Lucas dazed at his puter s for a while, and couldn’t believe his eyes. How? Charlie got the money, whatever she did. John did. Was all that crazy enting worth that much? There was no way, right? She couldn’t trade as much as two million pyers bined, could she?

  A smile sneaked on his face, but the moment a horrible thought returned - when she said that thing about a guy… He closed his eyes and shook his head. No, that’s not possible; John is a man, right?

  As he checked the amount in his at again, he debated about sending the money right away. No. That would be a bad idea, because they would demand more - thus he set the delivery date six days from now.

  “Good evening, Lucas,” someone spoke on his left out of the blue. Had someone broke into his apartment? Was it the ring, terrorists? No, maybe it was that pyer he killed ten times over and who said he’ll find him for real iy?

  Whoever it was, he reacted fast thanks to his training, and with one swift movement picked a gun hidden uhe table before plunging to the other side.

  “My name is Jeffrey, and I e in peace,” the stranger said with a hint of a smile. Lucas was the one pointing a gun at him, but he froze with his mouth open. A young punk. He lowered his gun and sighed. If this kid wanted him dead, he would already be dead ten times over. The kid’s face lit and he tinued, “I am one of leaders of the ring of smiling people.”

  “I… I am aware. Please, leave Charlie out of this! She did nothing wrong!”

  “You mea Charlie, or is it now agent John-Charlie? See Lucas, you helped him retire. It was you who archived his ID, right? I heard some chatter, that there is a ploy to disrupt Charlie.”

  Lucas rexed and dropped to his chair; everyoold him to be afraid of them, but Jeffrey was only a kid. Only with power beyond any means. “Why is John being hunted?”

  “That is not relevant. I want to assist him; support the best hero in the game. I don’t know how it was achievable to ge him into a female, but the cover is phenomenal. Excellent job, you two.”

  “Yes, yes… But, we have a problem because I owe tens of millions to your colleague. If you talk…”

  “Then don’t gamble anymore? I have limited funds and power, for now. I o solidate it before I be of any assistance. Although, if you get through the following months, I promise to stand on your side. I need a seed, an item obtainable only in the game.”

  “If I may ask-”

  “You ot. That would be foolish; Pearl is a rash person. Don’t ask odd questions. Others despise annoying flies like you two.” He fshed a weak smile, turned on his heel, and walked away with a fident stride.

  Enting items was one of the hardest things I had to do. Ever. I gently threair of gloves on the wall ahem slid down, where I kicked them with all my love. Three times.

  Damn, that two months without whiskey were easier than suffering through the enting. Thinking about it, I took a sip from a waterskin and ate the cheapest bread. Yeah, I lived like a princess.

  Break’s over, enting tinues.

  [You ented the Sturdy Gloves. Rating: 17%]Why? This is just pin stupid! How many times I o practice the damn rune before I get it right? Billion times?! As my nerves reached their breaking point, I struck the armrest of my chair, and it shattered into tless pieces.

  “Wonderful. Just wonderful!” With another punch to the table, I deposited even that old thing. Fine! Now I had to sit on a ground - that was unfortable, but manageable. Calm down, John. Please calm down. Wasn’t I the one who found a bug in three flying sticks and flew at the speed of light? So why was I so bad at this?

  What I hated the most was the actual enting. Since I was only familiar with the exploit in enting, I had to get it. That didn’t mean I was good at it. Dust, Essence, let’s go.

  [You ented the Sturdy Gloves. Rating: 28%]I hate it! I bet I am the worst for these kinds of things.

  The minimum effect I o give Lisa was five pert. That meant I had to get the rating of forty pert her and I couldn’t do it fast enough! With another punch, I cracked a floor.

  I stopped and gnced around. Something was wrong; that was very unlike me. I always methodically observed the problem and solved it in my head, before ag. Was it because of my female hormones? No way, Lucy was eveer at this than I ever was.

  Success rate? Only one itempts, truly pathetie positive thing was that I stopped to fail pletely, after only two hours . I remembered the sweet fragrance of the bar and checked the clock again. Sorry Lucas, not tonight, I guess.

  Later, when I ushing the mana into the ruhe borders of the rune glowed with a weak ray of light. It ected the rune to the glove, tering on the Essence. Huh, maybe this could be some kind of key? I dusted the pces of e with two more yers of dust and pushed all the mana in, but at a slower pace.

  [You ented the Sturdy Gloves. Rating: 49%]It worked! I threw the gloves to the pleted pile and tinued with enting. Every time I dusted the shining p equipment, it was an instant success! Yes, I learhe secret about Enting!

  Pumping my fist in celebration, I quickly ented them all, surpassing my own expectations, so I could present them to Lisa. I sent a message to her and y on the ground, exhausted.

  “You called, sweetheart?” Lisa ran back the moment I sent her my message. Why else I would call you, you rich girl? I wao say. After I nodded, she rummaged through the pleted things. Cheg the stuff, her eyes sparkled, and her grin revealed her beautiful teeth. My face betrayed me as my cheeks turned a deep shade of red, and I couldn't help but look away from the person in front of me.

  This time it was because her grin affected me on a deep level and I felt it boiling in my belly. John, are you falling for her? Wake up, you are a girl!

