My Skill Book, My Way - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
After leaving the inn, I wandered around searching for him.
I remembered his face and appearance clearly. The shoulder I had destroyed was also a clue to finding him.
*If I had known this would happen, I would have broken his legs altogether.*
Following directions from people who had spotted him, I came to an alley.
I hid my body behind a building and poked my head out.
*There.*
It was dark, so I couldn't see clearly, but someone was sitting there.
He was groaning while clutching one shoulder. It was definitely him.
I summoned the book.
Opening the book, I began writing Words on the empty pages.
The first was
The second was
And the third was
After writing the three Words and waiting a moment, the Words began to emit light and mix together.
Shortly after, a new skill was created.
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Created Skill: [Flame Spear] (Superior)
Required Tool: Spear
Mana Consumption: 10pt
Description: Wraps the spear in flames composed of mana for 5 minutes.
All attacks performed with the spear increase in power and deal additional fire-attribute damage.
Has a 50% chance to inflict 'Status Ailment: Burn.'
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10pt of mana was an amount equal to one-third of the mana I currently possessed.
The cost was quite high, but the skill's contents were exactly what I had wanted.
I dispelled the book from my hand and took out a long object from my inventory.
When I unwrapped the white cloth surrounding the object, a spear came out from inside.
It was a spear made from the materials of monsters found in 3-star dungeons.
The material shop owner had given me this spear, saying he had to repay the favor for helping him.
It was an item worth several hundred, at the very least.
*Flame Spear.*
When I chanted the skill name in my mind, the spear caught fire with a whooshing sound.
The flames wrapping around the spear burned brightly without causing any harm to the spear or my hand.
Holding the burning spear, I entered the alley.
"Ah!"
He spotted me and quickly stood up.
"Kkeuk!"
He brought his good arm behind him and threw something at me.
I swung the spear widely.
Whoosh!
The flames that shot out swallowed the knives flying toward me.
The knives, pushed back, fell to the ground.
"Huk!?"
Seeing him startled and trying to run, I used [Charge].
Passing him and blocking his way, he sank to the ground in despair.
"I was wrong! So please! Please spare me!"
I glared at him without saying a word.
"I'll do anything you say! Please, just my life……"
"Can you return the blood Seono shed?"
"Uh, uuh?"
"You said you'd do anything. Return precisely the blood Seono shed because of the knives you threw. Not a single drop less."
He stammered with his mouth open.
"You can't, can you?"
I stabbed his leg with the spear.
The burning spear pierced his leg with a crunch, as if stabbing through styrofoam.
"Kuaaaaaaak!"
I pulled out the spear and did the same to his other leg. A scream echoed through the alley once more.
"Not done yet."
Puk.
I kicked his jaw, knocking him down, and stomped on his back.
"Kaaak! Kkeueuk! Euaaaah!"
I pressed both his shoulders with the Flame Spear, and he thrashed while screaming.
"Now you can't do robbery or throw knives anymore."
I canceled the skill and the fire on the spear went out.
I left him rolling on the ground and came out of the alley.
"Ah, Hyung."
When I returned to the inn, Seono got up from the bed and walked toward me.
"How's your body?"
"I'm okay now. Nothing hurts."
"Good. That's a relief. Then this much should be fine."
I said that and then rapped Seono on the head.
"Ouch!"
Seono held his head and looked up at me with a wronged expression.
"It would have been really dangerous if the knife had gone in deeper."
"But if I had stayed still, Hyung, you would have been hit by the knife……"
"Yes. But that's how it should be."
Seono made a puzzled expression at my words.
"Remember this. Your role is the porter. Fighting and getting hurt is my role. You survived today because you were lucky, but if you try to protect me like today in a dungeon, you'll die."
Seono said nothing.
"If something happens to me, you can just scream to let me know. Never throw your body in to protect me. That's not your job. Understood?"
"……Yes."
Seono answered with his head bowed.
"And there's one more thing I need to tell you."
At those words, Seono flinched.
I patted the nervous Seono's head.
Seono raised his head with a puzzled expression.
"Thank you so much today. You were cool."
I gave him a smile.
Seono opened his eyes wide, then soon smiled bashfully.
***
The morning of the third day since arriving in Yeongdeungpo.
I took Seono and swept through the second floor of the hunting ground dungeon.
There wasn't a single monster on the 2nd floor that could withstand [Flame Spear].
No matter how thick their hides and muscles, the monsters were cut down like paper before the Flame Spear.
Moreover, unlike the Fireball that burned the whole body, [Flame Spear] caused less damage to the materials.
Seono followed behind me, busily gathering monster materials.
Since the inventory capacity was small, I told Seono to only take small, valuable things.
Seono showed a slightly disappointed look but followed my words.
"Hyung, the inventory is full."
"Already?"
