Chapter 17

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 17

Chapter Title: Pointy-Ears and the Auction House

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The text had changed.

"...Insane."

A curse slipped out loud.

The blue system window in front of me blinked mockingly.

I rubbed my eyes and read it again.

Just in case I'd seen wrong.

"..."

But the text remained the same.

Dignity... is this what it means?!

This was my first time actually using the skill.

All I knew was that it [increases clear rewards].

But this mechanism?!

The text was in a brutally clear Gothic font.

"Left-three, right-three? And what? Slave to gacha?"

This was supposed to be the ritual that boosts probabilities?

This wasn't a ritual; it was a penalty game.

The worst kind from a drinking party's king game.

I bit my lip.

"Do I have to do this every time? Every skill use...?!"

Early twenties, in the prime of youth.

Sure, inside I was a rotten gamer uncle.

But on the outside, I was a pitiful beauty who stirred anyone's protective instincts.

Me, doing grand bows to a box and running around like a dog?

This is social suicide.

I turned my head to look at the iron door.

Ellicia was probably waiting outside.

Well... I have to do it.

I couldn't keep her waiting forever.

"......"

I lowered my gaze back to the weathered wooden box.

The current odds of an A-rank were just over 20%.

25% if the timing lined up.

710 million won.

That number weighed heavy!

That's 230,000 triangle kimbaps!

My entire fortune.

The money borrowed from Jin Su-bin.

The cash from selling my studio apartment.

Even the price from hawking my game account!

All of it rode on this one weathered wooden box.

I couldn't count on another skillbook showing up at the next auction either...

Gulp.

My throat burned.

Once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop.

I'd have to keep doing this in the future.

But—

I have to do it.

Dignity?

Did that feed me?

Did it pay my debts?

I'm Han Seo-ah. The fraudulent S-rank character, Han Seo-ah!

In capitalist society, dignity without money was worth less than expired milk.

No, even less. At least convenience store discards are edible.

I clenched my fist tight.

The pain of my nails digging into my palm snapped me alert.

"Ha... I'll do it. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That's all, right?"

I kicked off my shoes for the grand bow.

Stood barefoot on the floor.

Think of it as reacting for a streamer in front of money.

Yeah...

This was just unavoidable for the job!

I pulled my hood low.

No one was watching anyway.

It was just me in this room.

And that damn box.

"Hoo..."

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

My flushed face cooled a bit.

"Let's do this."

I approached the box.

Kneeled down.

The chill of the concrete crept up my knees.

"O Gacha God..."

Placed both hands on the floor.

Bowed my head.

My forehead nearly touched the ground.

This wasn't groveling.

It was an investment.

But my ears burned hot anyway.

Left-three!

Toward the box, I bowed left three times, dipping my torso.

Creaky movements like a broken doll.

Shame crawled up from my toes.

Right-three!

Right three times more.

The final bow was extra devout, forehead smacking the floor.

Done. Step one cleared.

I shot up.

My face burned.

But it wasn't over.

The real humiliation started now.

"Shit..."

Come out, you game writer bastard!

Show yourself, you setting designer!

What pervert came up with this crap?

I bit my lip hard and slipped my shoes back on. Started running.

Drew a tight circle around the table.

Thud, thud!

"Uwaaack!"

My sneaker soles pounded the floor.

How many laps had I done?

My reluctant mouth finally opened.

"I am..."!

My voice was a whisper.

No one around, but my ears heard it.

My conscience heard it.

I was watching myself!

But the system was merciless.

"Agh, for real!"

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Screw it.

If I was doing it, might as well go all in.

"I am a slave to gacha!!!"

My bellow echoed through the room.

"Please don't give me crap!!!"

One lap.

"I am a slave to gacha! No trash, give me SSR!!"

Two laps.

"Please! Please! Something expensive! Shiny! I am a slave to gacha!"

Three laps.

Four laps.

The faster I ran, the more my breath caught in my throat.

Spinning in the tight space brought on dizziness.

But I didn't stop.

"I am a dog-pig! Woof! Oink!"

The chant devolved.

Didn't matter.

If I filtered it through my brain, I wouldn't say it.

I babbled nonsense.

As long as the meaning got through, right?

Free variation allowed, so my flailing would pay off.

Thankfully, attempts (1/3) stopped dropping.

"I am a slave!"

Han Seo-ah was.

Just a clown offering herself to the god of probability.

Seven laps.

Eight laps.

I sprinted at full speed.

Sweat poured like rain.

Drops from my forehead stung my eyes, but no time to wipe.

"Please... life reversal!!"

Nine laps.

And the final tenth.

"I am a slave to gacha!"

I squeezed out my last strength in a roar and collapsed face-first.

Splat!

"Guh...!"

Spread-eagled on the cold floor.

My heart pounded wildly.

I hadn't run this hard even from goblins.

My lungs burned like they were tearing.

"Haaaah..."

The ceiling spun.

I burned it all out...

Crazy bitch.

No other way to describe myself.

If anyone saw this, they'd call the psych ward.

But.

I bolted upright.

Propped my wobbly body on the table.

Glared at the box with wide eyes.

Insight.

The world carved itself into forms only I could see.

The numbers on the info window above the box started dancing.

"Yes! It's going up!"

The numbers went wild.

Like watching a skyrocketing stock.

