Chapter 17
***
Bzz. Bzz.
“Ah, who is it, calling me in the middle of the day...?”
I’d been sleeping soundly when the vibration of my phone beside my head woke me up.
My whole body ached and felt stiff.
How dare someone interrupt my blissful sleep.
I didn’t know who it was, but at that moment I resented them more than anyone.
“Yawn... So who is it?”
The vibration stopped, so it wasn’t a call.
But now that I thought about it, was there anyone who’d text me?
I hadn’t had many people to keep in touch with even before my body changed like this.
Puzzled, I checked my phone.
[Cheonhwa]
[You said you had a favor to ask. What is it?]
“Oh, right.”
The moment I read the message, I snapped fully awake.
Yesterday, after barely beating the Tower’s hidden boss and making it back...
I remembered that I’d contacted Cheonhwa late at night and then fallen asleep just like that.
“I must be crazy... Did I really sleep that hard? How could I forget?”
Was it because I’d been so tired yesterday, or because I’d been injured?
I tapped my stupid head a few times, then
started typing a reply to Cheonhwa.
[You said you had a favor to ask. What is it?]
[Um, could you possibly make me an ID...?]
[An ID? Why?]
[Well, there are some circumstances....]
[All right, I’ll take care of it for now. Then come here by 13:30.]
[(Link to a map with an address)]
[Okaaay.]
“She really is an S-rank Hunter. She gets things done fast.”
After replying to Cheonhwa,
I checked the time on my phone.
It was exactly 11 a.m.
The address Cheonhwa had sent was about a twenty-minute walk away,
so I still had plenty of time.
“First, I should wash up.”
After fighting so hard yesterday,
I’d come home, checked my rewards, and passed out without even washing properly,
so my whole body still felt grimy.
Shhhhh—
“Brrr—It’s cold!”
As soon as I turned on the shower, cold water came rushing down on me.
I’d forgotten to deposit the cash Cheonhwa had given me into my bank account,
so I guess I hadn’t paid the gas bill properly.
“Ugh, seriously. I’ll take care of everything on my way back today. Sigh.”
I put off thinking about the gas bill and the rest, washed up quickly, and came out.
The cold water made me shiver a little, but it was probably good for my health.
I wrapped some fresh bandages around my body, threw on whatever clothes I could find, and sat on the floor.
Then, out of habit, I opened the System Window in front of me.
“I definitely got a skill from the Tower yesterday...”
The skill I hadn’t been able to check because it was so late.
I’d gotten it as a Tower reward for defeating the hidden boss, not from a draw, of all things.
“It’s gotta be good, right?”
To check the skill, I immediately switched from the System Window to my status screen.
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
Skills
1. (Passive) Hell’s True Flavor Lv. 1
2. Make Sure You Cook Your Food! ◆ Lv. 1
3. (Passive) Appraisal Eye (鑑定眼) Lv. (X)
4. Hellfire Lv. 1 ◆
Hot. Really hot.
Effect: The target is burned by the undying ‘flames of hell.’
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
“Oh... Hellfire sounds kind of cool.”
Maybe because I’d had to fight so hard to beat the hidden boss, even the skill’s name sounded extraordinary.
Hellfire.
Just from the name, it sounded like a powerful skill that could burn absolutely everything to ash.
But there was something else that caught my eye even more.
It was the diamond-shaped button that had appeared beside the Cooking skill and Hellfire.
I was intrigued by this new feature I’d never seen before.
“Hmm... should I press it?’
It was the kind of button that made me desperately want to press it.
Come on, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like it’ll explode.
In the end, I couldn’t resist my curiosity and pressed the button.
[Would you like to combine the ‘Hellfire’ skill with the ‘Make Sure You Cook Your Food!’ skill?]
[Y/N]
“Com...bine?”
A message about skill fusion appeared when I pressed the button.
“Something about this feels really shady...”
Combining skills with each other gave me a bad feeling.
Usually, things like this could make your skills even better,
but they could also be traps that made you lose the skills you put in.
But...
Usually, things that seem shady are there because you’re supposed to try them.
Hellfire and Make Sure You Cook Your Food!.
Weren’t both of them related to fire?
Combining fire + fire skills—obviously the result would be stronger. That was common sense.
“Do it. Right now!”
Without hesitation, I pressed the Y button in front of me.
Whirrrrr!
The fusion warning window trembled and began glowing white,
“W-what, is it really going to explode?”
Pop—!
The warning window, which had been shaking like it was about to burst, burst into a shower of celebratory particles, then returned to its original blue color.
[Fusion successful! 🎉]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Hell’s Cauldron Flame.’]
“Ugh! I thought my heart was going to stop.”
