[■■■■ Skillbook has been purchased.]
A flicker accompanied the disappearance of 5,000 points.
Along with it, the same notification window as before appeared, signaling the rearrangement that occurs when a one-time-purchase item is acquired.
[Updating the store list.]
[You can still purchase existing items while the store list is being updated.]
"Huh? Estimated time required?"
Unlike before, one notification window was left blank.
As Rohan pondered, he reached out his hand. His immediate curiosity took precedence.
His hand entered the warped space.
Rohan immediately sensed something was different.
"Huh?"
Unlike the moment he had learned Scorching Blade and felt the knowledge flow into him instantly, this time it wasn’t the same.
It felt different this time. Inside, something with a definitive shape could be felt. A sensation similar to purchasing tangible items like food or water.
Thud!
What Rohan pulled out of the void was an old, worn book.
True to its name, the Skillbook appeared in the unmistakable form of an actual book. Rohan couldn’t help but feel bewildered.
"A real book...?"
He checked the front and back covers. There were no letters or markings.
Flipping through it quickly, he found it entirely blank. Not a single dot or mark sullied the pristine, empty pages.
"What is this?"
His anticipation, buoyed by the supposed stroke of luck, began to waver. For now, its only apparent use seemed to be as a coaster for ramen bowls.
"Hmm."
Rohan examined the texture of the book and deliberated.
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on freёwebnovel.com.
The driving force behind moving such a mysterious item, the key to revealing its true nature, the intricate and unique password for each individual—
The answer was obvious.
"Magic."
Rohan channeled the magic within his body into the book.
The change was instantaneous.
Flap-flap-flap!
The book sprang open on its own, pages flipping rapidly before halting abruptly in the middle.
Rohan silently observed this poltergeist-like phenomenon.
[Opening Restricted Book #2 for Authorized Personnel Only.]
"Now it’s a book, not a video?"
Reading the notification window, Rohan froze stiff.
With the number shifting from 1 to 2, it was impossible to predict what might happen next.
He waited as patiently as he could for this phenomenon, without any contingency plan, to unfold.
Ssssshhhhh───!
Embers moved across the book’s surface, burning through the pages. Strangely, no smoke or burning smell arose.
The blackened marks gathered and formed letters.
Rohan’s eyes naturally began to read them.
[A mournful and grievous fate. To think that the flame which burns even reason and instinct must ultimately be wielded by a human hand, charred to ash—how tragic it is.]
[Even when humanity loses everything, they shall never release the flames... This is both our blessing and our curse.]
[Lowell... Jenny... To fulfill your wishes, we...]
The words read like someone’s lamentation.
The deep, pressed shapes of the letters conveyed emotions so intense that it was as if a voice could be heard.
"Flame that burns reason and instinct?"
Was it a metaphorical expression?
If not, and such an ethereal flame truly existed, Rohan would have wanted to dismiss it as absurd.
But as soon as he read this passage, an image came to mind.
"The scene from the video..."
A memory of himself as a child sitting in a chair. Calling that figure "me" was strange, yet undeniably accurate.
Although it was only a guess, the image lingered stubbornly in his mind.
"And who are these people?"
The names Lowell and Jenny. Names he had never heard before in Abyss City.
And yet, they didn’t feel unfamiliar.
Rohan resolved to investigate the two names that were now seared into his mind.
"Hmm..."
As he mulled over the complexities in his head, Rohan’s voice seemed to act as a signal.
Thud!
The open book slammed shut.
This time, flames gently burned on its cover, engraving letters in bold relief.
[天日聖裁]
The title of the book appeared, glowing with embers.
Seeing the Chinese characters, Rohan felt his consciousness waver as he muttered.
"Tenip Seongjae..." (Heaven’s Judgment)
With his voice, the flames erupted from the book.
The raging fire that rose from his hand didn’t feel hot, nor was it surprising.
For some reason, Rohan found the entire process entirely natural.
The burning book turned to ashes and seeped into Rohan’s body.
And then, he heard a voice.
─ Shine within the abyss; the night always comes, but there is no night without dawn.
─ Bear the embers and tear through the veil of night; this is the path of salvation we have chosen.
─ Follow the journey carved by Heaven’s Day.
[Restricted Book #2 for Authorized Personnel Only is now closed.]
The fire attribute, which Rohan had always seen as a decorative aspect of his status window, now carried a profound and tangible change. He instinctively opened his skill window.
