In the end, after Eileen argued her case, I reluctantly gave up on the idea of hammering rebar into my arm.

“Ah... It really should’ve been a pretty good idea...”

I put my arm back on and gave it a test swing.

“Eileen, can you think of any good ideas?”

“Hmm...”

The girl sat on the bed, swinging her legs. The ahoge on her head bounced around like it was doing Brownian motion as she pondered.

“How about putting some superglue on the joints?”

“But then how would I take it off...? I can remove the rebar, but I can’t get glue off...”

I tugged at my jawbone and imagined my arm stuck in place with glue.

“Ahaha... Then...”

“Actually, there’s another really serious problem...”

“Hmm?”

I rested my hands on the table in an arch, hiding my jaw behind them. An odd light shone in my eyes, and I looked deadly serious.

Seeing me like that, Eileen sat up straight too. She swallowed, her expression grave.

“W-what problem is that?”

“Actually... when I spin...”

“Mm-hmm.”

Remembering that torturous experiment gave me a headache.

“My head...”

“spins along with the rest of me...”

“...”

Eileen looked utterly dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

As for me, I had mixed feelings.

The two of us fell silent.

An awkward atmosphere spread between us, as if it had frozen the air.

A long moment passed.

“Aaaah!! I’m done with this!”

I gave up on everything and grabbed my head, about to slam it against the table.

“It’s only a hundred-meter climb! I’ll just do it!!”

“So what if I’m afraid of heights?! I’m a skeleton anyway—I can’t die from a fall!!”

“Aaaaaah, I should’ve known better than to accept this quest!!”

Eileen blinked.

“If this quest is that difficult...”

She hesitated, then spoke in a small voice.

“Couldn’t we just give up...?”

“The cancellation fee’s twenty-five percent. We don’t have the money...”

“...”

That’s right. We hadn’t even registered as adventurers yet, but for some reason this counted as an official Iron-rank quest. The receptionist had made it very clear that we’d have to pay a cancellation fee if we gave up.

A whole two gold coins...

And after that, I could forget about getting any good discounts or quests from my old man...

“Man... We’ve got it rough...”

That was when I realized...

Fighting was actually the easiest part...

You could just kill someone and get paid. How easy was that...?

“...”

Silence fell again.

【System request in progress...】

[Hm?]

Paper-chan’s voice suddenly rang out in my mind.

【Request successful】

【Importing... Import successful】

【Ding-dong】

I jumped. A huge amount of data appeared in my field of vision, leaving me a little dazed.

[This is...]

【Helicopter swashplate structure and data】

[Swashplate...]

I spent two seconds trying to remember.

[What’s that?]

【...】

【In short, if you can modify your body structure to match this, it’ll solve the problem of your head spinning along with your body, greatly improve your stability, and increase your maneuverability.】

I suddenly got excited and sat bolt upright.

[It’s that powerful?!]

【Yes, but the core problem still hasn’t been solved.】

[...]

The core problem...

My arms...

They weren’t sturdy enough...

“Aish...”

I slumped back into my chair, looking like a dead fish.

“But...”

Eileen spoke up.

“Mr. Ojer, has your Bone Blade skill always stayed the same?”

It took me a second to react.

“Yeah, it hasn’t changed. Why?”

She thought for a moment.

“Normally, the stronger someone is, the more powerful even their lowest-level skills become.”

“You mean...?”

“Are you sure your Bone Blade can only extend as far as your forearm?”

“I...”

【It can be upgraded.】

Paper-chan spoke up.

【This system has never done much research into such a low-level skill, so it has been overlooked until now.】

【In theory, having acquired [Bone Synthesis] and [Bone Regeneration], along with a certain number of energy points, this system can calculate the maximum level the skill can currently be upgraded to.】

【Calculating...】

I waited a little while. When Eileen saw I wasn’t saying anything, she flopped onto the bed and hugged a pillow as she waited for me, her ahoge drawing little circles in the air.

【Calculation complete】

[Oh! Oh!]

【Please select an upgrade path.】

I froze for a moment. Then three icons appeared in my field of vision.

【Upgrade Path ①: Increased Length】

【After analyzing two skills, this system can now turn your entire arm into a greatsword.】

【Once your level and energy points are high enough, you could even make a 40-meter greatsword—as long as you have enough bone.】

[Holy crap, it’s that powerful?!]

【This system recommends choosing this path first. It can solve your current problem.】

【Upgrade requirement: 110 energy points】

I nodded and thought it over.

[What about the others? Let me look at them all first.]

