"How did your draws go?" Wang Xian asked, glancing around.
Everyone shook their heads.
No one had to say a word—their expressions said it all. The disappointment was universal.
"Su Jin?" Wang Xian turned to her, curious. He'd always wondered whether her talent, [Goddess of Luck's Favor], might have hidden effects beyond what was listed. Could it boost random rewards too?
Su Jin met his gaze, grinned wide, put her hands on her hips, and threw her head back in a loud, dramatic laugh.
"WAHAHAHAHA!"
Wang Xian didn't even blink. He raised a hand and gave her a chestnut bump on the head. "How many times do I have to tell you—don't laugh like that?"
Her laughter cut off instantly. She glared at him.
Wang Xian ignored the look. "Stare all you want. What did you pull?"
Everyone leaned in. If she was acting like this, it had to be good.
But Su Jin didn't answer right away. She crossed her arms and gave Wang Xian a smug look. "Apologize first. For the assault. Right now. Sincerely. Or you're getting nothing."
Wang Xian rubbed his chin. That tone. That face. She definitely got something good—and it was something she couldn't use, or she wouldn't be bartering it away like this.
But apologize?
He scoffed to himself.
Apologize to this smug little gremlin? In front of everyone?
Never.
Absolutely not.
Not happening.
...
"Xiao Jin, I was wrong just now," Wang Xian said with a big smile, leaning in with his most pathetic puppy eyes. "Please don't be mad. Forgive your brother-in-law, okay?"
Pride?
What's that?
This was survival.
And loot.
Su Jin gave him a look of pure revulsion. "Your smile is disgusting. Here. Take it and go away before I puke."
She shoved something into his hands—a skill book.
Wang Xian clutched it to his chest like a newborn and then looked genuinely hurt. "Disgusting? This smile is genuine! Ask them! Hey—was my smile fake?"
"Totally sincere," Nangong Wu said, not even looking up.
"Painfully sincere," said Feng Luoli.
"I've never seen a more honest face in my life," Yue Rushuang added.
"Uncle," Cheng Yao chimed in, "you've redefined sincerity for me."
Wang Xian turned back to Su Jin, triumphant. "See? Public opinion is truth."
Su Jin narrowed her eyes, deadly serious. "Brother-in-law… how are you this serious and still so shameless?"
Wang Xian opened his mouth. Closed it.
He had no comeback.
"Hmph! I'm not arguing with a child," he muttered and slinked away, ignoring the peals of laughter that erupted behind him.
He wasn't running away.
He just didn't want them to see his face while he checked out this skill book.
That was all.
Totally.
[Ice Roar]
Summons a tornado of hail and freezing winds
Deals 50% magic damage per second in a 30x30 area
Applies a movement slow for 10 seconds
Cast Time: 5 seconds
Mana Cost: 600 MP
Cooldown: 300 seconds
Requirement: Mage, Level 100, [Ice Element Proficiency Lv10]
Wang Xian's eyes lit up.
Group attack magic.
Not some flashy epic skill. Not even rare. Just an ordinary high-level AoE spell—but powerful, and far more practical than most people realized.
He flipped the book open and absorbed it instantly. His [Control] skill let him bypass all the usual requirements.
No level 100 restriction. No proficiency checks. It was his.
And it fit perfectly.
Because the item Su Jin gave him wasn't just a skill book.
It was a weapon—one he'd use in a battle that was coming soon.
He looked up at the sky, eyes narrowing.
That fight would be the start of something much bigger.
And this skill?
Just the beginning.