Seraphine just... blinked.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THIS SKILL!?"
She read the text again and again, pacing in a small circle while staring at the floating windows in her mind.
'One of a kind? That meant there was only one "Mosquito" in this entire world, and 1 am the one who had caught it? ' she thought.
Her eyebrow twitched as she reread the description again.
-----------------------
'You'll never run out of mana. You'll also never have friends.
All the people near you... they hate you.'
-------------------------
The wording felt less like a blessing and more like a curse.
She exhaled deeply, staring at the skill with tired eyes.
"Ahh… whoever gets this thing is gonna be insanely dangerous."
She didn't know how to handle this skill book.
A part of her wanted to take this skill for herself....
But she resisted the feeling. She can't stay alone, especially in a world of apocalypse where even a simple cat could threaten her life.
Yet, she wasn't about to hand this over to just anyone, either. Even if she were on her deathbed, she wouldn't let this kind of power fall into the wrong hands. Since it was a "one of a kind" item, she at least had the peace of mind knowing no one else was running around with it.
For now, she slipped the book into her spatial ring, locking it away. Then, steadying her breath, she moved on to collect the rest of the loot scattered across the battlefield.
There were only 2 more items to collect.
A black box and a blue book.
Before she could pick up the items, a notification popped into her mind. It was also a message this time.
------------------------------
{[Message]-- A consistent and disciplined use of Frost Spell is noticed from the caster.
You are eligible to level up right now.
{ [Depth] : 18 / 50 }
{ [Spread] : 11 / 40 }
{ [Stability] : 7 / 30 }
Please fulfill the above requirements to level up your spell. }
--------------------------------
Seraphine pondered, looking at the message in her mind. 'Depth, spread, stability, huh?'
So I guess I just need to kill more enemies? Seraphine said to herself.
Though genuine confusion clouded her thoughts.
She had no idea what those terms truly meant, and the more she tried to think about it, the more her head felt like it was going to explode.
Shaking it off, she decided not to dwell on it. Overthinking wouldn't help in anything.
She quickly reached for the black box nearby and opened it.
A handkerchief appeared in her hands.
"Huh?"
She looked at the description fast.
------------------------------
{ [handkerchief] :A plain cloth handkerchief. Cleans corrosion, rust, and unremovable dirt with little effort.
Can be used as a normal handkerchief for daily needs. Sneeze, cry, wipe your mouth, clean sweat, or wipe your hands.
The cloth does not stay dirty after use. Shaking it removes any residue... }
----------------------------------
"Mm, it's useful," she commented and didn't say anything else.
She put it in her pocket quickly.
And checked the blue book.
Suddenly, her face lit up.
"Finally, a useful passive skill that I can equip."
--------------------
{ [Night's Owl] - Your vision sharpens in darkness. You can see outlines and movement, but not colors or fine detail.
[Passive Skill] }
----------------------
She immediately pressed her hands against the book, and it dissolved into a shower of golden particles that flowed steadily into her mind. She could feel a strange, prickling sensation stirring deep within her pupils and retinas, a cooling pressure that made her vision pulse for a few seconds.
She opened her eyes, but no change.
It hasn't become night yet.
Then she stood there counting on her fingers. "So far I've got around 10 items from killing more than 100 zombies and that cat, so the drop rate is around 10%, I guess."
She wasn't sure. She guessed it may differ from person to person.
Seraphine's head snapped toward the sound.
Someone was screaming her name.
"SERA!! SERA!!"
It was Rina.
Seraphine quickly turned. 'This idiot. I told her not to—', But then her gaze sharpened as she noticed something unexpected.
Rina wasn't alone.
Three figures were running alongside her.
She quickly identified one of them.
"Professor Harin?" She was quite surprised to see him..
The other two were younger, students perhaps, but she didn't recognize their faces.
"SERA!! SERA!!"
Rina called out aloud.
The four of them stood stunned on the spot when they saw the remnants of the massacre.
'This idiot'. Seraphine only took a few steps but was already in front of Rina.
The four of them were shocked to see Seraphine this close, very fast. It was nothing but a blur, one moment she was far away, the next she was standing right in front of them.
The three of them instinctively took a step back.
"SERA!!" Rina's face lit up with surprise as she widened both hands rushing forward to hug—
SMACK!
But she suddenly got smacked in the head by Seraphine.
"You idiot! Why are you screaming so loud? Don't you see the zombies still littering around here, huh?" she scolded, pinching Rina's ears with sharp annoyance.
