have been nice if my grades just dropped so I could quit cram school.”
“How about raising your grades all the way to first place and having a showdown with your parents?”
“That sounds really easy.”

During that time, we continued to level up.

[Level Up]
[14 → 15]

Level 15.
Schrödinger once mentioned our party’s hunting speed was fast, but our leveling speed wasn’t particularly quick.
Explorers who hunted using firearms easily overtook others, rapidly gaining levels.
Before the Job update, the dense forest somewhat limited the gap, but once Pyromancers easily burned down the forests, the disparity widened.

Then, as a natural consequence, information about the Level 15 mob was released.
Level 15 is Goblins.
From Goblins to Slimes, then Orcs, and now back to Goblins.
Goblins are good.
They don’t melt the forest, nor do they break trees with a single punch; they are sensible.

However, these Goblins were too sensible.
Following the mob patterns so far, many speculated that if it were Goblins, it would naturally be a stronger variant Goblin.
A game-like guess.
It sounded plausible.
But it wasn’t.
These Goblins were the same as the Level 1 Goblins.
Except they were in groups.
Exactly 10 of them.
As if matching the maximum party size, there were 10.
It felt like the System was thinking, Since 1-on-1 with a Goblin is easy, surely 10-on-10 is possible too, right?

The 10 Goblins consisted of 5 spearmen and 5 archers.
They stood in two rows of five, and when approached, the spearmen would thrust, and the archers would shoot arrows.
Fortunately, or perhaps not, they had no shields.

“What’s this all of a sudden?”
―Is that so? I’m not sure.

Schrödinger, as always, seemed thoughtless.
The internet overflowed with cries of how to hunt them.
Until now, it was possible to hunt mobs without taking damage if you became skilled at coordinated attacks, but hunting this mob without casualties seemed impossible.

―Spend on the gacha! All answers lie in the gacha!
Stop acting like a System official when you’re pretending to be a passive skill.

There’s a lot of commotion about the Goblins, but truthfully, it’s separate from our party’s concerns.
Because if we couldn’t hunt them, we could just solve it with real money.
Do Yugeon might be reluctant, but if hunting truly became impossible, he would surely accept it.

I could see 10 Goblins standing in the middle of a path cleared by Slimes melting the forest.
“Don’t just charge in recklessly like last time.”
“I won’t do that anymore.”

Feeling suspicious, I looked at Do Yugeon.
He cleared his throat and continued.
“More importantly, they aren’t shooting their arrows.”

The Goblins were holding formation, but the Goblin archers merely had arrows nocked, showing no intention of firing.
That’s because we just emerged from the forest.
Even if they shot, we could just hide behind the trees, so they were likely only staying alert to conserve arrows.
Usually, in such a stalemate, the standard procedure is for a mage to launch magic, forcing the Goblins to approach, thereby inducing a chaotic battle within the forest… but we only have two people.

Should I just try using large-scale magic?
I could probably defeat them that way, but Do Yugeon wouldn’t get a single swing of his sword in.
Hmm.

“If 10 of them charge, can you handle them without getting hurt?”
“We have healing magic.”

That wasn’t what I meant.
Healing magic is one thing, and logging out provides even better magical healing, but that’s not the point.
The issue is whether he’d have to experience having an arm chopped off and reattached in every single battle.
We’re leveling up for fun; such experiences aren’t good for mental health.

“Even with healing magic, getting hurt is painful.”
“Miss Cha Haneul worries too much. From my perspective, I think I could take down ten of them alone without a scratch.”
“What’s with that confidence?”
“It’s confidence based on evidence.”

Shaking my head, I created a Fireball.
I launched it toward the Goblins.
One Goblin archer drew its bowstring and fired.
The Fireball was shot down and exploded.
The wind rustled the trees.

“Against that level of opponent?”
“Of course, it’s possible. Because I’m a genius.”
Isn’t he embarrassed calling himself that?
I’m embarrassed just standing next to him.

“I’m sure you are.”
“Ah, you don’t believe me. If you’re really skeptical, I’ll show you right now!”
Do Yugeon drew his sword and charged forward.
You said you wouldn’t charge recklessly, you liar.

Arrows flew toward Do Yugeon.
I stirred my mana to disrupt their trajectories.
Two arrows, launched slightly later, flew unimpeded toward Do Yugeon, but he casually deflected them both.
Phew, so he can parry arrows.
That’s impressive.
Wait. Is that realistically possible?
What did I just see?

At that moment, an impact hit my shoulder.
Unable to withstand the pushing force, I tumbled to the ground.
Sharp pain shot through my shoulder.
Ugh, sht, what the…*
Looking at my shoulder, I saw an arrow.

―Master. Are you a child?
Its voice was incredulous.
―Where was your mana barrier? Why did you let that hit you?
Good point.

“Just heal me.”
This wound was beyond the scope of the healing magic I could currently use.
―I am healing it. The reason you feel no pain right now is the magic’s effect, not adrenaline.

