"Useless, unwanted skills. Skills that are nothing but a hindrance and harmful. Skills that seem meaningless—we collect them for free, or even buy them. Any skill is welcome. Please feel free to approach me."

In a newly arrived town, I walk around energetically, raising my voice.

Unlike my hometown village, this place is lively, so I might expect some decent acquisitions.

"Excuse me, young man. What do you mean by collecting or buying skills?"

A lady who seemed interested called out to me.

She’s a bit plump, but her face is very charming. She looks like someone easy to talk to.

Others are also watching from a distance, listening in. They must be interested but found me suspicious, so they didn't say anything.

To appeal to the people around us as well, I should probably raise my voice a little more.

Alright, let’s adjust using Articulation at Level 10 and Vocal Volume at Level 8.

"Yes, just as I said—I’m here to collect and buy skills."

"But I don’t really get it. I’ve never heard of anyone collecting someone else’s skills."

"That’s understandable. I possess an 'Unique Skill' called Purchase. At first, I had no idea what it meant, but it turns out… it’s a skill that allows me to buy others’ skills and make them my own."

Voices of surprise ripple through the crowd.

Good, as an opener, it’s working well.

"I’ve never heard of such a skill."

"That’s because it’s an 'Unique Skill'. A skill that exists only once in this world—rarer than rare skills. Haven’t you heard of them?"

"Just in rumors…"

Rare skills, occasionally owned by those called heroes or people who’ve achieved great success.

General skills come in all sorts, but they’re not all that rare.

Many people have the same skill. Among adventurers, multiple people possess skills like Swordsmanship, Martial Arts, Stamina, or Super Strength.

But my Unique Skill is the one and only in this world. A skill so rare that nothing else compares.

"As you probably know, everyone born into this world possesses a few special powers—called 'skills'. Usually around two to five, I’d say. Some are convenient, others are useless, and some are downright pointless, right?"

"Well, yes. I have something called Monster Magnet, and because of it, I’ve never stepped outside the town. If I went on a trip, monsters would attack the carriage."

"I completely understand. That’s exactly the kind of skill you’d be better off without… don’t you think? I can buy such unnecessary skills from you."

As I delivered my usual catchphrase, the circle of people grew smaller. Looks like they’re very interested. That’s a good sign.

Skills aren't always a good thing.

Misfortune brings small mishaps.
Loud Voice prevents you from speaking quietly at all.
Aging makes you grow old faster than others.
And then there's the lady’s Monster Magnet.

There are skills that are nothing but a detriment to the user.

Generally, skills are always active and can’t be turned off—

—unless, like me, you have a Control skill.

"How about it? Would you let me buy that troublesome skill from you?"

That one line seems to have shaken her heart. With Psychology at Level 10 activated, I can read subtle movements and gestures that reveal her emotions.

"B-but… if you do buy it, what happens to the skill?"

"Then it becomes my skill."

"Won’t that be a problem for you?"

What a kind-hearted lady, worrying about me.

It must be because she’s suffered so much from her own skill.

"No need to worry. I have skills that let me use or nullify other skills. Once purchased, Monster Magnet will be sealed."

"Oh, really? That’s handy. Then, maybe… could you collect my skill? I know buying it might be too much."

"Thank you very much! Well then, let me check the skill levels using Appraisal."

"Oh my, you even have Appraisal!?"

"Yes. That one’s a skill I bought, actually. It was a pretty expensive purchase, so I survived for a while just drinking rainwater. Hahaha."

I gave a cheerful laugh while lightly tapping the back of my head.

This serves to prove I’ve actually bought skills before and also shows I’m not a shady person.

It also helps prevent people from taking the concept of losing a skill too seriously. Losing something inside yourself is terrifying when you really think about it.

That’s why I always try to make the buying process feel lighthearted, never too serious.

When I focused my consciousness on the top of the lady’s head, red text appeared.

