Ding dong─!
[1043… 1044… 1045…]
Student cafeteria. My order number appeared on the central screen.
It was a notification that my food was ready for pickup.
Whoosh─
I was still seated. It wasn’t me who went to get the food but the spoon did it for me.
The spoon flew over to the food court, picked up the tray, and returned to my table.
Thanks to the artifact, it could now easily serve a tray. Before, it could barely hold clothes.
Also, due to one of the artifact’s effects, which included magical power recovery, there was less strain on my body than before.
Indeed, this was befitting of a legendary-grade artifact.
“Hey, Spoon. That bracelet you’re wearing, it’s new.”
Right as I was about to take the first scoop, Moon Shin-chung passed by and commented. He had noticed the bracelet I was wearing.
I extended my wrist.
“Does it suit me?”
“It suits you? Hell no. Not at all. That bracelet is something a girl would wear.”
“I figured as much.”
I already knew, but hearing someone else say it still stung a little.
I hid the bracelet under my sleeve.
“Did you buy that bracelet yourself?”
Moon Shin-chung took a step back, looking shocked. He seemed to be wary of me.
Some explanation was needed.
“What do you see me as? Do you really think I’d buy a bracelet like this?”
“I almost did. Misunderstood you there, didn’t I?”
Moon Shin-chung exhaled in relief and placed his tray across from me.
“If you didn’t buy it, then…was it a gift?”
“Something like that.”
“Ah, a girl?”
Moon Shin-chung’s lips stretched upwards like a hahoe mask.
I almost threw a piece of kimchi at his annoying face.
“Why so quiet? Was it a girl who gave it to you?”
“I’ll pass on that.”
“Ho ho. So it was a girl. Who is she? Just give me a hint.”
Moon Shin-chung leaned in toward me. Should I punch him?
“This isn’t something given with that kind of meaning. This bracelet is an artifact.”
“An artifact?”
Moon Shin-chung tilted his head and leaned back to his original position.
“So it’s just an artifact? Tch, all the excitement’s gone.”
“That’s what I said before. It wasn’t given with that kind of meaning.”
I decided to finish eating my rice. Today’s menu was sundubu jjamppong, an offering that lets you enjoy both a spicy jjamppong and soft sundubu simultaneously.
Sides included self-service vegetables and kimchi.
“Hmm, I think I’ll switch my artifact soon. I’ve been using it for too long.”
Moon Shin-chung murmured this to himself while rubbing his neck.
“You have an artifact too?”
“Yeah, of course. This is my artifact.”
Moon Shin-chung pointed at his neck. Specifically at the tattoo engraved there.
“That tattoo’s an artifact?”
“Isn’t it amazing? This way, no one can steal it, right?”
The forms of artifacts are endless.
Like Moon Shin-chung’s design, some artifacts can also be ingested as pills.
Not all artifacts are accessories.
I already knew this, but it was still fascinating to witness firsthand.
“Even so, just because it’s an artifact doesn’t mean you should get a tattoo that doesn’t suit you. If I were you, I’d just wear this bracelet instead.”
“You’re saying this was etched for me by my mom?”
“Wow, your mother has incredible skills! Could I book an appointment with her? I’d like to consult with her sometime.”
This idiot. He’s thinking of turning this into a business opportunity.
I almost made myself look like the odd one out.
After finishing lunch, I decided to take a short break sitting on an outdoor bench.
Humans need a certain amount of sunlight each day. It strengthens bones and boosts immunity.
From now on, I need to pay more attention to my health. I don’t want to collapse again, clutching my neck.
─── Andvari ───
Rank: Unique
▶ Active Skill [Unlocked]
▶ Passive Skill [Locked]
▶ Feature [Open] – Acquirable skills are available!
Usable SP Points: 1
This item is exclusive to this character!
───
By the way, from the last time I defeated a lesser monster in the business district, I earned SP points as a reward.
Since there’s time before the next class, I should tinker around with my skill window.
I immediately opened the feature tab.
─── Andvari ───
▶ Feature
[Gigantification]
[NEW! Blind Side: Skill acquisition possible, requires 1 SP point]
[???]
[???]