  Only after she examihe pile of equipment, she pulled me into a hug and jumped around, like she did not that long ago. This time, however, I grinned and jumped with her, because the childish mood was tagious. Wonderful, now I am like the noobs who cheer when they kill a wolf.

  “You helped me a lot, I needed money,” I clutched to her and tried not to fall during all that happy hopping around. That was the reason I pced my head on her chest. I swear.

  Sadly, our happy jump didn’t st long because she pulled out a scroll. “O favor, Ice Princess! Please. If you ent a staff for me, this rune is yours! But you o promise me you won’t ent anything for Dmitry!”

  [Rune of Fire]Quality: 3-rareEffect:Boost fire damageIngredients:5x Enting powder, 2x Essence of Fire, 1x Fire GemRequirements:1-beginner EntingPriiss Lisa, I am not sure…” I spoke with difficulty, my gaze fixed to the ground. “I don’t want to damage your item.” Lisa squeezed my shoulder as if she wao break me and patted on my head. A warmth spread all over my body and I almost grinned like crazy.

  “Princess! You are so cute! Try it, and if you fail, you fail. That is okay, I still like you! I have a tip - don’t ihe item before you ent it; let it be a surprise!” Her encement made me more rexed, and I even smiled at her. Hey, past John, would you ever guess a noob was going to ence you?

  She was right. I might feel less nervous when enting anonymous things. She wouldn’t wao ent anything precious, would she? Right. For sure.

  The Rune of Fire was bad hough; the system cheated! It said “Rune” but in fact, it was two runes ected. The first was the same as basitment, but the sed one was strahe arra of the three octagons ihe ruurned out to be random, as if a child had drawn it and ected it without a pn.

  To add more difficulty, the staff was more fancy than usual, made from a dark red wood, with a tip fitted with a bright red crystal. Cheap one. For sure, just a stick. Just a stick. I tried to calm my hear.

  Lisa sat on the ground and happily sorted through all the ented equipment, singing a song to herself, as I tried to engrave the ruo my brain.

  I calmed myself with a deep breath and dusted the staff evenly with four powders. As I was searg for the best pt of runes, I reached the bottom of the staff where it would look cool, so I pced the essehere. I deliberated for a while where to put the gem; I settled for the two third of staff, perfect pce - If I succeeded.

  Thankfully, the faint outlines of runes appeared, and I guided my shuddering hands through all the intricacies. No! Focus, John! Lisa was so kind to you!

  So, I even slowed down a almost intangible tugging at my mind, where the mana ushing against me. The force wao blow out, and I tried to hold it. There wasn’t a simir feeling like that in the real world-ssh-simution, but my toilet practices, where I hold it for so long, came handy now. As the ray of light shone oaff, I hurriedly brushed the tours with the final dusting of powder.

  [You ented the Fire Staff. Rating: 61%]The runes enveloped the bottom of the staff and glowed with a bright red light; the gem ged color to match the enormous crystal at the top and it even engraved my snowfke right onto the gem! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the thing I had only thought of was now in front of me.

  [Fme Staff]Quality: 5-epicATK:4-5Durability:105/105Effect:+7 INT, +3 damage to fme spellsEnting:+4 damage to fme spellsRestri:Level 7, mage ‘fire’ type cssStaff used by Exed, the Fire Tamer subordinate. Ented by ‘Ice Princess’.I dropped to the floor, paralyzed in fear.

  This… this was one of the best drops from the first boss of the Scorg Dungeon. She trusted me with an Epigeon loot? I couldn’t even speak and just bnkly stared at the staff. Lisa eically picked it up, and her eyes glistered when she examihe stats.

  “Princess, you are amazing! The staff is so pretty!” she screamed and maniacally ughed. “Wahaha! I am the Fire Goddess! Everything belongs to me now! Eat that, Dmitry!” She sshed at an imaginary enemy in the air, where it left fire sparks in her path, and danced with the staff clutched to her chest. I had never danced before, but her fident steps looked professional. Since she was wealthy, did she take dance lessons? But why was she dang with the staff?

  The friendly atmosphere enced me to speak a little more. “I am happy for you. I ask for equipment? Level five Priest.”

  “Yes! Tell Peter he is door. No, I’ll tell him. Excuse me, I o test it. Talk to you ter!” I received a kiss on my cheek, and she ran so fast she tumbled around the door. What the… hell? Isn’t she a heartless bito, the rumors were false for sure.

  Warily, I followed ieps, and as I ehe room, the sight of a lone elf greeted me. With speed, I rushed towards him. The nervosity bound my to again, so I could only stare at him and tried to smile.

  “Oh, yes, lorious leader bbbered something about Priest equipment for you before she ran off, gods know where.” I nodded like that was the most normal thing in the world.

  After his anh, we walked to another room, which looked more like a ste room, but without furniture; they ly sorted hundred of items on the ground. So much work, damn. I accepted whatever he handed me and then ran without saying goodbye. Yup, I was the real Ice Princess.

  [Robe]Quality: 1-onDEF:2Effect:+4 INT[Staff]Quality: 1-onATK:2-3Effect:+1 INT[Silk Gloves]Quality: 1-o:+1 INT[Wreath Tiara]Quality: 1-o:+1 INT