My Selfish Skillbook Episode 047
Episode 47
A Soulbound Item Disappears?
I suppressed the urge to ask the Guild Master exactly that and waited for his explanation.
"Ms. Hwajin, you already possess a soulbound item, so I'm sure you know, but soulbound items come with restrictions."
'I didn't know that.'
I had read the item description many times, but nothing about restrictions had ever come up.
"For example, you might have to kill over two hundred monsters a day, or offer up a specific item as a sacrifice. These are what we call restrictions, and if the user fails to uphold them, the soulbound item disappears."
I don't have anything like that.
There were no such restrictions on my soulbound items, 'Hechil's Blessing' and 'Hesto's Bracelet.'
"During the previous match against the Tyrant Guild, I saw the ring that a Hunter named Kim Woojin was wearing disappear after the match. He likely failed to meet its restriction."
I remembered seeing that too. Just as the Guild Master said, the soulbound item Kim Woojin had used vanished after the battle and was nowhere to be seen.
"They are extremely difficult to handle due to these restrictions, but the effects of soulbound items all defy common sense. That is why there is an enormous gap between SS-rank Hunters depending on whether they possess a soulbound item, or how many they have."
The Guild Master said that it appeared the Hunters of the Tyrant Guild, excluding Kim Woojin, had not used their soulbound items during that match.
"A soulbound item is an ace in the hole for an SS-rank Hunter. Since the battle was being broadcast in real time, they must have been ordered not to use them. Of course, the fact that we gave them almost no opening to counterattack is also a reason."
Afterward, the Guild Master shared all sorts of information about soulbound items with us, such as the limit on how many one could possess—soul capacity—and cases where owning multiple items simultaneously was impossible due to conflicts between restrictions.
"Think of the 7-Star Overflow as an opportunity to obtain a soulbound item. It's an established fact that powerful field bosses drop good soulbound items."
The Guild Master said that to us as his final word.
Uncle, Ms. Hyeri, the Vice Guild Master, and I busily cleared dungeons where Overflows had occurred.
As the focal point of the anti-Tyrant faction, and also to obtain a soulbound item using this Overflow, just as the Guild Master had said.
"Now that I've gotten a soulbound item too, it's Hwajin's turn this time."
I heard Uncle's voice from behind.
Currently, we were riding in the Vice Guild Master's car, heading toward the 7-Star dungeon where the tenth Overflow had occurred.
"Two soulbound items from nine field boss kills... As expected, the 7-Star level is difficult."
The Vice Guild Master muttered.
"Tell me about it. I barely survived the match against the Tyrant Guild, only to almost die pointlessly to a field boss."
Uncle said that and laughed heartily.
"The boss is so strong that it's difficult to monopolize the contribution rate."
If I hadn't built up my strength using refined magic stones in preparation for the match against the Tyrant Guild, it would have been impossible to win the contribution competition against the other S-rank Hunters.
"But you all have attack skills..."
At Ms. Hyeri's sullen voice coming from the back, Uncle, the Vice Guild Master, and I all fell silent.
Ms. Hyeri had given up on obtaining a soulbound item early on.
Because it was nearly impossible to earn contribution with support skills.
Though things like HP recovery and status ailment treatment were included in contribution, their weight was worlds apart from dealing damage to the boss.
'It's not like she can create skills like me; she has to live with the skills she has.'
I recalled the time when [Record] was the only skill I had, so I could understand how Ms. Hyeri felt.
"Breath! Dodge!"
The Vice Guild Master shouted. He had been blocking the monster's attacks alongside tankers from other guilds at the front.
[Kiyaaaaak!]
When the massive dragon, whose entire body was covered in ice scales, opened its mouth, countless ice spikes flew in like missiles along with an immense chill.
"Uwaack!"
"My body's stiffening! I can't move!"
"Shit, why is it so strong!?"
"My arm... my arm is frozen!"
"Heal! Heal us quick!"
