Chapter 22: Unique Skill Lv.2

Released:

“Phew, this is exhausting.”

Rohan let out a sigh, threw his weapon onto the ground, and wiped the blood splattered on his face with his sleeve.

He had smashed Shadley so hard that his claw hammer was completely ruined.

Somehow, he had ended up losing all his weapons.

Rohan seized a pair of knuckles from Shadley’s lifeless body and felt as if he were claiming spoils of war.

Knuckles… Not really my style.

Even so, they were better than bare fists, so he quickly decided to take them for now.

He had also managed to collect a decent number of coins from this group, so he figured he’d try to get himself a cheap sword when he got back.

[Quest Complete.]

[You have received your rewards.]

[Battle traces are being erased.]

There it is.

A notification window popped up in front of him.

Rohan smirked as he received the promised reward: the Murder Manual skill book and a random points pouch. The space before him rippled as the items materialized.

However, his attention was caught by something else entirely.

Oh, the wounds?

The cuts, which had been causing slow bleeding and draining his health, had healed completely.

Not even scars remained; it was almost as if time had been reversed.

The effect was so astonishing that it surpassed even the famous healers he had observed from afar during his days as a hunter.

This wasn’t something he had noticed during his previous quest since he hadn’t sustained any injuries then.

Tsss—

The erasure process didn’t stop there.

It cleaned the bloodstains on Rohan’s clothes and body and even restored the torn parts of his hood.

So “battle traces” include injuries too, huh?

Depending on how you interpret it, it wasn’t inaccurate.

It was a pleasant surprise, and he had no complaints. After all, it was a huge gain for him.

“…….”

Once the process was complete, Rohan reached out into the shimmering space.

The skill seeped into his body following the same procedure as before.

[Murder Manual — Rank: C]

◇ Increases damage dealt when attacking humanoid enemies.

It was simple yet highly effective.

The fact that it was a passive skill rather than an active skill made it even more valuable.

Unlike the skill itself, the next reward had a tangible form. It was something he could feel brushing against his fingertips.

Recalling the texture of the jerky he had purchased before, Rohan grabbed the item and pulled it out.

[Random Points Pouch]

◇ Receive random points when opened.

What he retrieved was a thick leather pouch.

The pouch, though lacking actual weight or heft, maintained a round shape as if it were full. On its surface, a single capital letter “P” was stamped.

Rohan idly bounced it on his palm a couple of times before gripping the string that sealed the pouch’s opening.

There was no reason not to use this consumable item right now.

Even if it’s random, it shouldn’t give me less than what I got during the tutorial.

Feeling a tension greater than any he had experienced in battle, Rohan opened the pouch.

[You have opened the Random Points Pouch.]

[You have received 3,999P.]

“Ha!”

Whether it was sheer luck or the minimum threshold was high, the result exceeded his expectations.

This wasn’t just enough to barely scrape by and buy what he needed. It gave him a comfortable margin.

[You have purchased a Unique Skill Level-Up.]

[Inflict Weakness — Lv.2]

◇ Inflict the target with a physical attribute weakness upon contact.

◇ Attacks against the target with the inflicted weakness have a low chance to inflict a minor debuff.

Yes. This is how a unique skill should evolve.

The requirement of contact remained, but the attributes now had more variety.

Moreover, the skill gained a new power: the ability to inflict debuffs.

Even if the debuff was minor and the chance was low, this level-up promised exciting future potential.

[Shop — Lv.2]

◇ Consumes points to buy items.

[Updating the shop’s list.]

<Shop — Lv.2>

◇ Random Skill Book – 5,000P (One-Time Purchase Available)

◇ Lowest-Rankl Health/Mana Potion – 100P

◇ Restaurant Reservation Ticket – 50P

◇ Concentration-Enhancing Incense – 50P

··

··

◇ Three Nations Alliance Confectionery Set – 10P

◇ Rainbow Macaron Set – 8P

◇ Chicken/Pizza – 8P

◇ Large Combat Ration Pack – 5P

··

··

[ Remaining Points – 2,272P ]

…The price of the skill book is ten times higher?

The limited-sale prices were becoming increasingly outrageous.

However, Rohan was now starting to grasp the pattern of the shop skill’s structure.

In any case, buying that will probably trigger another list update.

Beyond that, the list of available goods had expanded tremendously.

Items like high-protein jerky and mineral water were now buried further down the list.

The addition of various non-food items was also interesting.

“…….”

After briefly reflecting on the shop’s changes, Rohan lifted his head.

Though fatigue lingered, his body felt lighter as his wounds began to heal.

This is a turning point.

The path he had only imagined while playing Abyss City came to mind.

What should I do?

