The Record of Hyoren Enjo’s Journey in Another World

Chapter 49

His Effort

Date: Day 29 of Harvestmoon. 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Elise led Hyoren past the counter toward a narrow staircase tucked in the back corner of the common room. Her steps were firm. She didn't look back.

"Elise. Are you sure we should share a room?"

Elise continued climbing the stairs. Unbothered. Her boots struck each wooden step with a steady rhythm.

"What's wrong with it, Hyoren? Or do you really not want to partner with me anymore?" she kept her gaze forward as she spoke.

"It's normal for party members to share a room to save money. And it'll be safer for us to be together in case something happens."

Hyoren fell silent. Her logic was sound.

"But..."

His voice trailed off. He wanted to say they were a man and a woman, and his conscience felt shaken at the prospect of sharing a room with her, someone he had just know for around one week.

Elise glanced back over her shoulder.

"We shared space in the wilds. Inside the protection of Ward Stones. Slept side by side. In the same mattress the last few nights too."

She turned her eyes forward again.

"What's different here in the city? It'd be weird if you suddenly suggested we separate our rooms now."

Hyoren's shoulders slumped. Resignation settled in his chest.

"Okay then, Elise. If you're fine with the arrangement... then… I won't argue anymore."

Her logic was indeed sound. It was his own moral hesitation that held him back.

They reached the third floor. Elise stopped in front of room 308. The brass numbers matched the key she held.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Hyoren stepped inside and stopped.

He had expected the room to be decent. The city outside was clean, well-maintained, nothing like the grimy medieval cities portrayed in the fantasy novels he used to read. But this exceeded his expectations.

The floor was polished wood, and the air carried a faint scent of lavender and beeswax. In the center of the room stood a large bed with a sturdy wooden frame, covered in a clean quilt and piled with fluffy pillows. A solid wood wardrobe occupied one wall, and a small table with two comfortable-looking chairs sat against another. Soft light emanated from a magic lamp fixed to the ceiling.

But the most shocking feature was the door in the corner. It stood open, revealing a private bathroom complete with a proper flushable toilet and shower.

Hyoren just stood there, his mouth slightly agape.

"This... this is not what I was expecting. This is... luxury."

Elise laughed. The sound was light and musical, filling the room.

"This isn't luxury, Hyoren..." a playful smile danced on her lips.

"What did you expect? A pile of straw in the corner?"

Hyoren shrugged.

"I don't know... I wasn't expecting the room to be bad, considering the city is clean... just something simpler, I guess."

She turned to more practical matters. She placed her belongings in the wardrobe, carefully hanging her bow and quiver before setting her bag inside.

Hyoren followed her lead, placing his belongings on the other side of the wardrobe.

Elise crossed to the bed and let herself fall onto the mattress. She sank into it with a sigh.

"Come, Hyoren. Let's sleep. I'm so sleepy already. Don't just stand there."

She patted the space beside her. Inviting him.

Hyoren sighed. Exhaled his breath deeply. Resigned. If this was what Elise wanted, he would comply.

"Okay, Elise. To be honest, I'm also sleepy..."

He yawned, then stretched his arms above his head. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the bed beside her. The mattress dipped under his weight. The first soft, comfortable bed in forty six days. The thought moved him. How he had taken beds for granted before being thrown into this world. After coping with a rabbit fur rug, then makeshift beds of leaves and grass, this felt like a revelation.

"The bed is so soft... I almost forgot how a soft bed feels after living in the wilds for so long."

Elise snuggled closer to him. She pulled the comforter over them both and looked up at him.

"Fufufu… Yawn…. There's nothing that can beat a real bed."

She draped her arm across his chest and pulled him closer. Hyoren felt a soft pressure against his arm. He tried to distract his mind, running his fingers over the comforter's surface.

"It is. It makes us feel... safe. Somehow."

He kept his gaze on the ceiling.

"In the wilds, Ward Stones kept us safe too. But the feeling of a real bed. In a safe room. There's nothing that can beat it."

Elise's yawned again, her eyelids grew heavy. She struggled to keep them open.

"Yawn… Let's sleep... I can't hold it anymore... Night, Hyoren."

She smiled faintly, then rested her head on his shoulder.

Hyoren smiled back.

"Good night, Elise."

Not long after, her breathing evened out. She fell asleep.

Hyoren watched her. Her face was relaxed, peaceful.

"And... she just slept like that…" his voice was barely a whisper.

"Well... for the last two days she's always been like this..."

