The Support Ate it All

The next day.

As soon as I saw Seo Ye-in, I grinned and said,

"Young miss, Kim Ho has returned without a scratch."

"……"

Without a word, Seo Ye-in stepped closer.

She examined my arms and shoulders closely, almost as if she was about to press up against me.

"……"

"What are you doing?"

"Inspection."

"Mhmm."

Next, Seo Ye-in took one of my hands and stared at it carefully.

To an outsider, it probably looked like she was reading my palm.

Then she said briefly,

"…Inferno Fist."

"I used it a few times, but I'm all healed up."

"Okay."

The inspection time went on a little longer.

Only after confirming that I was completely unharmed did Seo Ye-in slowly nod.

"Passed."

"You're being thorough today."

"I was worried."

Honestly, it made sense that she'd been worried.

It wasn't my first time entering an A-rank dungeon, but the Teleportation Labyrinth had been tackled with a full expedition team.

Even though it was occupied by the Witch of Corruption, we were vastly superior in strength.

In contrast, only four of us went into Research Facility No. 4, so the danger level wasn't even comparable.

And yeah, there were definitely some dangerous moments.

But since it was all in the past now, I chuckled again.

"We got through it all fine. The pot helped a lot, and I also used that magic scroll you pulled before."

"It was worth it."

"Speaking of which, let me return this."

I handed her the Immortal Kim Ho-Ho Pot.

The fluffy bracelet and tiger plushie were things we only joked about borrowing, so I never actually took them.

"……"

Judging by how thoroughly she'd just examined me, I thought she'd do the same with her most prized possession. But Seo Ye-in didn't even really look at it before tossing the Immortal Pot into her inventory.

"You're not going to check it?"

"Mhmm."

"What if it got scratched?"

"It's fine."

She answered casually.

It wasn't that she was being indifferent. More like she didn't care if there were any scratches because I was the one who used it.

And come to think of it, the thing was made of adamantite, so it was basically impossible to scratch anyway.

Then I pulled out two random boxes.

[Research Facility No. 4 Random Box (A)] * 2

Originally, one random box was supposed to go to Seo Cheong-yong and the other to Lee Soo-dok, since they contributed significantly to the raid.

But thanks to the generous use of my Inferno Fist during the escape, both of them ended up giving their shares to me.

With utmost sincerity, I offered the boxes up.

"Lucky Charm-nim, Bundle of Light-nim, I'm counting on you again today."

"……"

Seo Ye-in took only one and handed the other back to me. Maybe she felt her luck wasn't strong enough to open both at once.

In fact, she didn't even open the one she kept. She just stood there holding it, lost in thought.

Then, as if something occurred to her, she gently tugged on my arm and led me somewhere.

To a nearby bench.

She sat me down at one end, then laid down with her head on my lap, using me as a pillow.

Looking down at her, I asked,

"Are you charging up your luck?"

"No."

"Then why the lap pillow?"

"Because I wanted to."

"Well, fair enough."

Since she brought me over right before opening the random box, I naturally assumed it was a luck-charging ritual.

Her gray eyes looked up at me.

"Is that a problem?"

"Not at all."

Considering all the blessings I'd gotten from Lucky Charm's luck, the least I could offer was my lap as a small sacrifice.

And so I remained in Kim Ho-Lap Pillow Mode.

Surprisingly, Seo Ye-in didn't fall asleep. She just lay there with her eyes half-closed.

"……"

"Not sleepy?"

"No."

"That's new. You usually doze off in like three seconds."

"I'm comfortable."

"I bet."

We went back and forth with a few lines like that.

Eventually, Seo Ye-in shifted slightly and moved the random box up to her chest.

"……"

"About to open it?"

"Mhmm."

With a small nod, she flipped open the lid.

Flaash!

Normally, a blinding light would burst out, but this time the glow was fairly subdued.

Still too early to be disappointed.

Random box effects came in all kinds of styles, after all.

The glow didn't fade right away. It shimmered on in a dazzling array of colors.

The next moment, where the box had been, there was now a single rolled-up piece of parchment.

[Summon Scroll: Skillbook Fairy]

"How did you pull this out?"

It wasn't quite jackpot-level, but it was exactly what I needed.

Seo Ye-in stared at the parchment with curious eyes, silently asking what it was.

"……?"

"It's quicker to show you than to explain."

Might as well use it right away since I've got it.

I immediately activated the scroll.

Pop!

Suddenly, from the empty air, something about the size of a palm popped into view.

It had the classic look of a fairy. Tiny, human-like features with wings on its back.

As soon as it appeared, it greeted us with an elegant bow.

"Nice to meet you. I'm the Skillbook Fairy."

It looked completely innocent on the outside, but I couldn't help thinking of the vicious fairies from the next neighborhood over.

Those ones liked to smash someone's head in just for complaining.

But that was over there. This one seemed relatively harmless.

And upon noticing me, its manner became even more respectful.

"A noble presence has summoned me."

It recognized its master.

Moments like this called for a touch of theatrics.

So I replied in an arrogant tone.

