Chapter 22: Unique Skill Lv.2

“Whew, I’m exhausted.”

Tossing his weapon to the ground and wiping the blood splattered on his face with his sleeve, Rohan let out a sigh.

He’d hit Shaduri so hard that his hammer had broken.

He’d somehow lost all his weapons.

Rohan snatched the Knuckle from the lifeless Shaduri, like a trophy.

Knuckles… Not really my style.

Even so, it was obviously better than bare fists, so he pocketed it in a hurry.

He’d also managed to score quite a few Points from this group, so he figured he could at least try to purchase a cheap Sword after he returned.

Here we go.

Rohan’s lips curled up as notification windows popped up in front of him in quick succession.

The space before him rippled, prompting him to receive the promised Murder Textbook Skill Book and the Random Point Pouch as rewards.

But something else caught Rohan’s eye.

Oh, even my wounds?

The cuts that had been steadily bleeding and draining his health were healed cleanly.

Not even a scar remained, as if time itself had been reversed. It was truly uncanny.

It was even more impressive than the famous healers he had observed from afar during his Hunter days.

He hadn’t known this since he wasn’t injured in the last quest.

Tsuzuzu──

And the clean-up didn’t end there.

It began to erase the bloodstains on Rohan’s clothes and body and even repair the torn portion of his hood.

So “Combat Traces” includes wounds as well.

Depending on the interpretation, it wasn’t wrong.

And since it was a joyous occasion, he just accepted it. After all, it was a huge advantage for him either way.

“…”

After confirming that all the work was done, Rohan thrust his hand into the shimmering void.

The Skill permeated his body, following the same procedure as before.

Simple and good.

It was a Skill that deserved even higher praise because it was passive, not active.

And unlike the Skill, there was something else that was tangible caught on his fingertips.

Recalling his experience buying beef jerky, Rohan grabbed the object and pulled his hand out.

What he pulled out was a thick leather pouch.

It maintained a plump, round shape despite having no real weight or heft, and it only had a single capital letter P on the outside.

Rohan tossed it up and down in his palm before grabbing the string-tied opening of the pouch.

Was there any reason not to use this consumable item right here? None.

Even if it’s random, it won’t be less than the Tutorial, right?

Feeling more nervous than he had during the fight, Rohan opened the pouch.

“Yes!”

Whether he was lucky or the minimum amount was high, it was more than he expected.

And it wasn’t just enough to barely afford the items he needed, he had a surplus.

Yes. This is how a Unique Skill should evolve.

While the contact condition remained, the Attribute gained variety.

Plus, a new power to inflict Debuffs.

Even if it was minor and had a low probability, it made him anticipate how the Skill would evolve next.

…The Skill Book price is 10 times higher?

The One-Time Purchase prices were becoming increasingly outrageous.

However, Rohan was now in a position to be able to somewhat predict the flow of the Shop Skill itself.

Anyway, if I buy that, something else will be updated, right?

Besides that, the list of purchasable items had increased tremendously.

He had to scroll down to find things like High-Protein Beef Jerky and Mineral Water.

It was also interesting that items besides food had appeared.

“…”

After browsing through briefly, Rohan raised his head.

Fatigue remained, but his body felt lighter with his wounds healed.

This is a turning point.

He recalled a path he had only imagined while playing Abyss City.

What should I do?

Originally, Rohan had planned to return to the Dormitory after completing the quest.

Because not going to the meeting place and standing them up was the canonical route in Abyss City 1.0.

However,

Now that he had gone through the group’s smartphones and figured out the location and time they were supposed to meet with the Elf…

For this current quest, he had more information than when he experienced it in the game.

It was omitted in the game because it didn’t take place, but just seeing the part about making absolutely no attempt to talk to or exchange any information with the female Elf who came to greet him painted a clear picture.

Those old geezers…

Glancing at the contents of the contact sent through the anonymous program, it seemed the Princess herself was sent out to guide them.