The moment the warning window turned white and began trembling,
I’d genuinely worried that it might explode.
Still, it didn’t explode, and the fusion succeeded, so I guess that’s what matters.
I immediately opened my status screen to check the skill I’d just combined.
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
3. Hell’s Cauldron Flame Lv. (X)
Hot. Really hot. No germ that touches this fire survives.
Effect: Annihilate all sinners with the fire of Hell’s Cauldron.
ㄴ You can use mana to wield flames powerful enough to melt even the target’s bones.
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
“Oh...”
The description was full of ominous-sounding details, as if to prove the fusion hadn’t been for nothing.
And more than anything...
“This is awesome! So stylish! So damn cool!”
From the description to the skill’s name, it had an air of power that practically screamed, I’m strong.
After seeing skills like Make Sure You Cook Your Food! all the time,
seeing a skill with such an insanely cool name made my heart pound.
There was just one thing that worried me.
“Mana, huh...”
The skill description mentioned using mana, something none of my other skills had done so far.
I didn’t know how much mana it would use each time I activated it,
but with my mana stat at 20, I knew I wouldn’t be able to use it without limit.
“...I’ll think about that later.”
I checked the time on the phone beside me.
“Wait, it’s already this late?”
The time displayed on my phone was exactly 13:00.
More time had passed than I’d realized.
I quickly shook out my dry hair and threw on one of the hoodies I’d bought in bulk last time.
Then I grabbed a mask to hide my identity and my beloved weapon, my kitchen knife,
and started sprinting toward the meeting place like crazy.
I ran for quite a while, and
I could see that I was getting closer to the address on the map,
and I’d managed to make it there by 13:20, with time to spare.
Once I got somewhat close to my destination, I slowed down and looked around.
The photo of the address Cheonhwa had sent showed a vintage-style café,
“There it is.”
I quickly found the place that matched the photo exactly.
As I slowly approached the café, I could see inside.
Maybe because it was in an area with little foot traffic, the place was empty,
and inside, I spotted Cheonhwa wearing a black coat instead of her usual martial arts uniform for once.
Jingle~
“Welcome.”
A slight bow.
As soon as I spotted Cheonhwa, I went straight into the café.
I gave the employee who greeted me a slight nod,
then walked over to Cheonhwa, who was leisurely sipping tea, and sat across from her.
“Ah, you’re here. Sit down.”
“...Okay.”
When I’d only been looking at her from a distance, it hadn’t seemed like anything special,
but seeing her up close felt somehow more surprising.
She always wore her martial arts uniform.
So seeing her suddenly dressed in ordinary clothes gave me a strange feeling.
And perhaps Cheonhwa noticed me staring, because she tilted her head and asked,
“...Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Oh, it’s just that I didn’t realize you didn’t always wear your martial arts uniform.”
“Heh. Is that so? And what do you think?”
Cheonhwa asked with a sly smile.
I wasn’t sure what kind of answer she wanted, but the knowing look in her eyes was oddly irritating.
“I just think it suits you.”
“...I’m glad you think so.”
I hadn’t really wanted to indulge that annoying little smile of hers,
but she was my boss, after all, so I humored her with a tiny—very tiny—bit of flattery.
“Anyway, do you have my ID and Awakened license?”
“Yes, I brought them with me, but...”
But...? Cheonhwa trailed off and looked at me.
“We’re doing business together, aren’t we?”
“And you’re trying to take your ID without offering me anything in return. How shameless.”
“Tch—”
‘Darn.’
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
Honestly, I’d been hoping to get the ID and Awakened license for free.
But her perfectly(!) on-the-nose logic had crushed my grand plan to get them for nothing.
“Then what do you want from me, Cheonhwa?”
“Hmm...”
With my grand plan in tatters, the conversation shifted back into a negotiation.
When I asked what she wanted, she rested a hand on her chin as if pondering, wearing a meaningful smile.
Then, as if she’d made up her mind, her smile blossomed into a grin, and Cheonhwa spoke.
“All right, I’ve decided. A favor. In exchange for your ID, you’ll do exactly two favors for me.”
“Favors...?”
A favor.
What on earth was she going to ask me to do?
As I tilted my head, unease stirring inside me, Cheonhwa smiled as if to reassure me.
“Don’t worry. They won’t be that difficult.”
With that, Cheonhwa stood up.
“Now, listen carefully. This is my first favor.”
Gulp—
She walked over to me, sitting across from her, to make her first request.
I started to worry, wondering what kind of favor she was about to ask, and then...
“Stay still until I give you the signal. Understand?”
Grab—
“Mmph!”
Cheonhwa’s hand roughly gripped my cheek,
and her eyes looked strangely vacant and unfocused.