Owned Skills:
Monster Magnet Level 10
Cooking Level 7
Cheerful Level 5

Oh, those are some high levels. Level 5 is considered a very capable skill. And Monster Magnet at Level 10—that’s serious. You’d run into monsters all the time with that.

The other two are pretty good skills. Common, yes, but still very useful. She’d be perfectly suited for work at an inn or restaurant.

"By any chance, do you work at an inn or a restaurant?"

"Oh my, how did you know? You really can see skills. Amazing. I work at the inn just down the road—please stop by if you can."

"I’ll definitely visit later. Oops, sorry, we got off track. Let’s see, since Monster Magnet is a high-level skill, how about one million?"

I looked straight into her eyes and gave her the appraisal result.

Her eyes and mouth opened to their absolute limit. No need for such an exaggerated reaction.

"R-right. A skill this troublesome wouldn’t be free, would it… Of course I’d have to pay that much…"

She slumped her shoulders and sighed deeply.

Ah, she’s misunderstood. That happens a lot in this line of work.

"No, no. I’ll be paying you. I’d like to buy it for one million."

"Ehhhhh!? Even though it’s a skill that only causes people trouble?"

"Yes. Any skill can be useful depending on how it’s used. And if I’m not using it, I can just keep it inactive."

In my hands, this becomes a very valuable skill.

There are rare monsters in this world that are almost never encountered. Cute-looking, nearly harmless monsters that are prized for ornamental purposes. They’re fast and elusive, rarely showing up at all.

This skill can help attract those rare creatures. It can also be used to accompany adventurers on monster hunts or help train rookies in practical combat scenarios. The possibilities are endless.

“I-I’ll sell it! Gladly, I’ll sell it!”

“Thank you for your continued business.”

Alright, deal closed.

This Purchase ability only works if the other person is willing to give up the skill.

So, a negotiation is essential to activate it, and I've gotten pretty good at these purchase talks lately.

“Now then, please extend your hand. I’ll gently take it in mine... but please don’t accuse me of harassment, okay?”

Gotta throw in a classic joke to lighten the mood. I gently wrap my hand around theirs.

“I hereby buy the ‘Monster Magnetor’ skill from this individual for one million. Contract sealed!”

And with that, I deliver the customary line.

Technically, the Purchase still works even without saying anything, but doing it like this helps boost the other person's trust.

The hand I touched begins to emit light, which travels up the arm and flows into my chest.

Yeah, that’s all just for show. It’s a combination of the ‘Luminance’ and ‘Telekinesis’ skills.

‘Luminance’ makes anything I touch glow. I had a coin hidden in my palm and made it glow, then used ‘Telekinesis’ to move it along my sleeve into my chest.

“With this, the ‘Monster Magnetor’ skill is gone from your body. Though, I understand if you don’t believe me—feel free to get it verified at the temple. Now then, please accept your one million.”

“Even if you were tricking me, I have no complaints since I got the money. But I don’t think you’re the kind of person who lies... Really, thank you. Thank you so much.”

Her hand, still linked with mine, tightened its grip. Her eyes were glistening with tears.

I’m doing this for myself, but it’s rewarding when the other party is happy about it.

“Now then, everyone! Do you have any unwanted skills? Even if it’s useful, if you have no way to utilize it, that’s perfectly fine. If you’re short on money and want to sell a good skill, I welcome that too! Pricing is negotiable, but appraisal is free, so don’t hesitate!”

As I loudly advertised to the surrounding crowd, people swarmed toward me all at once.

Apparently, the live demonstration of actually handing over money and buying unwanted skills worked like a charm—more customers than I could handle were gathering.

“I’m sorry, but please form a single line! As long as time permits, I’ll be buying, so don’t worry! For those who observe proper manners, I’ll even throw in a little extra on the price, so I kindly ask for your cooperation!”

Watching the people reluctantly form a line, a smile almost crept onto my lips. But I held back the giddiness.

Alright, time to get serious with the business!