And there, he saw the result.
[Heaven’s Judgment Sword (Cheonil Seongjae Geom) ─ Lv.1]
◇ First Slash: Flame Sever (Yeomjeol)
◇ Second Slash: Dawn's Falling Sun (Yeomyeong Nakil)
The faint sheen of the skill name, combined with the level indicator, hinted at its potential for growth. Unlike other skills like Murder Manual or Scorching Blade, this one didn’t have a rank.
It could mean only one thing—it was a unique skill, exclusively for him.
The realization made Rohan let out an involuntary curse.
"...What the hell!"
In Abyss City, having two unique skills was already a hallmark of S-rank characters.
Rohan already possessed two: Grant Weakness and Shop.
There wasn’t a single S-rank character with only one unique skill, nor had there ever been a playable character insane enough to possess three unique skills.
And yet, that rule had just been broken.
Now, his skill window displayed three unique skills.
"A sword technique... I didn’t think there’d be martial arts-style skills outside of Samhwaguk."
He could now vaguely imagine what the southern regions of Abyss City, often overlooked in the narrative, might feel like.
"I wonder how it works."
Rohan’s hands itched to test the sword technique immediately.
Though he needed to prepare to go out and eat, his eyes refused to leave the skill window.
The absurd stroke of luck pulled a subtle smirk to his lips.
Should he buy a proper sword on an installment plan instead of using his dagger? Or should he rush to the academy, test it out, and then head to his instructor’s house?
"Or maybe... just borrow a sword from the instructor?"
Shaking off his indecision, Rohan stood up with a decisive motion.
He jotted down the names Lowell and Jenny in both his notebook and phone memo app.
Below them, he carefully wrote down the words that lingered in his memory:
[Shine within the abyss; the night always comes, but there is no night without dawn.]
[Bear the embers and tear through the veil of night; this is the path of salvation we have chosen.]
[Follow the journey carved by Heaven’s Day.]
"No night without dawn... Not bad."
Leaving those reflections behind, Rohan moved to wash up.
The water pressure was almost startling, as strong as a waterfall pouring hot water.
Not to mention the expensive shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and cleansing foam—products she had only ever seen in glossy magazines at bookstores.
Clara finished her shower, trembling at the sheer luxury.
She dried herself off with a soft, absorbent towel that left no trace of moisture after just one wipe.
Creak.
Clara peeked her head out of the bathroom door.
White steam spilled into the living room, wandering like a mist.
The girl looked around, turning her head this way and that, searching for clothes.
When she couldn’t find anything, she hesitated but eventually called out.
"Uh... um..."
"Clara."
"Y-Yes?"
Rohan approached her with a serious expression, his steps brisk.
Clara, worried that her modest figure might be seen, quickly pulled her head back inside the door, leaving only her eyes visible.
"I’ll go buy you some undergarments. It’ll take a little time if I have to use the dryer."
"Th-that’s not necessary...!"
Rohan must have noticed her underwear size earlier.
The thought alone made Clara’s face flush red, feeling as if her secrets had been exposed.
"If you prefer, I can lend you thicker clothes to cover up. I don’t have anything that fits you, but it should at least do the job."
"Clothes... would be fine."
That seemed like a much better option.
At her timid request, Rohan fetched a set of clothes he had left on the sofa.
A thin tank top for layering, a thick hoodie, and a pair of black sweatpants.
Clara accepted the clothes with a quiet "thank you" and disappeared back into the bathroom.
When she emerged, she was dressed in oversized clothing, the pants dragging on the floor and only her fingers peeking out of the hoodie sleeves.
Rohan looked at her and thought, This must be what men find endearing in women.
"What a cute and beautiful girl."
Even her damp hair seemed charming.
If he had ever had the younger sister people always mentioned, she would probably have been like this.
"Come here. I’ll dry your hair."
"!?"
Rohan reached out, and Clara froze in place like a statue.
His hand moved gently near her, and the moisture clinging to the tips of her hair disappeared without a trace.
Withdrawing his magic-infused hand, Rohan noticed Clara fidgeting nervously.
"Clara, I have a question."
"Yes...?"
Rohan’s thoughts drifted to the small scraps of fabric spinning in the washing machine.
Even recalling them made him swallow hard in embarrassment.
But, under the guise of breaking the ice and better understanding his companion, he asked as casually as possible.
"Are you... dating Rohan?"