Chapter 68: Confidential #2

5,000 Points vanished with a ripple.

Along with it, a notification window appeared, the same one that popped up when purchasing a one-time item during a restock.

Huh? Estimated time remaining?

Compared to last time, one notification window was missing.

Thinking so, Rohan reached out his hand. Satisfying this curiosity was his priority.

His hand entered the distorted space.

Rohan immediately showed suspicion.

“Huh?”

Unlike when he learned Blazing Blade, the moment his hand went in, learning didn’t occur.

This time, it was different.

There was something tangible inside, something he could feel. A sensation similar to purchasing a physical food item or drink.

Thud!

What appeared in Rohan’s hand, pulled from the void, was an old, worn book.

True to its name, Skill Book, it was in the form of a book. This, in turn, bewildered Rohan.

A real book…?

He checked the front and back. There were no written characters on the cover.

Flip, flip. He flipped through the pages, but they were all blank. Spotlessly empty, without a single dot.

What is this?

His anticipation, fueled by the notification of good fortune, deflated. He couldn’t figure out how to use it.

The only use he could immediately think of was as a coaster for his ramen.

“Hmm.”

Rohan pondered, checking the texture of the book.

The power that activated these unknown objects, the key that revealed their true nature, the individual password more complex and diverse than a fingerprint…

The answer was set in stone.

Mana.

Rohan channeled the mana within his body, letting it seep into the book.

The change was immediate.

Flip, flip, flip!

The book opened on its own. The pages flipped rapidly, then abruptly stopped midway.

Rohan silently watched this poltergeist-like phenomenon.

A book this time, not a video?

Rohan stiffened as he read the notification.

Now that the number had changed from 1 to 2, it was impossible to predict what would happen.

How long did he wait for this unpredictable phenomenon?

Chiiiiik—!

A spark moved across the book, burning the paper as it passed. Surprisingly, there was no smoke or burning smell.

The black traces gathered and formed letters.

Rohan’s eyes naturally started to read them.

Words like someone’s lament.

He could understand the emotions conveyed solely by the shape of the letters, as if they were forcefully pressed onto the page.

It was as if he could hear a voice.

A flame that burns away reason and instinct?

Was it a metaphorical expression?

If it wasn’t such a vague expression, he wanted to ask where in the world there was a flame that could burn such intangible things. But…

Rohan had an image that came to mind the moment he read this passage.

What I saw in the video…

My younger self sitting in a chair. It was ridiculous to call it myself, but it was me nonetheless.

It was just a guess, but the image he saw then wouldn’t leave his mind.

And who are these people?

The names Lowell and Jenny. He’d never heard those names in Abyss City.

Yet, they didn’t feel unfamiliar.

A vow to investigate the two names that were strongly etched in his memory.

“Hmm…”

As if Rohan’s muttering in contemplation was a signal…

Thud! The open book slammed shut.

This time, a flame flickered softly over the cover, engraving the characters in bold.

The title of the book appeared, imbued with sparks.

Seeing the Chinese characters, Rohan murmured, feeling a sense of trance.

“…Divine Sun Judgment.”

Along with his voice, flames erupted from the book.

The blazing fire rising from his hand wasn’t hot. And it wasn’t surprising either.

For some reason, Rohan felt this process was a perfectly natural procedure.

Crackle, crackle. The burning book turned to ashes and seeped into Rohan’s body.

And someone’s voice echoed.

The Fire Attribute, which had been a decorative element in his Status Window,

Rohan sensed a powerful change befitting it. He opened his Skill Window.

And faced the results.

A faint glow flowed from the skill name, and a level that proved its growth potential. Unlike Murder Textbook or Blazing Blade, it didn’t have a rank.

It meant it was a unique skill usable only by him.

A curse slipped from Rohan’s lips after he processed the information.

“…Crazy!”

Possessing two unique skills was a symbol of S-Rank in Abyss City.

Rohan already had two unique skills: Weakness Inducement and Shop.

There was no such thing as a screwed-up S-Rank character with only one unique skill, and there was no insane playable character with three.

But now, that rule was broken.

Because three unique skills were sitting in his Skill Window.

Swordsmanship… so these martial arts-like skill names existed outside of the Three Kingdoms Union.

He could roughly guess what the Southern Region, which wasn’t highlighted much in Abyss City, felt like.

I wonder how it is.

Rohan wanted to test this swordsmanship immediately. His hands were itching.

He had to wash up and get ready to go out to eat, but his gaze wouldn’t leave the Skill Window.

The corners of his mouth twitched at the luck that still felt unreal.

Should he just buy a proper sword on installment instead of a dagger, run to the Academy to swing it around, and then head to the Instructor’s house?

Or should I borrow a sword from the Instructor?

Rohan jumped up from his seat, deciding to get ready first.

He wrote down the names Lowell and Jenny in his notebook and smartphone memo pad.

Below them, he continued writing the words the voice left in his memory.

There is no night without sunrise… That’s nice.

Leaving that sentiment behind, Rohan moved to wash up.

The strong water pressure, startling enough to make one jump, and the hot water pouring down like a waterfall.

Plus, the expensive shampoo and conditioner, body wash and cleansing foam she had only seen in magazines at the bookstore.

Clara finished her shower, her hands trembling from the luxury.

She dried her naked body with a soft towel that absorbed the water with a single wipe.

Creak.

Clara peeked her head out through the crack in the door.

The white steam that had been trapped in the bathroom puffed out into the living room.

The girl moved her head around, searching for clothes.

Unable to find anything, she called out to Juyeon.

“Um…”

“Clara.”

“Y-yes…?”

Juyeon approached with a serious expression.

Clara quickly pulled her head back inside, only blinking her eyes, worried that her meager body might be seen.

“I’ll buy you some underwear, so wait a moment. It’ll take a little time to run it through the dryer.”

“A-about the underwear…”

Clara blushed, thinking that Juyeon must have seen her underwear size.

“If not, I can give you some thick clothes to cover yourself with, even though I don’t have anything that would suit you.”

“Just… clothes, please.”

That was better.

After Clara’s small request, Juyeon brought the clothes she had placed on the sofa.

A thin sleeveless top and a thick hoodie to wear inside.

And black sweatpants for bottoms.

Clara accepted the clothes gratefully and went back into the bathroom.

She came out wearing the oversized clothes.

The pants dragging on the floor and only her fingertips peeking out from the sleeves of the hoodie.

Looking at Clara, Juyeon thought,

Perhaps this was the image of a woman loved by a man.

Such a cute and beautiful girl.

Even her damp hair looked endearing.

If she had a younger sister that everyone worried about, would she have been like this?

“Come here. I’ll dry your hair.”

“!”

Clara froze like a statue as Juyeon reached out.

Juyeon’s hand passed by the tense girl. The moisture at the tips of Clara’s hair vanished.

Withdrawing her hand along with her mana, Juyeon

looked at the fidgeting Clara and spoke.

“Clara. I have a question.”

“Yes…?”

Juyeon recalled the small pieces of cloth spinning in the washing machine.

Just thinking about it made her blush.

But, for the purpose of breaking the ice and understanding her cadet,

Juyeon asked as casually as possible,

“By any chance… are you going out with Rohan?”