"Ouch... Ow. Ow. Ow! Sera, stop! Sorry, sorry, my ear... I'm sorry!" she wailed, though she kept her volume significantly lower this time as she squirmed under Seraphine's grip.
"Hmph! I'll let this slide this time. Don't ever repeat this, okay? Did you hear me?" Seraphine said, still holding her ear.
"O‑okay, okay, sorry!" Rina nodded quickly.
Seraphine finally let go and pulled Rina into a brief, one-armed hug with her right hand. "Anyway, good job. You actually did what I told you to do."
"Who do you think I am?" Rina beamed, her previous pain forgotten as she puffed out her chest and patted herself boldly. "I've got this!"
Seraphine couldn't help but smile.
"M-Miss Seraphine, so.. sorry to interrupt.. but.. w-what actually happened here.. c-can you explain?" Professor Harin was gasping for air, leaning his hands on his knees as he asked.
Seeing him struggle, Seraphine's tone softened. "It's nothing to worry about, sir. Just a few zombies."
She tilted her head slightly, concern flickering in her eyes. "By the way, sir, are you okay? Do you need any help?"
"Th-thank you, b-but I am okay. Just a few bruises here and there," the Professor stammered, wiping sweat from his brow. "I am relieved that you are safe. E-earlier, Rina came back to the group... she said you were sacrificing yourself for them. We rushed here as fast as we could to help you out."
Seraphine listened patiently, but when she heard the word 'sacrifice,' she shot a look at Rina, who was now standing beside her like she hadn't said anything at all, putting on an innocent look.
Seraphine sighed, letting the irritation go. "Thank you for coming to save me, sir," she said, her voice was genuine.
"N‑no need to thank me," Harin replied, still gasping for breath. "It's… a teacher's duty to protect their students."
Seraphine was genuinely taken aback. In a world where most people only thought of saving themselves, here was someone still acting selflessly. Her respect for Harin deepened.
She then tilted her head, her gaze shifting to the two boys standing awkwardly behind the Professor. "And you guys?"
Under her intense gaze, the two boys slightly shivered.
"I-I am Ravi."
"I-I am Dhev."
The two boys immediately bowed and said, showing respect.
"No need to bow. Make yourselves comfortable. ...So... why did you guys come then?"
Ravi and Dhev looked at each other.
Finally, it was Ravi who broke the silence. "Th-That... actually, Miss Seraphine, w-we were rescued by our teacher earlier, so... so we thought it's only natural to help someone who was in a similar situation like us. S-So we volunteered to come here."
Seraphine raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected to find a group of people this kind-hearted in the middle of a massacre. "Oh?" she murmured, intrigued by their sincerity.
"M-Miss Seraphine. How about we go back? There are a few survivors we have gathered at the gymnasium," Professor Harin suggested.
"Sure, but please stop calling me 'Miss.' Just call me Seraphine, sir," Seraphine said, and she looked at Ravi and Dhev. "It applies to you both too. Just call me Seraphine."
"O-Okay."
"Sure."
"Then let's go," Rina said.
"Wait a minute," Seraphine suddenly said.
"Is there any problem, Student Seraphine?" Professor Harin asked.
"I have something to give you people," Seraphine said as she retrieved two books and a weapon from her ring.
It was the toy hammer, Fireball, and Static Field skill book.
"Here, take this, sir. I think this will suit you more. Though the description of it is weird, I have checked it personally and it is very powerful," Seraphine said, handing over the hammer to Professor Harin.
"N-No... no need, Seraphine. I-I am okay with this..." He smiled and declined, showing the metal rod in his hands.
"I... I think it will suit someone who is stronger than me."
"No, sir, please take this... It... it's an order." Seraphine didn't give him a chance to refuse.
Professor Harin blinked, surprised by the authority in her voice. He looked at the heavy weapon, then back at her steady gaze. Finally, he sighed and reached out. "If you say so..."
The moment his hands gripped the handle, his eyes widened slightly at the unexpected weight and the strange hum of power vibrating through the iron.
Seraphine then turned her attention to Ravi and Dhev. Their eyes were practically glued to the books in her hands, their pupils dilated with a mix of hunger and awe. She smiled, seeing right through their transparent intentions.
"I'll give these to you two. Whether you equip them or not is up to you," she said, handing the Fireball and Static Field books toward them.
Unlike the Professor, the boys didn't even pretend to decline. They lunged forward, grabbing the books as if they were made of solid gold.
o_o - (seraphine)
"This..." Ravi and Dhev gasped.
Seraphine exhaled, crossing her arms. "Like I said, I won't force it. Use them if you want."