【Upgrade Path ②: Structural Modification】

【After analyzing two skills, this system can now raise your body’s toughness to the next level.】

【Your bones will become hollow in exchange for a denser body structure, allowing you to withstand stronger attacks.】

【In the future, once your level and energy points are high enough, you may even be able to take a nuke to the face.】

[Holy crap! That’s insane!]

【Upgrade requirement: 230 energy points】

I looked at Paper-chan’s energy limit and remaining energy points in the upper-right corner, and froze.

[Never mind... I’ll pass on this one for now... I don’t have that much energy...]

【Upgrade Path ③: Attribute Enhancement】

[Hm?]

Attribute enhancement?

That was pretty vague.

[What does that even mean?]

【It can improve all of your body’s stats.】

【Including strength, resilience, weight, shape, size, and various other attributes.】

【This is a plant-growth-type skill.】

【However, due to insufficient energy points and level, you won’t see any noticeable effects in the short term.】

After hearing the explanation, I rubbed my jawbone.

This skill sounded like it could do anything, but in practice it seemed more like “+10% to all stats.”

And there wouldn’t be any results in the short term...

Still...

[By plant growth, do you mean...?]

【It can enhance itself.】

【You don’t need to keep investing energy points or magic power. This skill will automatically compensate for and strengthen your body based on its current condition.】

【And in the later stages, it may even...】

【Bloom.】

I sprayed salt soda out of my mouth!!

[What the heck?!]

【Ah, this system’s description was inaccurate.】

【What I mean is, although it won’t be as effective as the other two in the short term, once it reaches a certain level, the improvement to your stats will be quite noticeable.】

【It’s like a plant blooming into a beautiful flower after growing to a certain point.】

[Oh...]

So basically, it was an investment-type skill...

[Then what’s the energy cost?]

【500 energy points】

[Rejected.]

What a rip-off!!

500?!! Paper-chan’s total energy capacity is only a little over 300 right now!!

[Forget it... I’ll learn the first one for now and deal with the flight power problem first...]

【Understood.】

【Exporting Bone Blade... Engraving into mind...】

【Engraving complete... Full upgrade...】

【Upgrade complete... Importing Bone Blade...】

【Import complete. Original skill replaced.】

【Ding-dong】

【You have learned: [Bone Blade — Extended Length Version]】

“Hmm...”

I have to say, it’s a pretty strange feeling to have something disappear from your mind and something else appear in its place...

“Mr. Ojer?”

Eileen’s call pulled my attention away from Paper-chan.

“What is it, Eileen?”

“It’s nothing...”

She lay on her stomach on the bed, kicking her bare feet in the air. Her chin rested on her arms, and her silver hair fell over her shoulders. With three parts innocence and seven parts carefree charm, her cheeks puffed out a little. She seemed a bit unhappy.

“Mr. Ojer, you’re always like this...”

I froze.

Oh no!!

That was the classic opening line girls used when they were upset and about to make a scene!!

I hurriedly picked up the conversation and apologized, feeling rather embarrassed.

“Sorry, Eileen... I was just... uh... meditating.”

She blinked.

“Meditating?”

“That’s right. To be honest, I’ve told you before that there’s a tremendous power inside me, haven’t I?”

“Mm...”

“And this power might be the Life-and-Death Spirit’s innate spell! Or a natural skill! Like the starter pack you get in a game!”

Eileen looked completely lost, but I kept talking to myself.

“Sometimes, I feel an urge I can’t suppress, as if I have no choice but to do it.”

“So... you fell into a meditation?”

“That’s right. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose, so don’t be mad, okay?”

Eileen nodded, pouting as she rolled around on the bed with her pillow.

“So what was the result of your meditation?”

I chuckled and pushed my chair back.

“Then let me show you! My extended Bone Blade!”

“Hah!”

As soon as I said it, the mental imprint left in my mind activated on its own. My entire right hand, including the hand bones, forearm, and upper arm, quickly fused together and became a greatsword!

It was thicker!

Longer!

And sharp as hell!!

It even gleamed!!

“Wow...”

Eileen stared in amazement and clapped.

“That’s amazing! You can upgrade a skill this much just by meditating?!”

I nodded.

But soon, I shook my head.

“Well... I can change a skill’s strength to some extent, but what I can do right now is still pretty limited.”

“Once I get stronger, these skills will become much more than they are now.”

“Well, anyway! We’ve solved the problem of my arm flying off! The clavicle at the shoulder is super reliable, so tomorrow we can get back to chopping flowers!!”

I finished saying it excitedly, but Eileen shuddered.

I blinked.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing... It’s just...”

“Just...?”

“I got a sudden chill. It gave me goosebumps...”

“....”

[Tomorrow]

A cold voice rang out.

[Have her stand a hundred meters away.]

[O-okay...]