Morning Breeze Town sat on the kingdom’s border, near the Misty Forest—a typical supply town for adventurers.
The air here was always mixed with the smells of ale and leather.
Lu Xin took the slime crystal core he’d risked his life for and traded it at the town’s general store for five copper coins.
It was pitifully little, but enough to buy a few black breads and rent the rundown small wooden cabin on the edge of town for shelter.
Lu Xin had heard rumors that the cabin was haunted, though it turned out to just be rats scurrying around at night.
He ate a few black breads, filling his stomach for now, but his sense of crisis didn’t ease.
The remaining black breads would only last a few days. He had to gain another ability as soon as possible.
But definitely not some “breeze manipulation”—something that would let him hunt stronger monsters or find a real job.
After gathering more scattered info around town, he set his sights on a monster even more harmless than a slime: the fluffball monster.
According to the townsfolk, this thing was just a ball of fluff—no threat at all, aside from rolling around and getting in the way.
If there was any real danger, it was that its hair easily tangled and it rolled on the ground all day, potentially dirtying your clothes.
But this kind of opponent suited Lu Xin’s standards perfectly.
He crouched in the grass outside town for half a day until he finally spotted one.
The fluffball monster, furry like a giant dandelion seed, was rolling across the meadow. Sunlight shone on its brown fur, making it look adorable.
“Sorry, little cutie,” Lu Xin muttered under his breath. He picked up a stone and tossed it ahead of the monster.
The stone’s clatter caught its attention. It paused, then changed direction and rolled toward it.
Now was the time. Lu Xin stepped out from the grass and stomped down on the monster.
“Pwoosh~”
A slightly aggrieved cry sounded as the monster twitched beneath his foot and went still. Soft strands of fur detached from its body and drifted away in the wind.
Then, a surge of heat coursed through Lu Xin’s body again.
[Killed low-tier monster: Fluffball Monster. Beginning random extraction of its inherent abilities…]
Lu Xin tensed up, hoping for an attack skill—or even a fur defense would do.
[Extraction complete. Obtained ability: Hair Grooming (Beginner)]
At the name of the skill, Lu Xin’s legs went weak. He nearly stumbled and died on the spot.
Helplessly, he touched his hair. After hiding in the grass, his black locks were messy and dotted with bits of straw.
He focused, activating [Hair Grooming] on his own head.
Despite his frustration with the ability, like anyone in a game getting a new skill or item, he couldn’t resist trying it out. Lu Xin was no exception.
A peculiar tingle ran across his scalp, like a relaxing massage.
Then, he walked to a nearby puddle and checked his reflection.
His formerly messy strands were now impossibly smooth, all the grass and dust gone. Even his hairstyle had shifted to a side part.
The voluminous hair, paired with his face—now younger from the transmigration—looked pretty handsome.
“What good is being handsome?!” Lu Xin punched the unfortunate tree beside him, but the tree didn’t budge, and his hand turned red instead.
“I need combat and defense skills, not to become some Tony Teacher.”
Frustrated, he picked up the fluffball monster’s even less valuable crystal core from the ground, his mood sour.
At this point, he was sure his cheat ability was messed up—probably only producing life-support skills.
…………
Still, life was like being railroaded. Since you can’t resist, you might as well try to enjoy it.
Lu Xin began experimenting with these useless skills to improve his daily life.
He used [Liquid Manipulation] and [Precise Temperature Control] to accurately measure water when boiling soup. Though he couldn’t create water out of thin air, he could keep the broth heating evenly and prevent it from burning.
As for [Hair Grooming], besides maintaining his dashing hairstyle, Lu Xin hadn’t found another use yet.
Still, he managed to settle down in Morning Breeze Town. He grabbed a broom to start cleaning out the dust, at least making the place livable.
Just then, a crisp, pleasant female voice came from the door: “Hey, need a hand?”
Lu Xin turned around. A girl with amber eyes stood at the entrance, her long red hair tied in a ponytail. Dressed in simple cloth clothes, she couldn’t hide her striking figure.
She was Ailya, who lived next door—a dancer who claimed to be passing through.
Lu Xin had seen her when he first arrived in Morning Breeze Town; that dazzling red hair was hard to miss.
“No need. This dump will be clean in a bit,” Lu Xin replied, wiping the dust off his face.
Ailya stepped inside, casually scanned the room, and her eyes landed on his face. She blinked. “Your hairstyle’s pretty cool. Better than Old John’s work in town.”
Lu Xin was stunned. Mentioning his hairstyle brought back the memory of drawing [Hair Grooming], and his mood grew complicated.
Seeing his odd expression, Ailya thought he was embarrassed. She grabbed another broom from the corner and dropped the topic.
“I’ll sweep with you. No need to be formal—we’re neighbors.”
Her movements had a dancer’s natural rhythm, graceful even while sweeping.
But Lu Xin couldn’t help but complain: why would a tiny, rundown cabin have two brooms?
During the break, sweat beaded on Ailya’s forehead. She casually wiped it off without a care.
Watching the strands stuck to her forehead from the sweat, Lu Xin inexplicably asked, “Hey… want me to groom your hair too?”
Ailya paused, then laughed heartily. “Sure, if you don’t mind.”
He stepped in front of her, focused, and activated [Hair Grooming] on Ailya’s hair.
An invisible force smoothed her red locks. The sweat-dampened strands became dry and fluffy, every messy hair perfectly in place.
Feeling the magic on her head, Ailya walked to the window and touched her hair in surprise.
“Wow, what kind of magic is this? It’s better than when I do it myself. Even my scalp feels so relaxed.” Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Lu Xin. She hadn’t expected this newcomer to have such a trick.
If he became a barber, Old John would probably lose his job.
Seeing the girl’s delighted smile, a little of the gloom over his useless skills lifted in Lu Xin’s heart.
Maybe these skills weren’t entirely worthless after all.
From that day on, Ailya often dropped by to show off her dance moves, and Lu Xin would casually tidy her hair when it got messy after practice.
Though the red-haired dancer brought a bit more life to the cabin, the pressure to survive still lingered.
Lu Xin needed to find a way to earn money or gain a combat-ready ability.