Originally, Rohan had planned to finish up here and return to the dormitory.

After all, ditching the meeting spot was the canon storyline of Abyss City 1.0.

However, now that he had rummaged through the group’s smartphone and uncovered the time and place where they were supposed to meet the elf, things had changed.

For the current quest, he had more information than he ever did in the game.

Although some parts were skipped over in the game due to never being completed, it was easy to deduce from details like “do not attempt to talk with the waiting female elf or exchange any information with her.”

Those old fools…

Looking at the communications sent through an anonymous program, it seemed the princess herself came to greet them.

Considering the treatment the princess was receiving, the possibility itself was more than enough.

“Hmm.”

Rohan deliberated carefully.

Meeting the princess in this situation was definitely dangerous.

If the princess were provoked and opened fire, his current frail body stood almost no chance of resolving the situation favorably.

Even so, Rohan decided to head to the meeting spot.

He had made up his mind.

Should I buy her macarons or something?

The princess had never been a playable character in Abyss City.

However, she was one of the characters Rohan cared for deeply, enough to vow to fully raise her if she ever became playable.

The difference between witnessing her suffering as text in the game and recognizing her suffering now, in reality, felt profoundly different to him.

Rather than delivering any groundbreaking information, he simply wanted to see her condition and gauge her complexion.

And perhaps, subtly help her with some small piece of information.

··

··

It’s late.

Rohan moved as quickly as possible toward the ruins, which was the designated meeting spot.

However, by the time he arrived nearby, a considerable amount of time had passed.

As he looked around, all he could hear was the wind cutting through the empty buildings.

The place was quiet and desolate.

Had she already left? Disappointed, he wandered the area when—

Click.

A woman with pointed ears appeared from behind a wall.

“!”

Her golden hair was tied back in a ponytail, with a faint green glow at its tips.

Goggles rested above her dispassionate eyes, and her mouth was covered with a piece of cloth.

She wore tech wear outfitted with plenty of ammo pouches and supplies.

Those crazy old bastards… They really sent the princess.

Seeing the princess, Rohan felt a pang of sadness.

Swish.

The princess gestured for him to follow as if to guide him.

She seemed determined not to even exchange basic greetings.

Instead of following, Rohan stood his ground and spoke up.

“Excuse me.”

The princess turned back with a detached expression on her face.

He pointed to the lower part of the vest she was wearing.

Using the hem of his hoodie as an example, he indicated the spot.

“Check here.”

“…….”

Instead of imitating his actions, a flicker of wariness crossed the princess’s eyes.

“I’ll wait. Let’s act after you’re done.”

Rohan who had anticipated that casually sat down.

He pulled out a box of macarons he had bought from a store before coming here.

Inside the box, which was slightly larger than his palm and radiated an air of elegance, vibrant macarons were neatly arranged.

“Want one?”

This type of gesture was new to her. The princess was caught off guard and shook her head with a flustered look.

Rohan shrugged and said he’d eat them alone, then popped a macaron into his mouth.

“Oh, this is good.”

“……”

The princess silently observed him. Her basic principle of staying quiet left her feeling stifled. Beneath the mask covering her mouth, her lips twitched with the urge to speak.

She couldn’t resort to dragging him away by force either. After all, the elders had referred to him as a VIP.

“Just check what I mentioned. It should be around here.”

“….…”

When Rohan once again indicated the approximate location, the princess kept her gaze fixed on him while moving her hand.

“?”

Then she felt it. A foreign object at her fingertips.

Without hesitation, the princess drew a dagger and sliced the edge of her vest, revealing a small device embedded in the fabric.

She immediately recognized what it was.

…A tracker?

It was the same model as the one the elders had requested the Yard-Pound brothers to install.

Rohan rested his chin in his hand, watching her intently. Even without words, the complexity in her expression was clear.

It would all make sense now. How the elders had intercepted her when she went to the city.

“You found it right away. Well, I’ll be off now.”

“……”

Leaving the frozen princess behind, Rohan stood and prepared to leave.

“See you next time. Take care of yourself.”

The sight of Rohan walking away without a hint of hesitation snapped the princess out of her stupor.

She couldn’t keep up with the brief explanation he had given. It was so insufficient that it tested her composure.

Finally unable to hold back, she responded as he had probably expected.

“…Stop.”

Click!

The princess pulled out her pistol, and one of her pupils shifted into the shape of a heart.

Rohan knew exactly what that meant.

Heart Sniping.

A skill that targeted the heart with pinpoint accuracy.

As he locked eyes with her heart-shaped pupil, Rohan scratched his chin, feeling a faint itchiness.

Kind of strange.

When he saw it in person, it felt less scary and more… provocative.

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