"Yes, I summoned you. Let's get to the point."

"You must be looking for a skillbook, right? What kind are you after?"

Just like the name implied, the Skillbook Fairy fetches a skillbook tailored to the summoner's needs.

It was almost like having a skillbook selection ticket.

But the key word here was "almost", for two reasons:

First, you can't search by name.

You have to describe the skill's traits and effects to narrow it down, which is a bit of a hassle.

The second reason was more critical.

It's not free.

You can choose whatever you want. But to actually get it, you have to pay a price.

And the stronger the skill, the steeper that price becomes. So it's best to find a middle ground.

Of course, as a veteran of veterans, I knew exactly how to narrow the range.

I also had a solid sense of what a fair trade looked like.

"A cold-element martial art, finger technique. If it includes flicking techniques, even better."

The reason I didn't go with my main wind-type skills was because I already had plenty of good ones.

Recently, I even managed to copy Destructive Gale.

The Skillbook Fairy gladly accepted my request.

"Just a moment, please."

Then it began flying around in tiny figure eights, buzzing through the air.

Did it really have to act so erratically?

Couldn't it just search in place?

While I was thinking that, several Skillbooks appeared in midair.

"Do any of these interest you?"

[Skillbook – Cold Jade Finger Shot]

[Skillbook – Snowflake Finger]

[Skillbook – Sky-Piercing Snowflake Jade Finger Shot]

…….

As I quickly skimmed through them, one Skillbook caught my eye and made me light up.

Knew it would show up right away.

[Skillbook – Frozen Spirit Shot]

It was an offensive skill at its core, but like the name meant, it came with a freezing effect, making it highly versatile.

It was especially good for getting under your opponent's skin.

I'd wanted it for a while. I was even considering asking Kim Gap-du who was the president of the martial arts club to get it for me. But thanks to the lucky sloth, the chance came to me instead.

Still, I figured it was better to act like I didn't care and show some swagger, like a true monarch.

So I pointed at the Frozen Spirit Shot Skillbook, pretending I had just picked one at random.

"I'll take this one."

"Frozen Spirit Shot? That's a good skill. How would you like to pay?"

It was time to offer something of equal value in return for the Skillbook.

The fairy doesn't accept regular currency or items.

What it takes were system-type assets.

The most common examples include the summoner's skills, traits, slots, or ranks.

I answered without hesitation.

"With a skill."

I had some skills and traits that had lost their usefulness as I learned others, so I could just offer one of those.

I opened my status window and pointed at a skill.

▷Wind Armor (C+)

I'd originally learned it to use in a combo, but after getting [Wise Armor] at the auction, my plans had changed a bit.

It was better off being used as fodder for another skill.

But the fairy shook its head and flew side to side in refusal.

"Sorry, that alone's not enough. You'll need to throw in one more."

Wind Armor, while decent, was a relatively common skill. Even at C+ rank, its value wasn't high.

That meant the fairy wouldn't trade the Skillbook for just that. I had to add another skill.

I expected as much, so I pointed to the next one.

"Add this too."

▷Chillwind (B+)

It had taken some effort to get.

I'd copied it from a boss monster and fixed it in place with a pin, even used a rank-up to boost it.

So yeah, it stung a bit to give it up. But between this and Frozen Spirit Shot, the choice was obvious.

And it's not like I could use other skills or traits for the exchange.

"Is that enough?"

"More than enough. You even have a bit of change left."

"If you've got no complaints, let's proceed."

"No complaints! Starting the process now."

The Skillbook fairy immediately started buzzing around me in a lively flurry.

As it did, a notification popped up in the corner of my vision.

['Wind Armor (C+)' has been deleted.]

['Chillwind (B+)' has been deleted.]

Next, the Frozen Spirit Shot Skillbook floated gently toward me, glowing brightly as it was absorbed into my body.

Fwoosh!

[You have learned 'Frozen Spirit Shot (E)'.]

Even then, the fairy didn't stop and kept flying excitedly around me.

"I'll throw in your change, too!"

['Frozen Spirit Shot' rank has increased. (E → D)]

['Frozen Spirit Shot' rank has increased. (D → C)]

"I've raised it to mid-to-high C-rank. A little more effort and it'll hit B."

"Got it."

"Thanks for the great trade! See you next time!"

Just like when it appeared, the Skillbook fairy gave a graceful bow.

And the next moment, it vanished without a trace.

Already at C-rank the moment I learned it, huh.

Looks like it's ready for actual combat.

I should probably tweak the Fixed Zone slots a bit.

I gave Frozen Spirit Shot a test cast.

A powerful chill gathered at my fingertip.

Unlike the Mysterious Yin Jade Demon Finger though, it didn't freeze solid like an icicle.

I showed it off to Seo Ye-in and said,

"Wanna go train? At the training center."

With B-rank just a bit away, there was no reason not to practice.

But the moment Seo Ye-in saw the frosty energy on my fingers, she shook her head and slowly backed away.

"……"

"What? Let's go."

–Shake shake.

"You're not coming?"

–Shake shake.