Amidst the screams of the melee dealers in the middle and the ranged dealers just behind them, I pointed my staff at myself.
'Frost Resistance.'
Once I cast the skill, my body, which had been freezing from the cold, moved as usual.
'Ground Shrink.'
Having grasped the knack for controlling the distance of [Ground Shrink] after repeating it nearly a hundred times in an empty wasteland, I used the skill to climb onto the ice dragon's back. Then I ran toward the ice dragon's head.
The blue ice scales, each as large as a human's upper body, were more than half-shattered due to the attacks of dozens of S-rank dealers.
'Found it!'
Slightly away from the ice dragon's head, at what would be the back of the neck on a human, there was exactly one scale shimmering with rainbow colors.
I aimed at the rainbow scale and used [One Flash].
When the rainbow scale shattered, the scales around it melted away all at once, and part of a massive orb was revealed in its place.
'One Flash!'
Kwa-bang!
The core splintered into pieces, and the ice dragon's body disappeared.
[You have slain the Ice Dragon.]
[You have acquired 7800 EXP.]
[Your individual raid contribution rate has exceeded 50%!]
[A portion of the field boss's soul is bound to you.]
Blue light swirled around me, stopped at my neck, and soon transformed into a necklace.
A small blue bottle was attached to the necklace. Liquid was inside the bottle.
When I placed my hand on the necklace, a gray window appeared.
--------------------
[Crux's Panacea] (Soulbound to: I Hwajin)
A miracle medicine created by Crux, the King of Medicine. Drinking a sip of the liquid in the bottle will cure any negative effect and fully restore HP. The panacea is fully recharged every full moon.
--------------------
'Once again, there's no condition saying it'll disappear.'
I took my hand off the third soulbound item I had obtained.
After selecting elites from the gathered Hunters and finishing up the dungeons where Overflows had occurred, I returned to the guild with the Vice Guild Master, Uncle Gangil, and Ms. Hyeri who had come with me.
"It's truly fascinating. As a Vice Guild Master, I've known about soulbound items for a long time, but..."
The Vice Guild Master said as he drove the car.
"I've never seen nor heard of a case like Ms. Hwajin's soulbound items that have no restrictions."
"I've known Hwajin was an overpowered character from the start, but isn't this really too much? It's not even a bug."
I gave a bitter smile at Uncle Gangil's words.
"Ms. Hwajin... Please share some of that bug with me too..."
Ms. Hyeri said with an expression that was impossible to tell if it was a joke or serious.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why only my soulbound items have no restrictions either. It's not like I made a skill for that separately."
It was truly a mystery.
After hearing the Guild Master's explanation, I brought up the gray window once more and read the descriptions, but there were no restrictions with the premise of disappearing on Hechil's Blessing and Hesto's Bracelet.
"But if I find out the reason, I'll be sure to let you know, so please forgive me."
"You promised."
Ms. Hyeri said that with a straight face before soon smiling.
"Anyway, with this, all the 7-Star Overflows have been taken care of."
The Vice Guild Master said.
"Ah, that was really hard. We ran raids almost every day."
"Me too. For a while, I just want to do nothing and rest at home."
"Actually, the Guild Master said he would give us a week of vacation starting tomorrow."
At the Vice Guild Master's words, Uncle and Ms. Hyeri flinched.
"Really!?"
"For real!?"
"Yes. He told us to rest well since he won't contact us about work at all."
Uncle and Ms. Hyeri let out cheers.
I was just as happy.
It had already been two weeks since I'd been unable to return home and had been wandering around other regions fighting nothing but monsters due to the Overflows happening all over the country.
No matter how much a Hunter could move as long as they had a certain amount of HP and possessed recovery skills, there was no helping mental exhaustion.
'Should I take this chance to go on a trip with Jinhee and Seono?'
Inside the car returning to Seoul, I dreamed the sweet dream of a leisurely rest.
***
Two days after the vacation began, the Guild Master's office.
"Guild Master."