He studied her sleeping face. A few strands of hair had fallen across her cheek. He reached out and tucked them behind her pointed ear, revealing her face fully.

"She's really beautiful. I never really looked at her carefully before. My mind was always occupied with other things. Monster... Survival… Threat… Our journey…"

He ran his finger along her soft cheek.

She mumbled something incomprehensible, still deep in sleep.

"She truly trusts me, huh."

He continued to stroke her hair.

"We're a man and a woman inside a closed room. Alone. Did she think I won't do anything?"

He patted her head, combing his fingers through her silver hair. The bath earlier had left it smooth and silky, and the strands caught the soft lamplight as they slipped through his fingers.

"I'm a healthy man. There's no way I don't have urges..."

He exhaled slowly, his breath stirring the loose strands near her temple.

"It's just that in the wilds, the danger around us helped me bury those feelings. Prioritizing our safety. But now..."

He looked away, staring at the ceiling. Anything to keep his gaze from Elise's face.

"I'm still not sure what feelings I have toward her..."

His voice dropped to barely a whisper.

"Is this just my lust... seeing a beautiful woman who is so defenseless?”

The thought of it made his heart ache. He hated succumbing to lust.

“Or is this feeling of gratefulness toward her because she trusts me? Taught me a lot of things. Accompanied me from the wilds to civilization?"

He paused, his throat tight.

"Or because she was the first person I met in this world... making her presence etched deeply on my heart? Did I think of her as a special friend? Partner? Or is she my senior, my teacher?"

His brow furrowed.

"Or was it something else... a feeling of..."

His voice trailed off. The words wouldn't come. He grit his teeth in frustration.

"Before I know for certain, I must bury this urge. Don't give in to lust. I don't want to betray her trust."

Hyoren closed his eyes. He tried to forget the softness pressed against his arm. Tried to forget Elise's sleeping face so close to his own, the steady rhythm of her breath, the warmth radiating from her body.

He forced himself to sleep. His tired body, worn from more than a month in the wild, actually helped. The exhaustion seeped into his bones and dragged his consciousness down into darkness. Not long after, his mind shut down completely. His breathing evened out, matching Elise's rhythm, and the two of them lay tangled together in the soft glow of the magic lamp.

***

Hyoren woke slowly. The first real bed since he was transported to this world cradled his body, and for once his mind surfaced without the usual fog of exhaustion. Every ache he had carried for weeks had melted away during the night. His muscles felt loose, relaxed, and rested.

He felt fresh.

But something was wrong. He blinked his eyes open and realized the weight against his side was gone. The soft warmth that had been there when he fell asleep was no longer present.

Dread crept into his chest. Did Elise leave him alone? Did she run away? After everything they had been through?

It seemed her presence had already etched itself permanently into his mind. She had always been there when he woke up in the wilds for last few days—and now she was gone.

He sat up abruptly and scanned the room. His heart pounded against his ribs.

Then he exhaled a relieved breath.

Elise stood by the window, gazing outside. Her emerald eyes watched the street below, not focusing on anything in particular, just enjoying the view. She looked peaceful.

The dual suns had begun their climb from the horizon. Their rays shone through the window and illuminated Elise's face, making her already beautiful features look ethereal in the golden light.

Hearing movement from the bed—Elise turned and smiled.

"Morning, Hyoren. You looked so tired and peaceful, I couldn't bring myself to wake you up. Fufu."

She giggled. The sound was light and musical, like a melody crafted just for him.

Hyoren smiled back, relief washing through him.

"Good morning, Elise..."

He stretched his arms above his head, feeling his joints pop pleasantly. Then he threw off the comforter and stood from the bed.

"Thank you... I didn't know I needed this rest so badly. But I truly did."

He flexed his fingers, marveling at how responsive his body felt.

"Even with the help of Ward Stones, it seems my mind never fully shut down. My body was never fully rested."

He took a deep breath.

"For the first time since I got thrown into that forest, I feel fresh."

Elise smiled warmly.

"I understand that. There's nothing that can beat sleeping in a safe room on top of a real bed."

She crossed the room and walked closer to where Hyoren stood.

"It's actually almost midday. Do you want to eat here in the room, or in the communal dining area?"

Hyoren considered the question for a moment. His gaze drifted back to the inviting mattress.

"Can I just be lazy for today? The bed is still calling me to lie back down on it."

Elise chuckled.

"Fufufu. That's perfectly fine. Our bodies need to rest. We've earned it."

Almost at the same moment, a knock sounded at the door.

Elise turned and opened it. Martha stood in the doorway, her motherly smile already in place.

