The Support Ate it All

As I walked, I pulled up the notification message I had received earlier.

[Side Quest: 12th Week Duel Battles] (Completed)

▷ Objective: Complete 3 duel matches.

▷ Progress (3/3 Wins)

▷ Reward: [Copy – Skill] Slot +1

This week’s side quest had been cleared with the highest possible achievement: 1 win with Cha Hyeon-joo and 2 wins with Hong Yeon-hwa.

The reward was an additional copy slot just like I expected.

▷ Copy – Skill [2/3]

1. Silent Step (B+)

3. (None)

A surprising gain in all this was that Hong Yeon-hwa’s Overheat skill had ranked up from D to C.

I noticed it during the duel and overwrote it onto one of my existing slots.

Now, I had to decide what skill to register in the empty third slot.

And as for how to use the one remaining fixed pin, I decided I’d think about that later.

I had arrived at my next destination, so I shook off my thoughts and lifted my gaze.

It was another club room, and the nameplate above the door read:

<Martial Arts Club>

When I stood in front of the sign and waited for a moment, a familiar face greeted me.

It was none other than the president of the Martial Arts Club and the Toad with a Fiery Heart Kim Gap-doo.

“You’re here.”

“Hello.”

Kim Gap-doo gave me an unwelcoming look.

But I had business with him, so I came to see him regardless.

In the crystal battle amidst the mentoring week.

Kim Gap-doo had made a bold bet. It was a 4-on-4 duel battle for a chance to win a day with Dang Gyu-young, and as the club president, he had recklessly wagered the club’s items.

He had been confident in his victory, but when his ace Jo Byeok lost, the duel ended with Dang Gyu-young ’s team winning.

However, handing over so many items at once would severely shake Kim Gap-doo’s standing within the club.

Taking that into account, Dang Gyu-young adjusted things so the items would be handed over gradually, without causing too much strain on him.

Among the items I was set to receive was, of course, my own share.

After all, I was the one who secured the victory against Jo Byeok from the Disciplinary Committee, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I contributed the most to winning the 4-on-4 bet.

In the process, I had to show some of my skills, and in exchange, Dang Gyu-young promised me a portion of the winnings.

The reason I came to the martial arts club was to claim one of those shares.

Of course, Kim Gap-doo didn’t know any of this so it would’ve been pointless for me to show up unannounced.

That’s why Dang Gyu-young had sent him a message in advance.

[Dang Gyu-young: Hey]

[Dang Gyu-young: Kim Gap-doo]

[Kim Gap-doo: Gyu-ha!! (short for Gyu-young-ha)]

[Kim Gap-doo: What’s up? ><]

[Kim Gap-doo: (happy frog emoji)]

[Dang Gyu-young: About the items]

[Kim Gap-doo: Yeah yeah >_< How should I prepare?]

[Dang Gyu-young: I’m sending Kim Ho]

[Dang Gyu-young: Later]

[Kim Gap-doo: (serious frog emoji)]

[Kim Gap-doo: Kim Ho?]

[Kim Gap-doo: What item?]

[Kim Gap-doo: Dang Gyu-young]

[Kim Gap-doo: Dang Gyu-young??]

[Kim Gap-doo: ???]

Kim Gap-doo showed me these messages and said,

“There’s been no reply since then.”

“She blocked you again.”

“Is that so…?”

Kim Gap-doo’s expression darkened suddenly.

Sad Gap-doo.

While I was thinking such rude thoughts, Kim Gap-doo quickly controlled his expression, as if he thought he couldn’t act weak in front of me.

“So you came in place of Dang Gyu-young?”

“That’s right.”

“…She must trust you a lot.”

It made sense that he would think that way, considering I wasn’t even a member of the thieves club, yet I was tasked with delivering the items.

But in reality, the item right now wasn’t being delivered; it was mine.

Kim Gap-doo asked,

“What do I need to give you?”

“A Crafting VIP Ticket.”

The problem with the [Deep Root] was that it was too short.

As a temporary fix, I had connected an F-rank iron bar but I wanted to replace it with proper parts as soon as possible.

Normally, acquiring high-rank metals would have taken a bit more effort, but since Lucky Charm had generously pulled out Kraketite from the ingot box, I could start crafting right away.

That’s why I came earlier than planned to retrieve the VIP ticket.

“Take it.”

“Thank you.”

Kim Gap-doo handed over the ticket without hesitation.

Despite it being a rare and valuable VIP ticket, there was no sign of regret on his face; he already seemed to consider it as no longer his.

When I bowed my head and turned to leave, Kim Gap-doo asked another question.

“Are you using the elixir well?”

After the mentoring bet, Kim Gap-doo had called me aside and given me three basic elixirs.

– I don’t understand why you’re giving me such valuable items.

– I’m not giving them to you because I like you. Don’t get hurt and make me worry for no reason, and always keep them with you. Use them if Dang Gyu-young gets into danger.

Seeing me now must have reminded him of that memory.

I didn’t want to go into too much detail about how I used them, but since I had accepted them, it was only polite to give him a brief update.

So I gave a short explanation of what had happened in the black market.

While I was walking around the downtown area with Dang Gyu-young, a blood cult elder suddenly appeared, and we joined forces with the graduates to fight him.

In the process, I treated the injuries we sustained using one of the basic elixirs.

Kim Gap-doo must have already heard the rumors since his eyes narrowed slightly.

“They said the Blood Cult elder caused quite a commotion, were you there?”

“Yes, it was unfortunate. But thanks to you, I avoided any major injuries.”

