Summon Glacier.
Just as the name implied, it was a skill that could either raise a massive glacier like a wall or drop one on top of an opponent.
Too bad it’s a scroll.
Like [Time Freeze] and [Time Leap], it was a one-time-use item.
Still, it was an S-Rank skill with virtually endless applications, so passing it up would be a waste.
“I’d be grateful to have it.”
“Take it. Do you need any more magic demonstrations?”
“I do.”
“What would you like?”
If ice magic was unavailable, then the next best option was non-attribute magic.
However, someone who had once served as the head of the Magic Tower Association would likely know dozens of spells, so it made sense to narrow the scope somewhat.
“I mainly use control-type magic.”
“Then you need a combo skill.”
“That’s right.”
“……”
Mother Hong seemed to think for a moment before rising from her seat.
“Follow me.”
The place we headed to was a training room.
After operating a terminal in one corner, a steel dummy materialized.
As she walked toward it, Mother Hong pulled out her staff.
“Watch carefully.”
Bzzz—
A blue circle about the size of a fist appeared beneath the steel dummy’s feet.
It rapidly expanded, eventually covering not only the dummy’s position but the surrounding area as well.
Then Mother Hong added,
“I set it to ten seconds.”
I soon understood what she meant.
The moment exactly ten seconds had passed, an invisible force descended from above.
Boom!
The entire marked area sank inward as if a giant circular stamp had been pressed into the ground.
The steel dummy standing at the center had been driven so deep into the floor that it was practically buried.
I nodded and said,
“[Pulverize Zone].”
“You recognize it.”
Pulverize Zone.
A spell that pulverizes a designated area after a set delay.
Both the area and the delay can be adjusted freely.
You could leave it at its initial fist-sized radius or expand it enough to cover the entire training room.
Area and power are inversely proportional.
The smaller the area, the more concentrated the force. The larger the area, the more the power is spread out.
Delay and power are directly proportional.
The timer can be set anywhere from three seconds to three minutes, and the longer the delay, the more exponentially destructive it becomes.
At first glance, it might seem like setting it to a “small area” with a “three-minute delay” would let you wipe out anything.
But your opponent isn’t an idiot.
When a glowing circle of mana is plainly drawn on the ground, no one is going to stand inside it and wait.
Anyone with half a brain would avoid getting near it, and if one appeared beneath their feet, they would immediately try to escape.
Which means you force them into it.
With a displacement skill.
Then all you have to do is keep them trapped inside until the timer runs out.
Just as I had requested, it was a spell that paired extremely well with control-type abilities.
As if checking my reaction, Mother Hong asked,
“What do you think?”
“It’s exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.”
[Activated ‘Copy – Skill’.]
[The target’s skill ‘Pulverize Zone (S)’ has been registered to a slot.]
▷ Copy – Skill [4/4]
1. Feather Step (A+)
2. Pulverize Zone (S)
3. Ice Wall (B)
4. Celestial Shift (S)
Until I secured another fixed pin, I’d just overwrite the slot currently occupied by [Spatial Fold].
“I’ll try it myself.”
The moment I finished speaking, Hong Yeon-hwa hurried over and operated the terminal.
The floor of the training room was immediately restored, and a new steel dummy appeared.
Let’s start at minimum output.
Pointing at it with my Crow Wood staff, I created a blue circle about the size of my palm beneath its feet.
I could have expanded it further, but I left it as it was and set the delay to the minimum of three seconds.
A moment later—
Boom!
An invisible force slammed into the top of the steel dummy’s head.
As though an unseen hammer had fallen from the sky.
Not bad, even at the minimum setting.
Then again, it was an S-Rank spell.
It looked useful even for rapid-fire use in one-on-one combat.
Now let’s make it a little bigger.
I cast [Pulverize Zone] once more.
Deliberately some distance away from the steel dummy.
A circle of mana formed and began expanding outward.
Let’s give it a generous one-minute timer this time.
After waiting for a while, I approached the steel dummy just as the timer was about to expire.
Then I extended an empty hand in front of me.
Boom!
Compressed wind exploded outward, shoving the dummy into the blue circle.
The next instant, the invisible force descended.
Craaack!
What remained was no longer a steel dummy but a flattened sheet of metal plastered to the floor like a piece of gum.
And that was with the area set fairly large.
If it lands, it hits harder than Inferno Fist.
At two or three minutes, it would be even stronger.
Of course, Fire Fist had the major advantage of being usable instantly, but even taking that into account, this gave me another viable alternative.
Meanwhile, a look of surprise flickered across Mother Hong’s face as she watched.
“…So simply showing it really was enough. I didn’t expect you to reproduce it almost perfectly.”
“I only asked because I was confident in my ability.”
“Good. Make good use of it. Is there anything else you’d like me to ‘show’ you?”
I could have copied another S-Rank non-attribute spell, but a high rank alone didn’t make something valuable.
What mattered more was how well various skills and traits connected and worked together.
Especially since taking another skill would mean giving up [Ice Wall], and considering its versatility, keeping it seemed like the better choice.
So I decided to stop copying skills here.
“I’d like to see your traits.”
“Tell me what you’re looking for.”
After another discussion with Mother Hong, I was able to acquire a powerful trait.
[Activated ‘Copy – Trait’.]
[The target’s trait ‘Deja Vu (S)’ has been registered to a slot.]
▷ Copy – Trait [4/4]
1. Deja Vu (S)
2. Time Resistance (S)
3. Pain Delay
4. Chain Explosion (S)
I let go of [Sailboat], which had only been registered temporarily.
Unlike the Sloth, I had Blink.
[Deja Vu (S)]
▷ When a skill or trait activates, there is a low chance that it will activate one additional time.
▷ No penalty is applied.
