Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons

"I'll just toss this into my next auction. Let the sword fanboys fight over it. The bidding's going to be insane." He chuckled softly, as he placed the skill book in his inventory. "Honestly, it might even end up being the most profitable item I've sold yet."

Knock-knock.

Arthur raised a brow, surprised that she actually bothered to knock. A faint smile formed on his face as he walked to the door.

Opening it, he was greeted by the sight of Jasmine, standing there with a massive tray piled high with food.

"Jasmine…" he started, his eyes flicking to the tray. "What is this? Did you raid the inn's entire kitchen?"

"It's food," she replied, her tone as casual as if she'd said it was just a cup of tea. She stepped past him before he could protest, carrying the tray inside.

Arthur closed the door behind her, turning to watch as she placed the tray on the small wooden table in the corner of the inn room.

His eyes widened as he looked at the variety of dishes—stew, roasted meat, fresh bread, a side of fruit, and even a plate of pastries.

"Did you… buy the entire menu?" Arthur asked, leaning against the doorframe with a mix of amusement and bewilderment.

Jasmine shrugged, not meeting his gaze. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You're single-handedly responsible for the inn running out of food for its guests tonight."

"They'll manage," she said with a dismissive wave, pulling out a chair and sitting down as if she owned the place. "You've been running around nonstop all day. I figured you'd forget to eat, so I handled it."

Arthur smirked, stepping forward and crossing his arms as he looked at her. "And you didn't think to just get a single meal?"

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "You're so narrow-minded. I didn't know what you'd like, so I got a bit of everything."

"A bit?" Arthur gestured to the tray as if proving a point. "This could feed half the village."

"Good thing it's just for us, then," Jasmine quipped, picking up a piece of bread and taking a bite.

Shaking his head, Arthur pulled out the other chair and sat down. "Alright, let's see what the food of this world tastes like."

He grabbed a small piece of bread, tore it open, and wrapped it around a chunk of roasted meat—probably from some random monster in the village. Taking a bite, he chewed thoughtfully.

"hm," he muttered, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

Jasmine leaned forward, her elbows on the table, a knowing grin spreading across her face. "Tastes good, doesn't it?"

He nodded, swallowing the bite before responding. "Yeah, surprisingly good. I didn't expect... this level of flavour."

She smirked. "Told you. You've been underestimating this village's cooking."

Arthur brushed off her smug look and reached into his backpack, pulling out a small, unassuming book with faint blue lettering on the cover.

Jasmine's gaze immediately sharpened, her grin fading. "Wait… is that a—?"

"Yup," Arthur replied, flipping the book in his hands. "It's a skill book."

Her jaw dropped, and she nearly knocked over her plate as she leaned closer. "Where did you get a skill book? They're not sold anywhere in this village! And that's not just any skill book—it's a rare one!"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You know what skill books look like? Interesting. Not exactly common knowledge in this part of the world. What's your story, Jasmine?"

She blinked, realizing she might've revealed more than she intended. "I told you I'm royalty." She waved her hand vaguely, brushing it off.

Arthur studied her for a moment, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Don't change the subject!" she snapped, pointing at the book. "Which skill is it?"

"Enhanced senses," Arthur said, tilting the book to show her the glowing title. "It improves all your senses—sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste…"

Her eyes widened, sparkling with newfound enthusiasm. "Taste? It enhances taste?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "No shit. Why do you think I'm planning to use it now? I want to see how much of a difference it makes."

Jasmine's expression turned from awe to greed in seconds. "Sell it to me," she said, practically drooling at the thought. "I'll buy it from you. I need that skill."

"Dream on," Arthur said flatly, shaking his head. "You can't even afford an inn room, and I'm not about to give you a royal discount for some imaginary currency you probably don't have."

"I'll pay you back eventually!" she protested, her eyes locked on the book like a hungry wolf staring at fresh prey. "Think about it: I could taste every dish in the world! I'd be the ultimate food connoisseur."

Arthur snorted. "Yeah, and I'd be the ultimate idiot for giving up a skill like this just to fund your food fantasies. Nice try."

Before she could respond, Arthur smirked and flipped the book open, his fingers tracing over the glowing runes. "Sorry, no refunds. Skill's mine."

"Wait, wait, wait—!" Jasmine lunged across the table, but it was too late. Arthur activated the skill book, and it disintegrated into a shimmering blue light that swirled around him before sinking into his skin.

He leaned back, grinning as he felt a strange warmth spread through his body. "Ah… that's nice. Feels like all my senses just got a boost."

—n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

<Enhanced Senses>

<Rank: Rare>

<Passive>

<Description: This skill amplifies the user's five senses to the next level, granting them better awareness of their surroundings.>

—

Jasmine collapsed back into her chair, groaning dramatically. "You selfish jerk. You've ruined my dreams."

"Don't be so dramatic," Arthur said, smirking as he picked up another bite of food. As soon as it hit his tongue, his eyes widened again, even more than before. "Whoa."

"What? What is it?" Jasmine perked up, her curiosity instantly reignited.

"This meat… it's like…" Arthur chewed slowly, savouring the flavour. "It's like a perfectly grilled steak, seasoned with… what is that? Pepper? Herbs? A hint of smoke?" He tilted his head. "This bread… oh man, it's fluffy, warm, slightly nutty… this skill increased my sense of taste by around 25%"

"I'm also guessing my other senses increased by that margin too," He muttered, before taking another bite.

Jasmine glared at him, both jealous and intrigued. "Don't rub it in!"