When I expressed my gratitude respectfully, the corner of Kim Gap-doo’s mouth twitched.

He tried to calm his expression and asked,

“How many do you have left now?”

“I have one left.”

“So, you and Dang Gyu-young each used one, I assume.”

“That’s correct.”

In truth, I hadn’t used mine while fighting the Blood Cult elder, but rather during my training with the Mysterious Yin Jade Demon Finger. Still, there was no need to bring that up.

Kim Gap-doo said in a slightly scolding tone,

“It hasn’t been that long since I gave them to you, and you’ve already used two? I’m pretty sure I told you not to waste them carelessly.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The Blood Cult elder was never an opponent you could handle in the first place. If you had avoided the fight, you wouldn’t have had to waste the elixirs.”

Despite his sharp tone, he didn’t seem particularly angry.

I could tell by the way the corner of his mouth kept twitching.

Proud Gap-doo.

Eventually, Kim Gap-doo looked at me with a serious expression on his face.

“Kim Ho.”

“Yes, senior-nim.”

“Get stronger. So that neither you nor Dang Gyu-young will get hurt when facing someone like the Blood Cult elder.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You can go now.”

With Kim Gap-doo’s dismissal, I took a step forward again after a brief pause.

“Wait.”

I had barely taken a few steps when Kim Gap-doo called me back.

When I turned around, he was holding another basic elixir in his hand.

“You should at least carry two of them, shouldn’t you?”

“…Thank you; I’ll take it gratefully.”

I didn’t hesitate and accepted the elixir.

And then I thought to myself.

Angel Gap-doo.

***

Now that I had the ticket, the next destination was of course the blacksmith’s workshop.

The president of this club had a personality similar to Bong Jae-seok. He was someone who hated wasting time on unnecessary things.

Still, I was led into the club room inside the workshop, where the busy blacksmith club president was sitting across from me.

He looked at me with a curious gaze.

“You’re the third person this year to use two VIP tickets.”

“Isn’t being third fairly average?”

“If the first two weren’t club presidents, that is.”

There were plenty of clubs in the Dragon Slayer Academy, yet as just a first-year, I was the third to use them. I was ahead of even some high-ranking club presidents.

It was no wonder he found it interesting.

I smiled slightly and brushed it off.

“I was lucky.”

“I feel like you’ve said something similar before.”

“Well, luck can strike twice, can’t it?”

“That’s true. But I wonder if it’ll stop at just twice.”

“…….”

I maintained my silent smile, while the blacksmith club president stared at me as if he was trying to read my thoughts.

However, it seemed he didn’t want to waste any more time, so he got straight to the point.

“What would you like me to make?”

“This.”

Just like when I requested the crafting of Root, this time too I brought along a blueprint.

The blacksmith club president accepted the blueprint and unfolded it before his eyes flashed with interest.

Then he asked,

“I’d like to take another look at the weapon you had made before.”

“Here it is.”

I placed Deep Root on the table.

Aside from the priest’s dagger attached to the tip, everything was just as it had been.

The president compared Root with the blueprint and his eyes sparkled with recognition.

“They’re designed to connect, I see.”

“You caught on quickly.”

“Judging by the additional joints, this won’t be the final form.”

“……”

“This is an interesting piece, really.”

The president nodded as he said that.

It was a sign that he had accepted the request for the commission.

“You’ve brought the materials, I assume?”

“Of course.”

I set the chunk of Kraketite onto the table with a thud.

The president’s eyes deepened as he picked up the metal and examined it closely for a while.

“Kraketite… I’ve never worked with this metal before. Were you lucky this time as well?”

“Maybe I was lucky a third time.”

Though if I thought about it, it wasn’t really my luck at all.

It was the lucky sloth’s good fortune.

The president stared at me a bit longer, but once again, he seemed to set his curiosity aside.

“It wouldn’t be polite to pry too much into the source, would it? I’m lucky too, since I’ll get to work on a high-rank piece for the first time in a while.”

The importance of skills and traits is just as critical for production classes as it is for combat classes.

To craft high-quality equipment, one must acquire a variety of skills and traits and continuously manage their rank.

However, by the time someone reaches the level of a third-year club president, most tend to stagnate at A or B rank.

In that situation, a Kraketite ingot was like rain in a drought.

It was extremely rare, with hardly any opportunity to work with it, and its rank was A.

Just using this material to craft an item would lead to significant progress.

Perhaps that’s why the blacksmith club president made another offer.

“Like last time, there will be some leftover material. If you’re okay with it, I can make an additional item for you. What do you think?”

When I had the Root made with the Millennium Iron, the leftover materials were used to craft Go Hyeon-woo’s durable pen.

Though back then, it had been a favor in exchange for fulfilling the president’s request.

This time, he offered to make something for me as long as I allowed him to use the leftover Kraketite.

It wasn’t a bad deal, since getting the chance to craft with high-rank materials was never a loss.

I had nothing to lose either since I wouldn’t have to pay for the labor if he made an item for me.

So I accepted the offer without hesitation.

“I’m fine with it.”

“Good. I’ll deliver it as soon as it’s finished.”

Once all the minor details were settled, the blacksmith club president stood up. He was holding the blueprint and the ingot.

It seemed like he was ready to start working immediately.

It’ll probably take about a week at most.

Although Kraketite was ranked the same as Millennium Iron, it was much easier to process.

When we left the club room together, the president added a meaningful remark.

“I’m curious. How many more times will your luck hold out… I’ll be watching with interest.”

“You won’t be disappointed.”

Because my Lucky Charm isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.