The arrow fell away, and the deep wound healed.
The bloodstains vanished, and even the torn fabric of my clothes was mended.
Wow, the after-service is great.
“You’re surprisingly useful.”
―What?! What did you take me for until now!

Ignoring Schrödinger’s rambling, I brushed off the dirt and stood up.
Looking at Do Yugeon, he had already closed the distance to the Goblins.
Five archers aimed at Do Yugeon and fired simultaneously.
He dodged three arrows and parried two.
What? How did he do that?

Five spearmen thrust their spears in unison.
Do Yugeon used the tip of his sword to push a spear aside, creating an opening, and dove in.
“Single Strike Enhancement.”
His sword flashed once, and five spear shafts were cut clean through.
The ten Goblins, now weaponless, drew daggers and rushed at Do Yugeon.

A chaotic melee ensued.
Golden powder scattered, and dust kicked up.
Amidst it all, not a single drop of blood splattered.
Ten Goblins lay dead, and an unscathed Do Yugeon looked toward me.

“Haha! See, I told you!”
Why did that work?

“Miss Cha Haneul! Do you have something to say! Your expression says it all!”
“That’s realistically impossible. If you’re going 10-against-1, you should use guerrilla tactics, not face them head-on.”
Have some common sense.

“Still harping on about reality! The world is already fantasy! Woohoo!”
He raised both arms and spun around.
He’s completely thrilled.

I went closer to check for injuries.
He was still spinning, so it was hard to tell.
“Alright, alright. Calm down first.”
He stopped spinning.
“Ahem. There are no injuries, so no need to check. Huh? You have dirt on your pants.”

I checked, and it was true.
It must have gotten there when I fell earlier and didn’t brush off completely.
I dusted it off.
“I fell just now—guess some dirt was still there.”
“You fell while flying? What’s that about? Does severe lack of exercise cause that?”
“Apparently so.”

I looked Do Yugeon over, but thankfully, there were no injuries.

Since the gacha was added to the System, and even though I badmouthed it to Schrödinger, I hadn’t actually used the paid gacha until now.
Because I didn’t have any banknotes.
The gacha, evil as its existence was, didn’t accept cards or even bank transfers, putting me in a situation where I couldn’t draw even if I had the money.
I could have done small amounts, perhaps, but that wouldn’t have been nearly enough, so I didn’t bother.

But today was different.
After about a month of preparation, I had acquired dollar bills.
Clutching a rectangular briefcase, I logged in.
It was 6 AM, so as expected, Do Yugeon wasn’t here.

“Schrödinger.”
I looked around the Preparation Room for Schrödinger, but it was nowhere to be seen.
Where did it go?
Only absent when needed.
Always around when not needed.

―Yes, yes. I’m here.
The white cat popped out of thin air.
The Mage’s Encyclopedia for Apprentice Mages disappears and reappears at will, even when I haven’t deactivated it.
Where does it usually go?

“I’m going to use the gacha—help me out.”
―Me? Why?
How unexpected.

“Because I’m your Master.”
―Wow.
“What’s with that tone?”
―I will assist you diligently!
Schrödinger hopped onto the gacha machine.
―You can place the money here.
“I know that.”
―You know! That’s amazing!
What is this? Is it being sarcastic?

I placed the briefcase on the machine and unlatched it.
“Cash charge.”
The $100 bills ignited into flames.
They burned well.
“But if you’re just going to burn it anyway, why accept money at all?”
―The burning is just a transfer effect!

Ah, right.
Needlessly impressive.

[$1,000,000]

The charged amount appeared on the machine.
Text also floated up.

[Buy Now!]
[Item Fragment Auto-Combine Ticket $9,900]
[Item Fragment Unlimited Storage Ticket $9,900]

“Seriously, what kind of mentality charges money for something like this?”
―We are providing a convenience service—is something wrong?
“How can you charge nearly twenty million won for something like this?”
―Master. There is no such thing as free magic.
“Do you think this is worth twenty million won?”
―No.
This Schrödinger…

―We should be charging more.
Its voice was firm.
What is it saying?

“Shouldn’t you at least conduct demand forecasting and price optimization before launching a product? Who would buy it at this price?”
―Master. Why did you call me?
“To talk about this.”
―Even if you keep saying that, I know nothing about the System. I am Master’s Mage’s Encyclopedia. Please remember my identity.

Although I didn’t trust its words at all, I nodded for now.
I should just drop it and draw the gacha.
“I’ll draw a hundred times. Ah, but isn’t there a bonus like ‘1 extra draw per 10 pulls’?”
I hadn’t seen anything like that online, but the System was notoriously unfriendly, so I thought I’d ask just in case.

―That’s in games. This is reality.
Of course, you’d say that.

I pressed the gacha button firmly.
It lit up, and a single square fragment dropped.

[F-Grade Trinket Fragment—No. 4]

I drew a hundred, but what’s this?
―You didn’t use your free draw today.
“Ah, right.”