And considering the treatment the Princess likely received, that possibility was more than sufficient; it was overflowing.

“Hmm.”

That’s why Rohan carefully considered his options.

Meeting the Princess in the current situation was indeed dangerous.

If the Princess was provoked and fired a gun, the chances of coming out unscathed with his current frail body were close to zero.

Even so.

Having made up his mind, Rohan decided to head to the meeting place.

Should I buy her some Macarons?

The Princess never appeared as a Playable Character in Abyss City.

But she was one of the characters Rohan cherished so much, that he vowed to raise to the max level if she ever became one.

The feeling of seeing her suffer through text in the game and recognizing her suffering now that it was reality was different for Rohan.

So, rather than giving the Princess some grand information, he just wanted to see how she was doing, check her complexion.

And it would be nice if he could help her a little with a small piece of information.

··

··

I’m late.

Rohan headed to the designated Ruins as quickly as possible, but…

By the time he arrived close enough, quite a bit of time had passed.

Looking around, there was nothing to hear except the wind whistling through the deserted buildings.

Quiet and desolate.

Did they leave already? While wandering around with that regret…

Click.

A woman with pointed ears emerged from behind a wall.

“!”

A golden ponytail, with hints of green at the tips.

Goggles over indifferent eyes, and a cloth covering her mouth.

Techwear with a full complement of magazines and consumables.

Those crazy old farts, I suspected it, but they really sent the Princess.

Rohan felt pity upon seeing the Princess.

Swish.

As if asking to follow her lead, the Princess gestured with her chin.

She seemed determined to avoid even the slightest greeting.

Rohan stopped in his tracks and called out.

“Excuse me.”

The Princess turned around dryly.

He pointed to the bottom part of the vest she was wearing and then grabbed his hoodie to show her the location as an example.

“Check here.”

“…”

Instead of following his actions, suspicion flickered in the Princess’ eyes.

“We’ll continue after you check. I’ll wait.”

Having anticipated this, Rohan sat down comfortably and…

Took out the Macaron Set he had purchased from the Shop before coming.

Inside the elegant box, slightly larger than his palm…

Colorful Macarons were arranged.

“Want some?”

It was a type she had never seen before. The Princess shook her head with bewildered eyes.

Rohan then popped a Macaron into his mouth, saying he’d eat it alone.

“Oh, this is delicious.”

“…”

The Princess stared at Rohan silently.

It was frustrating that she refused to speak; it was a fundamental principle. Her mouth itched under the mask.

She couldn’t drag him by force either. After all, the Elders called him a guest.

“Just check what I told you. Probably around here?”

“…”

When Rohan showed her the approximate location again…

The Princess moved her hand without taking her eyes off him.

“?”

Then she felt it.

A foreign object at her fingertips.

The Princess pulled out a dagger and slit the end of her vest without hesitation.

She discovered a small device inside the clothing.

She knew what that was.

…A tracking device?

It was the same model that Princess had installed on the Yard-Pound Brothers at the behest of the Elders.

Rohan watched the Princess with his chin resting on his hand.

He could see the complex emotions in her eyes.

Now, when she returned, she would understand why she was caught by the Elders.

“You found it right away. Then I’ll be on my way.”

“…”

Leaving behind the stunned Princess without a second thought, Rohan stood up.

“See you next time. Take care of your health.”

At the sight of Rohan leaving without hesitation, the Princess came to her senses.

Although the explanation was far too insufficient for her to grasp the situation, the Princess, living up to Rohan’s expectations, couldn’t help but speak.

“…Stop.”

Click!

The Princess pulled out the pistol she was carrying, and one of her pupils transformed into a heart shape.

Rohan knew what that ability was.

Heart Sniping.

A Skill that aimed for the heart with bullets.

Meeting her gaze, Rohan scratched his chin at the ticklish sensation.

It’s kind of… hot.

Seeing it in person, it felt more like that than menacing.