"Oh. You two are already awake. I was worried you wouldn't come down even at noon. But it seems you two were truly tired, huh."

Martha's eyes crinkled with warmth.

"Yeah, Martha. We were truly tired. Weeks in the wild really took a toll on our bodies."

Elise returned the innkeeper's smile.

"And good timing. Just now I was planning to go down and ask for breakfast. Or is lunch more appropriate?"

Martha giggled softly.

"Oh dear... you two deserve the rest then. Wait a bit. I'll prepare food for you two and bring it up here."

Martha turned and headed down the stairs to prepare their meal. Elise closed the door and walked back to the bed, settling onto the edge of the mattress.

"So, let's wait here. Your body is fine, Hyoren?"

Hyoren sat down on the bed beside her.

"Yes. I've never felt this good."

Elise nodded.

"Good... good. Let's just relax for today. We deserve it. Truly."

Hyoren agreed completely.

"True, Elise... We've already achieved our immediate goal. No need to rush to the next one like a maniac. Haha."

Elise giggled alongside him.

"Fufufu. That's right. A good adventurer knows when their body needs rest. Use the time efficiently. Work hard. Rest hard. Fufufu."

Another knock came at the door. Hyoren raised his hand, signaling he would answer it this time.

Elise smiled and let him go.

He walked to the door and pulled it open. A teenage girl stood in the doorway, wearing a simple apron. She looked neat with shoulder length hair, with same color as Martha. Her facial features also resemble Martha. She carried a tray with two bowls and drinks, steam rising from the food.

“Umm. Good morning. I brought your food.”

Hyoren tilted his head. Seeing an unknown girl.

Elise stood from the bed and appeared behind him.

"Oh... hey, Reon! Thanks as always."

She placed a hand on Hyoren's shoulder.

"Hyoren, this is Reon, Martha's daughter."

He nodded in understanding. He reached out and took the tray from Reon's hands.

"Thank you, Reon. Nice to meet you. I'm Hyoren."

Reon fidgeted in place, her eyes darting nervously.

"Umm. Nice to meet you... Umm... If you two are done... put the tray outside the door. Umm. I'll pick it up later. Umm... excuse me."

She bowed quickly and hurried away down the stairs.

Elise closed the door and smiled.

"Don't mind her. She's always shy around strangers and new people. Martha was teaching her to become a waiter to help overcome that. But it seems she still has a long way to go."

Hyoren carried the food tray to the table. He and Elise settled into the chairs.

"I see. I thought I was still wearing my wild gear and that's what made her scared of me. Turns out she was just shy. Haha."

Elise giggled, her expression warm.

"Fufufu... She's earnest and hardworking despite that. So the regulars here really root for her."

The bowls of stew were still steaming, the aroma rich and inviting. They picked up their spoons and began to eat.

Hyoren took a bite. It was squirrel stew with root vegetables similar to carrots and potatoes. Just like Elise had mentioned before, squirrel was a staple meat in this city, much like chicken back on Earth. Thanks to the squirrel farms near the city, the meat was plentiful and affordable.

Elise's expression shifted to one of pure bliss as she tasted the stew.

"Mmm. I can never get bored eating squirrel."

Hyoren smiled at her reaction.

"Last night you just ate squirrel. And now you're eating it again. You truly love it, huh, Elise. Haha."

Elise savored another spoonful before responding.

"Yes. Bored of squirrel meat? Never! Fufufu."

She scooped up another bite.

"Restaurant stew is good. It's rich. Meticulously prepared. But Martha's stew is warm. Homey. I love this too."

Hyoren nodded as he ate. He could feel what she meant. The stew wasn't spectacular or fancy. It was certainly delicious, but what made it special was the taste of home cooking. It reminded him of the kind of meal a mother would make.

Both of them finished their stew quickly, their hunger from the previous days catching up to them.

"Ahh. That was good."

Elise leaned back in her chair, satisfied.

Hyoren nodded in agreement.

"Yes. It was good. I like this inn already, Elise."

Elise leaned forward, her eyes bright.

"Right? This inn is the best in this city! Might not be the most luxurious. But I love it."

Hyoren couldn't agree more.

***

Elise picked up her and Hyoren’s empty bowl and placed it on the tray. She carried it to the door and set it outside for Martha or Reon to collect later, then returned to the comfortable chair across from Hyoren. She picked up her glass and took a long sip of the drink Martha had prepared. Dew-heart Juice, cool and slightly sweet.

"So, Elise. Will we just cope in this room for today?"