Glancing over, I saw the price tag had finally appeared.

[$4.99]

“I’ll draw a hundred times.”
I pressed the gacha button firmly.
With a flash of light, square fragments rained down.

[F-Grade Trinket Fragment—No. 8]
[F-Grade Armor Fragment—No. 4]
[F-Grade Armor Fragment—No. 4]
·
·
·
[E-Grade Weapon Fragment—No. 6]

Some fragments rolled off the bottom of the machine.
Schrödinger, buried in fragments, shook itself, sending dozens tumbling to the floor.
There are too many.

I sifted through the F-grade fragments, picking them up one by one until I gathered a complete set up to No. 9.
I don’t know what I’m doing.
I crouched on the empty floor and arranged them in a square shape from 1 to 9.
The fragments shimmered, disappeared, and spat out one item.

[F-Grade/Barbion Workshop’s Low-Quality Dagger]

It was just a dagger.
True to the unfriendly System, there was no item description, but being F-grade, it was likely just a plain dagger with no effects.
I looked around the floor.
Fragments were scattered everywhere.
How long would it take to sort these and turn them into items?
I’d heard about it online, but it was incredibly annoying.

My remaining balance is $999,501… which means 200,300 fragments.
Wow, so I just need to sift through two hundred thousand fragments and find the useful ones.

I grabbed the gacha machine and stood up.
“Purchase Combine Ticket and Storage Ticket.”
―An excellent choice!

The fragments lying haphazardly everywhere vanished, and a list of fragments appeared on the machine.
Convenient.
I roughly calculated the remaining balance in my head.
“I’ll draw one hundred ninety-six thousand, three hundred thirty-two times.”

I pressed the button.
Without a system window, only the machine flashed brilliantly.
The list updated.

S-Grade Fragments: 0.
Of course.
Even online, S-grade fragments are treated as a mirage—their existence is known, but no one has ever obtained one.

A-Grade Fragments: 0.
Uh…
I knew the odds were terrible, but experiencing this delusion…
It’s really bad for my mental health.
Still, it was 1.2 billion won worth; isn’t this too harsh?

B-Grade Fragments: 1

―Getting 1 B-grade fragment is quite lucky, you know.
What’s wrong with these odds?
My motivation plummeted.
“Gacha System party member privacy: On.”
I changed the system settings so Do Yugeon wouldn’t know I used the gacha.
Should I just go back to my room?

―Master, it’s the expected outcome. You already saw it online—why are you acting like this?
“There aren’t many online reviews from people who spent hundreds of millions of won.”
Companies weren’t investing aggressively yet, so there really weren’t many.
The few cases involving hundreds of millions were naturally dismissed as failed attempts.
But still, it’s B-grade.
If they named it B, not A, shouldn’t it drop by now?

―Trying to get a B-grade item for a mere 1.2 billion won is asking too much.
You’re the one asking too much.

―For such a greedy Master! A free trial benefit! Try it out briefly now!
Schrödinger slapped the floor with its front paw, and a staff popped out.

[B-Grade/Sage Rangvi’s Sunshade.]

“Was the title ‘Sage’ considered low?”
―No. Sage comes right after Archmage. A title Master hasn’t even come close to.
“Then isn’t the grade somewhat strange?”
―Is that so? I’m not sure.

I picked up the staff.
The star at the tip made the design pretty.
But it was a bit big.
Even though I’m small, it’s too large to carry around, so I used mana to roughly float it beside me.
I left the Preparation Room and went to the hunting grounds.
I gripped the staff with both hands.

“This isn’t dangerous, right?”
―It’s not dangerous if you use it briefly.
“And if I use it for a long time?”
―With Master’s skills, you can’t use it for long.

Hmm.
I pointed the end of the staff toward the sky and poured mana into it.
Magic imbued in a staff usually emerges from its tip.
Time passed.
The staff continued to consume mana.
Continuously drawing mana was mentally exhausting.
Anyone without considerable skill would probably collapse doing this.

“How long is this going to take?”
―It took a while because Master’s skills are lacking, but it’ll be soon now!

A significant amount of time passed again.
The staff still hadn’t cast the magic.
My arms were starting to ache ominously, so I adjusted my grip lower.
What is this sudden pain?
“You said soon?”
―Yes! Right now!

The magic was cast.
Magic circles and mana arrangement.
Other things besides.
A single spell, mixed with many unknown elements, covered the sky above.
Dark clouds formed.
Clouds that filled my vision and extended beyond the range of my mana sense.
A torrential downpour began.
―You have talent, so you could use it, but ultimately, it’s small-scale.

Schrödinger’s voice came intermittently through the endless sound of rain.
Focusing my mind, I broadened my senses.
I checked the entirety of this virtual space, extending hundreds of meters, then kilometers.
Heavy rain was falling everywhere.
This is small-scale?

―How is it? Don’t you feel the urge to gamble burgeoning within you?
“No. Not at all.”
I should just go home and take another shower.