───
This newly appeared skill, Blind Side.
Judging by the name alone, it’s hard to guess what kind of skill it is. Something related to vision, maybe?
Rather than just sitting and speculating, it would be more certain to just try it out.
I decided to learn the skill.
[You have acquired the Blind Side skill!]
How exactly does this skill work? I’ll take the spoon out first.
I picked up the spoon I had placed in my pocket.
“Ah!”
I nearly fell off the bench in shock.
As soon as I grabbed the spoon, two distinct landscapes unfolded before my eyes.
One was the view in front of me that I was looking at with my eyes.
The other was the grass field directly behind this bench, which my eyes couldn’t reach.
The grass field I was seeing now wasn’t transmitted through my eyes, through the retina, and into the brain. It was perceived from an entirely different source.
Exactly where was this perception originating from?
Could it be from this spoon?
I slightly twisted the end of the spoon.
As a result, the scene of the open grass field I was seeing shifted towards the paved path where people were walking.
“Ho ho…”
Now I understood. This Blind Side skill was granting me a new set of eyes.
The medium: this spoon.
With this spoon, I can check what’s behind me without turning my back.
Just roughly think of it like the rearview mirror of a car.
“Perhaps…”
Could it work with telekinesis to allow observation in tight spaces?
Like under the bed or behind the fridge.
When I return to my room later, I’ll have to look for lost coins.
*
“Phew… I’ve eaten well today.”
Arna was rubbing her belly as she exited the student cafeteria.
She had unintentionally overeaten at lunch.
Initially planning to have just a single bowl of cold noodles, she ended up ordering soy sauce marinated beef too while eating.
It couldn’t be helped. Hasn’t it always been said that bulgogi is cold noodles’ eternal friend? Passing up bulgogi would be disrespectful to the cold noodles.
Moreover, eating only noodles often leaves you hungry shortly after. You should eat meat as well to feel more full.
“Hmm, what should I have for dessert? Let’s think about it at the café.”
No matter how full you are, there’s always room for dessert.
Arna’s steps were heading towards the café.
Since I had the sweet potato mousse cake yesterday, I should try something other than cake today.
“Hm…?”
In the midst of cheerfully humming a tune and heading towards the café, Arna paused in her steps.
She had noticed the villain Shin Yoon-seong sitting far away on a bench.
“What is he doing over there…?”
Shin Yoon-seong was just sitting quietly. He wasn’t using his phone or doing anything. He was only spacing out while holding a spoon.
He was so still that it felt like he was a statue.
“Is he having a staring contest with the spoon…?”
His behavior was definitely not ordinary. There he was, in the middle of the road, just staring at a spoon.
In fact, the students walking by couldn’t help but glance at Shin Yoon-seong; his behavior was that peculiar.
“Just a moment…”
At this moment, Shin Yoon-seong was deeply concentrated, showing no interest in his surroundings, and was pouring all his energy into the spoon.
In other words, he was exposing a weakness.
An idea for some mischief came to Arna.
“Hehe…”
Smiling slightly, she slowly approached Shin Yoon-seong. She was cautious not to make a sound, stealthily circling behind Shin Yoon-seong.
Until now, she’d only been on the receiving end of his antics, so this time Arna was going to give him a good scare.
A surprise so sudden he wouldn’t even have time to scream.
Stealthily.
Stealthily.
“…”
She was almost there.
Close enough to hear Shin Yoon-seong’s breathing.
Arna carefully raised her hands.
She was going to push him hard on the shoulder.
Wonder what kind of reaction he’ll show? Already, it was starting to feel fun.
Slap─!
“Kyaaah…!”
But this time, Arna was the one who got startled.
Just as she was about to extend her hands, the spoon struck her forehead first.
“Wha, how…?”
Arna clutched her now swollen forehead, stammering.
It didn’t make sense. He was clearly staring at the spoon, so how did he know she was coming from behind? Let alone that he turned around without even looking and swiped the spoon.
He’d have to have eyes on the back of his head for that to be possible…
“Didn’t I always tell you…”
Finally, Shin Yoon-seong turned his head, smiling.
“Among everyone, I know Arna better than anyone else.”