"This... an ACTIVE SKILL!!" they both blurted out simultaneously, staring at her as if she were a god walking among mortals.
(●'◡'●) - (seraphine)
'What's with them? It's just some garbage—' Seraphine thought, but suddenly Rina whispered in her ear.
"Sera, I recently discovered that active skills are insanely rare," Rina hissed. "They don't drop easily at all. Most survivors don't even have one; the lucky ones only have passives."
"What!" Seraphine nearly shouted.
A jolt of genuine shock ran through her.
Here she was, tossing skill books around like garbage, while the rest of the world was starving for a single drop of magic.
She glanced at Ravi and Dhev. They held the books like holy relics, eyes wide with a reverence that bordered on worship.
In a single afternoon, her idea of "normal" had completely broken.
She now understood why Ravi and Dhev made such an expression.
"Anyway, let them take it. It's useless for me anyway, especially the Fireball," Seraphine whispered to Rina.
But as the two boys read through the descriptions, their hands began to shiver. Instead of absorbing the skills, they suddenly stepped forward and held the books back out to her, bowing deeply.
"Ple... please take these back!" they both shouted in unison.
"Why?" Seraphine was caught off guard. 'Earlier they were so excited, and now they're giving them back? Did my plan fail?' she wondered, her eyes flickering with confusion.
"We... we don't deserve this,Mis...No Ser-Seraphine! It's too precious to just give to us!" Ravi and Dhev stammered, their face flushed with a mix of shame and awe.
'Oh, so that's it. I was worried for nothing', Seraphine thought, a wave of relief washing over her. She waved her hand dismissively, putting on her best casual-yet-inspiring face.
"It's okay, you guys can take them. We need more powerful people in this apocalypse if we want to survive. And you guys said you wanted to save people, right?"
"Y... Yes!" they answered.
"So, for that, you need power, right? Then take these first. And if you're really feeling guilty about it, then just repay me after you become powerful."
Ravi and Dhev stood there listening to her words, their eyes gleaming with admiration and respect. 'Such a generous person.', To them, she wasn't just a survivor; she was a Saint.
'Hehe, finally pocketed them,' Seraphine giggled inwardly.
The one thing she had come to understand quickly was that surviving this apocalypse alone was practically impossible. No matter how high her stats climbed, there would eventually be a situation she couldn't handle solo.
To face what lay ahead and move forward, she needed a team--one that was loyal to her no matter what.
'First step complete,' Seraphine thought with quiet satisfaction.
While she was thinking about her future plans, a hand started plucking her dress slightly.
It was Rina.
"Me, me! What about me?" Rina asked, pointing a finger at herself, putting on an innocent baby face that no one could refuse.
Realizing her intention, Seraphine smiled. "I'll give you something when we reach the gymnasium."
"I was just kidding, Sera. I don't want anything," Rina grinned, though her eyes quickly shifted toward the ring on Seraphine's finger. "Is that… a spatial ring, Sera? Where did you get it?" Her curiosity was genuine.
Not only Rina, but the three men sharpened their ears as they listened. They were also dumbfounded when Seraphine took things from it. None of them asked, as they felt it was not right to ask outright, so they were waiting for someone to ask.
"Oh that? I got it in a drop. You know how lucky I am, right?" Seraphine didn't want to disclose too much in front of the three men.
It was not that she didn't trust her teacher or the boys. It's just that trust is not something that is formed in a day.
Rina was an exception, though.
"Yeah, yeah, lucky I guess," Rina commented, and did not dig too much in front of them, understanding Seraphine's message.
"S-Seraphine, h-how do we learn this skill?" Both the guys struggled with opening the book.
Rina giggled, leaning against Seraphine. "Look at them..."
"Don't laugh like that. You remember you were exactly like them at first, right?" Seraphine reminded her.
Rina shut down her laugh as she remembered the embarrassing scene.
Seraphine looked at them and said, "Just press it with your hands tightly on both ends."
"Ohhhh! So that's how it is!" Ravi and Dhev were surprised as the book turned into golden particles and entered their minds.
"Oh! Oh oh! Haha! Hehe!" Both of them started laughing like maniacs, their eyes glazed over as they stared at their newly updated status windows.
Seraphine sighed, looking at the scene of their excitement. She felt a little guilty that she dumped that skill on these two, but she pushed that aside. It's not like I forced it on them, right? she justified to herself in her mind.
"Sir, let's go, shall we?" Seraphine looked at Professor Harin.
"Yes yes let's go, everyone," Professor Harin agreed.