"You've earned much.", Agnes said with an unhidden smile.
"Eh, I just got whatever I should rightfully be paid.", I said with a similar smile.
"Maria is throwing a fit in the resting quarters. She feels like she's been cheated because her price was declined earlier."
"How much did she ask anyway?"
"Oh, nothing much, about three platinum."
"Huh? Why'd she choose me then?"
Agnes looked at me for a few seconds before speaking calmly, "Because you are unique. Being able to heal someone else without being a priest will be very rare if not unheard of. It is obvious that there's a secret to you. So Sinyoung wants to keep you in their pocket for now."
"....at least now I don't have to worry about them sending random people after me to collect all the money I scammed out of them?"
"That's what you're worried about? Sinyoung sending people after you to recover those platinum coins?" Agnes clarified things after mockingly shaking her head in disappointment.
"The deal happened under my supervision. Their attempt at doing anything that breaks the contract would reflect poorly with Sicilia."
"Really? Sicilia can contend against a conglomerate like Sinyoung?"
Agnes fiddled with her glasses a little before speaking proudly, "If Sinyoung is considered royalty in Scheherazade, Sicilia is considered royalty in Haramark."
"....is Haramark as good as Scheherazade?" I asked knowing that Haramark was just filled with thieves and scammers where as Scheherazade was an actual city.
Agnes's eyes shifted but she mumbled, "We're much scarier than them."
I rolled my eyes and commented randomly, "Yeah, I can imagine our cute drill sergeant spanking people if they come to try and kill me."
"Cu- Cute!?"
"Whatever, aren't we going to do any more training today?"
Agnes looked at me with narrowed eyes and after holding me in contempt for a few minutes she calmed down before speaking, "No. We won't be doing any more training. Your body has reached the limit of what can be achieved here in the neutral zone. From now on, I want you to take missions."
"Oh?" My eyes widened. "Ya serious?"
"Yes. But I have a request. You can decide if you want to agree to it. But it's for your own good."
"Hmm? What's it?"
"I want you to not only complete missions on your own but with a team."
"Hmmm…"
"I know you want to hide your abilities and such until you're strong enough to be able to protect yourself from people wanting to 'own' you. But out in Paradise, you will have to work with teams all the time because no one will give you a mission if you're alone."
I frowned and thought about it for a bit, "What was the point of me hiding my face in front of Sinyoung in the first place then? They'll probably find me in no time if I reveal my healing abilities."
Agnes just looked at me.
"So you want me to fight without using my healing abilities during combat?"
Agnes kept looking at me.
"*sigh* fine. I'll do that then. But who'll partner with me when I've already pissed off so many of them."
"Well…that's your problem. You'll have to right your image if you want to participate in any mission in Paradise anyway, so I think it's better you start right now."
I shook my head and began thinking about what I was going to do.
'Well, I have to start somewhere, let's see if there are any people taking missions solo.'
I stood up from my seat and bowed deeply towards Agnes, "Thanks for helping me out till now."
Agnes shook her head with a soft smile and then picked up a bag full of various items and handed it to me.
"What are they?"
"Just a gift. There's a list with the name and use of each item in it." Agnes said while walking out of the gym.
I looked at the bag in my hand in confusion but I accepted it nevertheless.
"Thanks Agnes!" I shouted back and Agnes just waved her hands and left.
"If you have the time come visit me at Sicilia in Haramark."
I nodded and focused on the bag in my hand.
I pulled out the paper that was in it and my jaws dropped as soon as I read the first thing on it.
VIP Competence X30
The rest of the items on it were shocking too but not as shocking when I realised where they came from.
Spell Balls x3
Quill pen of flowing consciousness x1
Talisman x1
They were all the items Seol Jihu had when he entered the Neutral Zone or had bought from the VIP store.
"Hmm…"
Looking at the items I felt thankful, but also a little confused, "Why did Agnes give me the competence while training then? Wouldn't it have been more beneficial then?"
'Well, whatever the reason for her hesitance, at least now I have something to help me boost my training.'
I quickly hung the satchel around my shoulders and walked over to the plaza to pick up a mission and most importantly find a team for myself.
Waiting in the cafe while eating the last free lunch I would have, courtesy of Agnes, I noticed a lone girl looking around the plaza for a team. After being rejected several times she finally looked at the notice board, wondering if she would take a mission all by herself.
I recognised the girl. It was someone I had helped not long ago.
'Yun Seora…'
'Is no one teaming up with her because she's too behind?'
'Hmm…well she wasn't bad in the original and had good talent. I guess I could join her?'
And so quickly finishing my food, I reached out to Yun Seora before she could tear the paper she had grabbed from the noticeboard.
I noticed it was a slightly hard mission which caused my eyebrows to shoot up.
"I wouldn't take that mission if I were you.", I said calmly.
Yun Seora turned around and after I lifted my hand from her shoulder asked with a little bit of patience.
"Why?"
"You need to at least have high-low stats in all areas in the physical ability section."
Yun Seora's brows furrowed and she clearly didn't believe me so I showed her my own stats.
[3. Physical level]
Strength: Low - Intermediate
Endurance: High - Intermediate
Agility: High - Intermediate
Stamina: High - Intermediate
I watched Seora's eyes widen as she looked at my stats before I spoke to her once again.
"Would you like to form a team with me then?"
Seora's eyes narrowed at that and after a few seconds of contemplating she asked, "How will the loot be split?"
"Why don't we divide it based on how many enemies we kill for now and once we trust each other more we can decide on a percentage?"
Yun Seora thought about it and nodded quickly.
"Then why don't we start with this mission instead.", I said pulling a different paper from the notice board.
[Find your path inside a maze! (remaining number of attempts: 80/90)]
Escape from an underground maze in six hours! If you end up on the wrong path you will most likely die.
Difficulty: Normal
When successful: +100 Survival points
When unsuccessful: Starting from the beginning again or death
- Cooperation allowed (up to two people)
Seora studied the mission paper before nodding.
Then with her hands on my shoulder, I tore the paper and we were instantly transported into the underground maze.