Despite only taking small items, the inventory filled up quickly.
"Can't be helped. Let's go to the market."
I left the dungeon with Seono.
Normally, I would have stayed in the dungeon longer because the entrance fee was such a waste, but not anymore.
If I sold the materials acquired earlier, I could recover the entrance fee quickly.
After exchanging materials for money, I ate lunch with Seono at a restaurant near the market.
Seono ate so hurriedly, as if he was starving.
Stuffing a handful of food into his mouth until his cheeks puffed out and chewing for a long time—he looked just like a hamster.
Watching Seono, I fell into thought.
*Now I really feel like I've become a Hunter.*
Thinking about how just a few days ago, I would pay the expensive entrance fee and only earn enough for a day's meal, it was truly a reversal of fortune.
But I couldn't just be happy about it.
In Dongdaemun, Jinhee was currently living in hiding from Jang Soyu's gang.
I needed to go back and finish things as soon as possible.
I waited for Seono to finish eating and summoned the book.
About 880 experience points had accumulated.
1000 Exp was needed to create a 6-Word skill. The remaining 120pt could be gathered quickly just by entering a dungeon.
I turned the pages with skills written on them one by one.
*'[Shatter], [Charge], [Fireball], [Single-Point Defense], [Flame Spear]. Three attacks, one defense and one support. Ah, right. I don't have an important support skill yet. But using a 6-Word for that is a bit…… And there's still something concerning. Considering [Flame Spear]'s mana consumption…….'*
"Ah……"
I was immersed in thought looking at the book when I raised my head at Seono's voice.
Seono was looking behind me with his mouth open. Fear was etched on Seono's face.
"So you were here."
A man's voice came from behind. I turned around to see four men who looked to be in their twenties.
"Mister, sorry, but you'll have to return our porter."
"We hired that guy first, you see."
The moment I heard the men's words, Seono's story came to mind.
*'The Hunter hyungs I used to go around with gradually reduced the money they shared, and now they won't pay even if I ask……'*
One of the men approached Seono and grabbed his arm.
"Ah!"
Seono let out a sound close to a scream.
"You bastard, did you think we couldn't catch you if you ran away secretly?"
"We couldn't even go to dungeons for days trying to find you. Until you pay us back for the losses this time, you're not going anywhere."
Seono looked at me with eyes full of fear.
"Mister, if you want to keep using this guy as a porter, that's fine too. If you just pay us about 7 million for the losses from not being able to go to dungeons for a week."
It was absurd. There was no way they couldn't go to dungeons for a week just because one porter was missing.
It was obvious they just regretted losing a porter they had been using for free.
I examined the men. The equipment on their bodies and the weapons they held were similar to or below the level of the spear I had.
*They must be B-rank Hunters or so. Four of them, so they must think I have nothing to fear.*
These men must have also guessed my Hunter rank from my equipment.
Since my actual rank was D, they probably couldn't guess it right.
Then.
[A new objective has been assigned.]
A voice was heard then.
A faint light came from the book I was holding.
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-Goal Setting-
[Main] Elimination of Enemies
- Escape alive from the dungeon. (Achieved, 50pt)
- Eliminate Jang Soyu's gang.
[Sub] Thug Repulsion
- Repel the Hunters trying to take Seono away.
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Checking the newly appeared objective, I smiled.
I already didn't like these guys very much. It was a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
I rose from my seat.
"I have no intention of paying 7 million for a porter. Take him."
I picked up the inventory bag placed beside the table.
"Hyung!?"
Seono looked at me in surprise.
I stood with my back to them so they couldn't see, and winked at Seono.
Then Seono seemed to understand and closed his mouth.
After paying for the meal, I left the restaurant first, hid my body in an alley, and summoned the book.
I took out a pen and wrote Words on the empty pages.
I wanted a skill to hide my body in case of emergency.
[100 Exp will be used in total.]
[A skill has been created.]
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Created Skill: [Stealth] (Normal)
Required Tool: None
Mana Consumption: 5pt
Description: Creates a membrane that hides your appearance with mana for 15 minutes.
Cannot be detected by opponents with a Sense stat below 4.
The skill is canceled if you use mana or make contact with an opponent.
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A much better skill than I had expected came out. It was exactly appropriate for the current situation.
"What are you doing, hurry up and follow!"
"Try running away again and we'll cut your feet off, remember that."
Then the men's voices were heard. They were leaving the restaurant with Seono.
*Stealth!*
I shouted the skill name in my mind. Then the world turned black and white.
As a test, I passed them and waved my hand.
"Huh?"
The guy wearing a leather case on his belt stopped. I quickly went back behind them.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing. I must have seen wrong."
They started walking again.
*That guy just now must have a Sense stat of 4 or higher. The rest couldn't see me.*
I carefully followed behind them.