The Support Ate it All

Chapter 165: Downtown Market (2)

When the dazzling light that filled the room like a flashbang subsided, those who regained their senses rushed over.

– What was that?

– What kind of effect was that just now?

– It looked like a first-year student was using a random skill book.

– Does a random skill book produce an effect like that?

However, Seo Ye-in who had caused this commotion had already left the scene.

To be precise, I anticipated trouble so I had quickly taken her out.

I lightly scolded Seo Ye-in.

“What were you thinking using the skill book there? It’s still chaotic over there.”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

She said she just wanted to use it while acting on instinct which left me at a loss for words.

The result was good too which left me with nothing more to say.

“So, what came out?”

“I’m also very curious.”

When Go Hyeon-woo and I sent curious glances her way, Seo Ye-in displayed the notification message that had appeared when she used the skill book.

[Using the ‘Random Skill Book – Long Range’.]

[Acquired ‘Bullet Time (F)’.]

“This is unbelievable.”

No matter how lucky you are, this is just unfair.

On the other hand, Go Hyeon-woo who had little knowledge about skills could only tilt his head in confusion.

“What kind of skill is this that surprises you so much, Kim-hyung?”

“It’s the best cognitive acceleration skill.”

“Cognitive acceleration?”

“Everything you see slows down.”

“……!”

Bullet Time.

During its duration, it rapidly accelerates the caster’s perception which makes everything appear in slow motion.

You could even see the rotation of a flying bullet.

For F-rank, the duration was 1 second,

With a cooldown of 5 minutes.

The cooldown wasn’t very long, but it wasn’t short enough to be used recklessly, and the duration was just a fleeting moment, making it a skill that had to be used very carefully.

However, in that moment when Bullet Time activated, one could gain an overwhelming advantage in battle.

For example, if a firefight broke out with another long-range class, it would be possible for her to dodge all incoming attacks while landing her own shots.

It also became much easier to counter and retaliate against a close-range assassin’s sudden attack.

Go Hyeon-woo let out an exclamation of surprise.

“Wow, if it’s such a skill, it would be incredibly useful even if I used it myself. Those eight thousand points are well worth it.”

“Whoever uses it will find it an amazing skill. If you could learn it, it wouldn’t be wasted even at eighty thousand.”

Bullet Time was as difficult to master as it was powerful.

Of course, even Ahn Jeong-mi couldn’t have mastered it, and even among the top-tier marksmen trained up to S-rank, only a handful possessed it.

Yet, Seo Ye-in had casually picked up a random skill book after glancing around the archer’s section and mastered it on the spot.

The world was undoubtedly full of unfairness.

Seo Ye-in stared at the two of us blankly, then tilted her head.

“Am I lucky?”

“…”

“…”

Where did she learn that from?

I shook my head in disbelief.

Even though it was a sudden and baffling situation, it was a welcome fact that Seo Ye-in’s fighting power had significantly increased.

“With the butler gone, I thought that you should learn something else, but now you have this to master.”

“Mhmm.”

Using Bullet Time effectively in combat required a very high level of proficiency.

The skill only accelerated the caster’s perception; it didn’t actually change their physical speed.

As things appeared slower, the caster’s movements also seemed slower. This required a period of time to adjust to the skill.

Additionally, she had to practice capturing the optimal timing, so even though she had just learned it, she had a long way to go.

“You also need to work on ranking it up.”

“By the way, the skill is at F-rank now. What happens when its rank goes up?”

“The duration increases, and the cooldown decreases.”

“Wow, it’s getting even stronger from here.”

Go Hyeon-woo showed his envy without any hesitation.

I looked at Seo Ye-in again.

“It’s better to practice it with a partner.”

“Let’s do it together.”

“We should. But midterms are coming up soon, so let’s get started in earnest after that.”

“Mhmm.”

Seo Ye-in nodded her head slightly.

After making a light promise,

The next section to look at was for close combat and warrior classes.

“It’s your turn.”

Go Hyeon-woo’s enthusiasm burned brightly.

Then he slyly asked me,

“If I get a random skill book… could I perhaps learn a powerful skill like Miss Seo?”

“Remember the Feathered Serpent Tribe’s wooden cup?”

“It won’t work, huh.”

He realized the reality and quickly gave up on the idea.

“Ahem, then I’ll focus on equipment.”

“It’s about time for you to get new equipment.”

In Seo Ye-in’s case, she didn’t feel the need for new equipment, as most of her gear was already very high quality.

It was excessively good for a first-year student, and some of her items like the Fluffy Cloud Bracelet would still be useful even after graduation.

So she mainly looked for skill books.

While Go Hyeon-woo was the opposite.

He’ll master the skills on his own.

He used the unique martial arts taught at his sect and honed each technique one by one.

Unless it was an overpowered skill like [Bullet Time], there was no need for him to learn other skills and invest time in them.

On the other hand, his equipment was barely holding up and his weapon was barely saved from being destroyed.

It was about time to look for other options.

Just like in the archer’s corner, when we entered the warrior’s corner, a few seniors approached us.

They seemed to instantly recognize who was in a close-combat class and who was not.

Judging by their lack of interest in Seo Ye-in and me, that is.

A third-year senior stopped right in front of Go Hyeon-woo and scanned him up and down.