Elise swirled the liquid in her glass before taking another sip.

"Hmm. Maybe we can go outside in the evening. Sell our Alpha materials. And then I suggest we go to the Merchants' Guild HQ to open a bank account."

Hyoren nodded slowly.

"Hmm. Yeah. We still need to sell the Alpha Material..."

He then thought about the money they had gained from selling just the magic stones at the guild yesterday. The memory made him shudder.

"And walking around with 1 million Kres in my wallet scares me. I want to create a bank account and deposit most of my money."

Elise giggled softly.

"That's right. I never carry more than I need to."

She turned her gaze to the window, looking out at the serene side street below the inn. It was far quieter than the bustling main street of the Adventurer's District. Peaceful.

Then something seemed to occur to her. She straightened in her chair.

"Hey, Hyoren. You still haven't checked your guild card, right? Go check it!"

Hyoren tilted his head, confused.

"Check what, Elise?"

Elise put a hand to her forehead. She was exasperated.

"Come on. You haven't checked your skills and status! The back of the card!"

Realization finally hit Hyoren. The status. The skills. The personal information that even the Adventurer's Guild couldn't pry into.

"Right. How did I forget about that?"

Elise chuckled.

"Fufufu. Now go get your card. I'm curious too."

Hyoren rose from his chair and went to his bag. He dug out his guild card and returned to sit in front of Elise again.

He placed the card on the table so Elise could see it too.

The back of the card was still blank. He focused and poured his Aethell into it. The card glowed faintly, and then information began to appear:

Level : 6

Experience to next level up : 498/576

Status :

Strength : 8

Vitality : 7

Dexterity : 6

Agility : 9

Magic : 6

Skills :

Forest Walking Lvl 1

Spear Mastery Lvl 2

Throwing Lvl 1

Magic Manipulation Lvl 1

Instinct Lvl 1

Dissection Lvl 1

Aethell Sense Lvl 1

Unique Skill : Berserker

Blessing : Divine Protection of Twin Goddesses

All the skills and status values he had only known through feeling, through his own calculations and guesswork, were finally laid bare before him.

"So this is my status and skills..."

He examined each line carefully.

"Most of the skills, I already knew their names based on my feelings. But the skill I thought was called Evasion is actually Instinct, huh."

He nodded to himself.

"It sharpens my instincts so I can move and evade better. That makes sense."

He tapped the card thoughtfully.

"And skill I call Mind's Eye is actually Aethell Sense. A skill to sense Aethell directly using my eyes. Right. The name fit."

He had named it himself. Based on nothing but intuition. And it turned out he had been close. The skill was about sensing. About perceiving what others could not. He just hadn't known the proper term.

Then Hyoren's eyes landed on his experience points. The numbers displayed on the card. The current total and the requirement for the next level.

He blinked.

"Wait a minute..."

His brow furrowed. The math didn't add up.

"I thought exp requirement to reach level 7 is 768? But here, it's 576 instead?"

Elise tilted her head. Her silver hair shifted with the motion. Her green eyes curious.

"What's the problem, Hyoren? Why do you look confused?"

Hyoren pointed at his experience points.

"Based on my log, experience needed to level up follows an exponential curve. They increase by two every level up. 1 to 2 needs 24. 2 to 3 needs 48. And at 5 to 6, I did need 384. So if the curve is following the same rule, my next level should be 768, not 576."

He spoke quickly. The words tumbling out. His mind racing through the calculations. He had tracked every kill. Every point. He was certain of his numbers.

Elise put her fingers on her chin. Her pointed ears twitched slightly. A habit he had come to recognize as a sign of concentration.

"I never actually notice the exp requirement per level up..."

She pulled out her own guild card, checking her own status and exp requirements, her eyebrows frowning.

"I check my guild card and I will know. I never guess or calculate for future levels. I don't even know there is something called exponential curve..."

Her voice trailed off. Overwhelmed by the concept.

For Elise, or any other inhabitants of this world, the experience requirement was simply a number on a card. They killed monsters. Their experience increased. When enough was gathered, they leveled up. They only care about their current level requirement. They never analyzed it. Never questioned the pattern. Never tried to predict the future.

For Hyoren, who didn't have a Guild Card or Voice of Aethell before it was fixed, it was different. He had needed to track manually. Every kill. Every point. He needed to unlock the puzzles. To understand the system.

He nodded slowly. Processing this new information.

"I see. That's understandable..."

Then he saw it again on her guild card. Elise's experience requirement for her next level up was around 11,500. A massive number compared to his. But if the curve was truly exponential, it would be even higher. Impossibly higher.