F- and E-rank odds plummeted.

Red numbers filled the void.

"Going up! Up! Yes!!!"

My lips stretched to my ears.

"Here we go! Here we go! Gazua!!"

Laughter leaked out, my cheekbones aching.

This was it.

This thrill.

The reason for the clown show.

The numbers kept wriggling.

32%... 34%...

And finally.

The number halted, then vibrated faintly at 35.

A 10% bloat from the original max of 25%.

B-rank rose too, needless to say—

Insane skill...

Han Seo-ah was indeed an S-rank supporter.

In gacha games, a 10% probability boost was huge.

Especially when lower ranks dropped and higher ones rose?

This was divine certainty.

O Gacha God! Forgive my momentary doubt!

Instinct whispered.

The Gacha God commanded: open the box now.

This chance wouldn't come again.

At the peak of probability's wave.

I had to ride it.

Gulp.

My hand shook, couldn't reach easily.

Palm slick with sweat.

I wiped it on my pants.

No failure.

I could see it.

The golden future beyond those numbers.

Held my breath.

Time slowed.

"Now!"

The 35% seared into my retina.

My finger touched the latch.

The cold metal touch.

Click.

The latch released like a cannon shot.

Gulp—

I flipped the lid without hesitation.

Creeeak—

The old hinges screamed.

At the same time, blinding light burst from inside.

"......!"

I squinted reflexively.

The light coalesced.

Green...

Fresh forest scent—

Deep emerald glow.

Green afterimages filled the room.

Something emerged slowly from the light.

A dusty ancient tome?

Or shattered relic fragment?

No.

As the light faded, what appeared was a single book.

"Skillbook! It dropped!!!!!"

Not some ordinary paper book.

The cover was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rough like living bark.

Yet warm to the touch.

Edged in gold filigree.

"Ahh...!"

And in the center, a fire-breathing dragon or divine deer ridden by elves...

Huh?

"......A squirrel?"

I doubted my eyes.

Right in the middle of the cover: a cute squirrel clutching an acorn.

No, a golden fruit.

Lifelike.

Like it'd leap out any second.

No way it's a dud...!

Squirrels scream low-tier skill!

I steadied myself.

Check first, think later.

"Status Window..."

Pushed down my anxiety.

Info floated over the skillbook.

Ugh...! Please...!

Huh?

"Insane......"

My legs gave out.

I plopped onto the floor.

"Jackpot! Total jackpot!"

The book floated before me.

Ratatoskr.

In Geora's lore, a sacred beast not outdone by ancient dragons or divine deer.

A-rank to boot.

Not standard A-rank—Unique value skillbook.

I figured it'd be elf-related since that's what she was after, but...

Never dreamed it'd be this.

The shame from moments ago had long evaporated.

Such flimsy feelings.

Feathers compared to this gain's weight.

"Hated to say it, but."

My lips quivered.

A cliché I'd seen a million times flashed in my mind.

Do I... or not?

But I couldn't beat the ticklish urge deep in my chest.

Finally, I spat it out.

"Luck's on my side."

A husky, raspy voice.

"Sex."

This was the S-rank fraud character.

Without force, I slammed my head into another grand bow toward the box.

Almost reverent.

Ratatoskr.

The squirrel from Norse myth.

Climbing Yggdrasil, delivering messages.

In game lore, a top-tier support summon specialized in info gathering and wide-area search.

Plus a chore function to pick up battlefield loot.

Definitely a paywall skill.

In the original Geora world, yes.

But reality mixed up since I possessed it.

Existing heroines vanished except Han Seo-ah—confirmed.

Still, a paid item tumbling from a box was unexpected.

And A-rank. Originally B-rank summon, so rank-upped.

Turned out great in the end.

Excitement didn't fade easily.

Grew sharper with time's realism.

Felt like floating.

"Agh, heart hurts. This thrill."

This tiny chest couldn't handle the high easily.

I clutched the book to my chest and rolled on the floor.

Cold concrete felt like clouds.

710 million?

Chump change.

This was priceless.

Item-pickup summons were as rare as Inventory skills.

And—

No rank in the name. Value A-rank only.

Not limited junk like Low-tier Spirit Summon or Sword Skeleton Summon.

[Summon: Ratatoskr]

Growth-type.

A-rank now, but could hit S-rank or beyond with raising.

"Euhh..."

Tears welled.

Not from sorrow.

From joy.

Relief that my choice was right heated my eyes.

Worth enduring the shame to complete the skill.

Sweet payoff for skimping to go all-in.

"Whew... Calm down."

I wiped tears with my sleeve and peered at the book again.

The cover squirrel winked at me.

Cute.

Top performance and cute?

Foul play.

Show this to Ellicia...

Curious about her reaction.

Her face seeing this adorable squirrel book, thinking it history?

Said she'd buy it even bankrupting herself.

But no selling.

This was mine.

My ultimate survival partner, beyond money's measure.

I stood up.

Brushed dust from my knees.

Hugged the book close.

Learn it now?

Using the skill consumes the item. Classic disposable.

Pondered briefly.

Weighed risks against free cake.

Decision quick.

Still... she won't force it, right?

Proud, noble elf.

Trusted that haughty race trait.

Rob me? With this scrawny body?

Pressed the skillbook tight to my chest.

Deep breath.

Hand on the doorknob.