The exact figure was never officially disclosed, but based on averages compiled by community users, even at S-Rank the activation rate was estimated to be somewhere between 3% and 5%.
On top of that, it activated automatically, meaning the owner had no direct control over it.
Still, whenever it works, it’s pure profit.
Attack skills would fire twice in succession, while buff-type effects would have their durations effectively doubled.
Meanwhile, penalties such as mana consumption or cooldowns were not duplicated, making situations where it caused problems or losses exceedingly rare.
Its versatility goes without saying.
Since it worked regardless of skill or trait type, everyone would be able to benefit from it through the [Bond] slot.
As if confirming that I was satisfied, Mother Hong asked,
“Do you need anything else?”
“This is more than enough. Thank you.”
“I hope it proves useful. For both you and Yeon-hwa.”
And the “investment” did not stop there.
While I was continuing my sparring sessions with Hong Yeon-hwa, I mentioned that I needed [Rank Up] items.
She had apparently passed the message along and brought these back.
“She… said to use these.”
[Rank Up (F)]
[Rank Up (E)]
Even low-grade Rank Up items were not easy to obtain.
She was certainly generous.
As for me, I was not the type to refuse gifts.
“Tell her I’m grateful.”
“Okay…!”
[Activated ‘Rank Up (F)’.]
[Activated ‘Rank Up (E)’.]
[The rank of ‘Diamond Freeze (F)’ has increased. (F → D)]
▷ The next freezing effect applied becomes “unremovable” for 10 → 20 seconds.
▷ Cooldown: 10 → 8 minutes
I gained more than I expected.
When I first set out for the Ruby Magic Tower, I had deliberately kept my expectations low. I figured it would be enough to place [Penance] and [Invitation] on Hong Yeon-hwa and call it a day.
Unexpectedly, Mother Hong turned out to be the former head of the Magic Tower Association, allowing me to acquire both a skill and a trait.
And on top of that, the two [Rank Up] items I had just received.
Coming here was definitely the right call.
I nodded with a satisfied smile.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s face brightened as well.
***
Late that evening.
Just like the night before, Hong Yeon-hwa quietly slipped out of her room.
Inside her head, the moderates were protesting nonstop.
– Have you already forgotten getting caught by your unnier twice yesterday?
– She smacked you with lava not once, but multiple times.
– And you still haven’t come to your senses!
But the faction currently in power was the extremes.
– Words can be interpreted in different ways.
– It’s not that she hasn’t come to her senses.
– She simply possesses an unbreakable spirit that refuses to yield.
The moderates immediately shot back, asking why such indomitable resolve was being wasted on something as trivial as a pillow, but Hong Yeon-hwa casually ignored them and continued on her way.
Her third espionage mission through the Ruby Magic Tower in the dead of night.
Perhaps because she had accumulated experience, she moved much faster this time and no longer wasted time hiding unnecessarily.
She also had a rough idea of where her sister would appear if she followed the same patrol route as yesterday.
Looking into the distance, she sensed no sign of anyone nearby.
…She’s not here!
Her sister was probably making rounds somewhere else at the moment.
Hong Yeon-hwa resumed walking.
When she had covered about half the distance to her destination, a familiar sense of unease began creeping back into her mind.
What if she’s waiting in front of the door? Like yesterday?
But thinking about it calmly, that seemed unlikely.
The two of them were not actually that close.
It would be awkward for her sister to sit around in Kim Ho’s room indefinitely just passing the time.
Yesterday, she had only endured that awkwardness because she was practically certain Hong Yeon-hwa would show up.
And only now did Hong Yeon-hwa remember that Dragon Slayer Academy students possessed a miraculous invention known as a messenger app.
[Hong Yeon-hwa: (nervous… puppy emoji)]
[Hong Yeon-hwa: Are you asleep?]
[Kim Ho: I’m not asleep.]
[Kim Ho: Coming over?]
[Hong Yeon-hwa: Unnie…?]
[Hong Yeon-hwa: (nervous… puppy emoji)]
[Kim Ho: She’s not here today.]
[Kim Ho: Come by if you’re bored.]
[Hong Yeon-hwa: …I’m coming!]
[Hong Yeon-hwa: (running puppy emoji)]
Hong Yeon-hwa nearly broke into a full sprint, just like the emoji she had sent.
Then she suddenly stopped and forced herself to calm down.
If she got impatient now, she might ruin everything.
If she got caught two days in a row, her sister might start camping out all night from the third day onward.
She might even pitch a tent in front of Kim Ho’s room…।
As a result, Hong Yeon-hwa slowed down a little and moved forward while keeping an even more careful watch on her surroundings.
Every now and then, the wand in her hand emitted a red glow.
Flash.
She was using Blink to cross long distances in an instant.
Because she had a clear objective and was using it with intense concentration, her proficiency was improving rapidly without her even realizing it.
Before she knew it, the destination was right in front of her.
Through the slightly open gap in the room door, Kim Ho was smiling at her.
Beckoning with his hand as if telling her to hurry over.
“……!”
At that point, Hong Yeon-hwa stopped checking her surroundings and sprinted at full speed, before finally making it into the room.
Then after panting heavily, she said:
“I… came to hang out!”
“So you didn’t come here to use the Kim Ho Pillow?”
“……!?”
Hong Yeon-hwa was flustered by the unexpectedly blunt question.
If she said no, would he tell her to leave when it was time to sleep?
But saying, “The pillow is why I came!” felt way too obvious.
Unable to say either, she simply darted her eyes around, and Kim Ho grinned mischievously.
“I’m kidding. Let’s just chat for a while and then go to sleep.”
“……Okay.”
Fidgeting, Hong Yeon-hwa slipped under the blanket.
Then, after resting her head on Kim Ho’s arm, she thought to herself.
I wish the vacation would never end.
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