I glared at the Guild Master sitting behind his desk and quietly called out to him.
"Aha-haha."
The Guild Master let out a laugh that anyone could tell was forced. I could see sweat beading on his forehead.
I forcibly held back a sigh and spoke.
"You said you wouldn't contact us about work."
"W-well, that's..."
"Jinhee... I made plans to take my brother and Seono on a trip. We were going to the beach for three days and two nights starting tomorrow. You have no idea how much the kids were looking forward to it."
"I'm truly sorry, Ms. Hwajin. An emergency quest came in that I could never have expected..."
The Guild Master explained that an emergency quest requesting help specifically from Atlas Guild had come in from the government last night.
"This is absolutely not something I'm doing because I want to. If we refuse a government emergency quest, the guild's trust rating—which is the standard for raid participation allocation—gets deducted."
"But why me of all people?"
"That is..."
I saw the Guild Master's eyes move toward the tablet computer on his desk.
I snatched up the tablet and checked the screen.
There was an arrow on a circle divided into four sections.
Inside the circle were the names of me, Uncle Gangil, Ms. Hyeri, and the Vice Guild Master, and the arrow was pointing at the section with my name.
"...You decided this by spinning a wheel?"
"I simply couldn't decide with my own hands. So I thought I'd rather leave it to fate..."
In the end, I let out a sigh.
"Fine, so just tell me the quest details."
"Thank you, Ms. Hwajin."
The Guild Master held out a document to me.
[Emergency Quest: Atlas Guild
- Track and eliminate the monster presumed to have escaped during the 7-Star Dungeon Overflow.
- The last confirmed sighting was...]
'It's already entered a populated area and caused havoc.'
Furthermore, the document stated that it had even killed three S-rank Hunters dispatched from a nearby guild.
"Even now, several Hunters are on its trail, but it rarely reveals itself. It's likely a monster whose specialty is hiding. The government seems to want to prevent civilian casualties as quickly as possible."
I nodded at the Guild Master's words.
"If it's you, Ms. Hwajin, you should be able to create a skill to track monsters, so you're the perfect fit."
I raised my head at his added remark.
"Guild Master. Did you really decide this by spinning a wheel?"
"Of course."
The Guild Master winked with one eye.
Don't wink, you old man.
"Understood. But give me more vacation in proportion to the work."
"Of course. As soon as the work is done, I'll add three more days to your original vacation."
I replied that I understood to the Guild Master's words.
As I left the guild building, my heart grew heavy.
I was afraid to tell Jinhee and Seono that we would have to postpone the trip.
***
A spacious conference room.
Twelve Hunters were sitting around a large round table.
"The Guild Master spoke to me."
As the man with the cross-shaped scar on his cheek spoke, several Hunters flinched.
They were all Hunters who had fought and lost in the match against the anti-Tyrant coalition.
"He said that this is something that must never be committed as a Hunter of the Tyrant Guild."
His heavy voice emphasized each and every word, making the atmosphere of the conference room even heavier.
The Hunters who had returned in utter defeat could not raise their heads even slightly.
"Especially Kim Woojin."
When his name was called, Kim Woojin clenched his teeth while keeping his head down.
"You violated the Guild Master's order not to reveal your soulbound item during this match, and on top of that, you brought about an absurd result of losing even after using it. It is utterly unforgivable."
At his words, Kim Woojin's shoulders trembled violently.
"But the Guild Master has decided to give you a chance."
The cross-scarred man threw a document onto the table.
"The Hunter we've been chasing for so long has finally shown herself."
Printed on the document was a photo of a woman with her hair tied up.
"You seven who participated in the match, use whatever means necessary to bring this woman back. This time, the use of soulbound items has been permitted."
"Yes, sir!"
At those words, the seven Hunters answered simultaneously.
"And one more."
Another document was placed on the table.
"Capture the Hunter who fought you all as well. Of course, in secret."
On the newly placed document was a photo of Hwajin's face.