The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"So the level up first follows an exponential curve, then it will flatten after a while... I see. That makes sense. If level up follows exponential curve, then past level 10, it will be almost impossible to level up..."

The world rules kept getting revealed to him. Piece by piece. Layer by layer. The system was complex. Nuanced. Designed to reward effort without becoming impossible.

He was excited. A smile spread across his face.The thrill of discovery.

Seeing that, Elise also smiled. Her expression softened.

"You and your analytical mind, Hyoren... never ceases to amaze me."

Her voice was filled with something. Awe, perhaps. Or admiration.

He just scratched his cheek. Embarrassed. The praise was unexpected.

Elise then leaned forward. Her eyes scanning his status next. Moving from one section to another. Reading the numbers. The skills. The attributes. Her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.

Her voice was laced with surprise.

"Hyoren. Your status and skills are... truly extraordinary."

Hyoren looked up at her.

"How so, Elise? I thought this was pretty normal?"

Elise shook her head. Her long silver hair swayed with the motion.

"No, Hyoren. This is not normal. And you achieved all of this before you even got your Divine Protection."

It was Hyoren's turn to widen his eyes. Realization dawned over him.

Elise raised one finger.

"First, your skills. You were thrown into this world around fifty days ago. And you already have seven skills. That's really fast."

She tapped the table, searching for the right words to emphasize just how extraordinary he was.

"Most people learn one, or at most two, skills in one month. You easily tripled that amount."

Hyoren looked down at his card again.

"I see. I was just desperate. I trained a lot. And two of my skills are the result of desperate battles."

He paused.

"Instinct when I fought the Goblin Warrior to save you. And Aethell Sense when we fought the Alpha."

Elise nodded. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I see. That makes sense then. As we discussed before, the skill system truly rewards courage and finesse. Zalkier, the God of Skill, loves courageous people. So getting new skills in a life-or-death battle is common..."

Elise paused. Her expression turned grim.

"It's just that not many people actually come out alive after such battles."

Hyoren held his breath for a moment.

"That's... true."

He exhaled deeply as realization dawned on him.

Elise smiled, trying to dispel the grim mood.

"That's why your feat is truly outstanding. Don't belittle your own effort and battle, Hyoren. You should be proud of yourself. Not many can do this feat."

Hyoren nodded. His old habit of dismissing his achievements almost surfaced again, but he caught himself.

"I see. That's right. If I dismiss this as nothing, it's not only ignoring my own effort, but also mocking the effort of others..."

Elise smiled, pleased that he was finally understanding.

She turned her attention back to his card.

"Then secondly, there's your status, Hyoren. That's also outstanding."

Hyoren tilted his head. Confused

Elise smiled, she needed to convey it to him in an easy manner so he could understand.

"Okay. I'll use mine as a comparison."

Elise retrieved her own card from her pack. She poured her Aethell into it and placed it down side by side with his:

"First... at level one, everyone starts at one in every status. Then they gradually increase them with every level up, based on their actions before they level up."

She looked at Hyoren.

"For example, me. I always train with my bow, evade enemy attacks, and move through the forest silently. Those actions are related to Dexterity and Agility. So when I level up, those two stats are the ones most likely to increase, while the others stay the same. Sometimes the focused stats even increase by two points."

She then gestured as if swinging an invisible weapon.

"For others who train with their sword repeatedly, their status will skew toward Strength. When you train your magic, Aethell, and study spells, most likely your Magic will be the one that increases. And so on."

Elise tapped on both guild cards.

"Your stat growth is not normal. This kind of status means you always train everything. And nobody has the time and persistence to do that. People always stick to two, or at most three, stats that benefit them the most, and focus on those while leaving the rest to grow slowly."

Elise leaned back, concluding her explanation.

Hyoren sat in stunned silence.

"That is... right..." he spoke slowly as the pieces fell into place.

"I always trained everything equally. I used my spear. Trained my throwing accuracy. Learned how to move through the forest and evade well. I meditated to increase my magic..."

He frowned slightly.

"I never actually trained my Vitality. But as I often got hit... maybe that made my Vitality grow too."

He looked down at his status again.

"I thought that was... normal."

Elise chuckled warmly.

"You are truly something, Hyoren. No wonder you could survive alone in the Forest of No Return. You are diligent."

Hyoren wanted to argue. He wanted to say he just liked grinding. But he stopped himself. If he thought about it again, grinding required persistence and diligence. That would just be admitting Elise's point.