He spotted the [Feathered Serpent Magical Sword] at his waist and the [Durable Pen] tucked into his shirt pocket.

“Your equipment consists of a sword and a pen; you seem to be a martial artist, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“What about armor?”

“This uniform is all I have.”

The senior frowned as if he found it completely unacceptable.

“That’s not enough, not enough. Even if you’re a martial artist, you should at least have some basic protection.”

“I was just starting to feel the same.”

“I figured. Follow me.”

He guided Go Hyeon-woo to a seat and seemed to be discussing something with the other seniors.

Soon, he brought three pieces of armor and placed them in front of Go Hyeon-woo.

“Considering you’re a martial artist, I brought items that are light and easy to move in. Choose the one you like.”

The first item was a white T-shirt with a slight sheen.

[Crusader’s Shirt ©]

▷ Continuously triggers ‘Heal (E)’

▷ Physical Defense (E)

It offered a bit of defense and continuously activated a healing spell.

This would enhance his endurance just by wearing it.

The second item was a tunic with a skeletal ribcage design.

It emitted a faint black aura, likely due to some dark magic.

[Ribcage Tunic ©]

▷ Can cast ‘Bone Armor (D)’ once per day

▷ Dark Magic Resistance (E)

▷ Curse Resistance (E)

Its effects indicated a focus on magic defense. Although Go Hyeon-woo hadn’t been heavily attacked by a mage yet, it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared. The ability to cast [Bone Armor] once a day was also appealing.

The third item was leather armor engraved with geometric magical patterns.

[Spearman’s Penetrating Leather Armor ©]

▷ Has a chance to trigger ‘Defense Penetration (D)’

▷ Piercing Resistance (E)

[Defense Penetration] was a useful skill for piercing the defenses of tough-skinned enemies like ogres.

It could even inflict unexpected critical hits on heavily armored warriors.

[Piercing Resistance], simply put, made piercing attacks hurt less.

Since most ranged attacks like bullets or arrows were considered piercing attacks, it could be seen as resistance to ranged attacks as well.

“Hmm…”

Go Hyeon-woo fell into deep thought.

Although it was clear that whatever he chose would be useful, he had to pick just one of the three, so he couldn’t help but worry.

Should he increase his endurance through healing, bolster his magic defense, or go for the defense penetration effect and reinforce his ranged defense?

“What do you think, Kim-hyung?”

“This is purely a matter of preference. Each one is for a different field.”

“It’s a tough choice. They all seem useful to me…”

Go Hyeon-woo’s gaze shifted back and forth between the three pieces of armor. He was unable to make an easy decision.

Then, as if struck by a thought, he asked Seo Ye-in.

“What do you think, Miss Seo?”

It was essentially a lucky chance.

He seemed to have decided to leave it to luck.

“……”

Seo Ye-in stood still for a moment, then raised her hand to point at a completely unexpected spot. It wasn’t at one of the three pieces of armor.

Everyone’s eyes turned in that direction.

“What’s over there?”

“Well, let’s see, just wait a moment.”

The senior walked over to the spot Seo Ye-in had pointed to, rummaged through the display, and returned with a suit of armor.

It was made of bronze and resembled the shell of a crustacean.

[Bronze Carapace (D)]

▷ Physical Defense (E)

▷ Upgradeable

“Is this what you found?”

The senior asked.

Although Go Hyeon-woo had decided to trust Seo Ye-in’s judgment, he seemed doubtful if this was the right choice. Compared to the previous three pieces of armor, this one didn’t seem to have any outstanding effects, even considering its upgrade slot.

Was it possible that Seo Ye-in’s luck had run out for the day? Did she just point at something randomly?

At that moment, I nudged Go Hyeon-woo and said one word.

“Buy.”

“……!”

Go Hyeon-woo’s eyes changed a little.

When I, who had previously stayed back with the excuse that it was a matter of preference, told him to buy this unimpressive-looking armor right away, he sensed something unusual.

And Go Hyeon-woo always followed my advice without question.

“I’ll buy this.”

“Are you sure? It looks too heavy for a warrior.”

“I’ll get used to it.”

The third-year senior still seemed doubtful, but when Go Hyeon-woo insisted, he went along with it. From his perspective, it didn’t matter as long as it was sold.

“I respect your choice. Just pay me four thousand points.”

Go Hyeon-woo immediately took out his student ID and completed the transaction.

We then moved to our next destination, the mage’s sales area.

As he put the bronze carapace into his inventory, Go Hyeon-woo began to speak.

“I bought it without hesitation because I trust you, but I still don’t quite understand.”

“It’s a good deal.”

Thanks to the remnants of Seo Ye-in’s luck, Go Hyeon-woo managed to find a gem in the rough.

“That armor actually has two upgrade slots.”

“Does that mean the ‘bronze’ attribute was added through an upgrade?”

“That’s right.”

It was an armor made by capturing a very rare crustacean monster.

Right after it was made, it was called [Transparent Carapace].

The characteristic of the Transparent Carapace was that it fully reflected the performance of the materials used for upgrades, whether one used metal or parts of a monster.

“Even if you don’t know how bronze was used as an upgrade material, you can just remove it.”

“And then…?”

“You need to replace it with something else.”

For example, he could get the two best materials.