Azrie

Sorry the chapter ended up like this, also tables are a pain to format. The texts are supposed to line up and yet they don't... Sigh... I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

I entered my room and sighed, I had no idea anymore. Did I throw myself into a dumpster fire without knowing it? I mean… I… I didn’t mean to take a nominated request. I didn’t even mean to get a discount! How did it end up happening?! Also, that's... I have other things to worry about. 

“Brace yourself, his requests are on the extreme side of the spectrum… Hah? What’s that supposed to mean? Am I going to need to kill someone or something? I don’t even want to think about it…” 

Grrr…

My stomach protested at me after a full day’s work? I mean, it was more like a tour if anything and it somehow escalated badly. Meeting a beastkin… getting into a fight with it… Hah… That’s quite chaotic if you look at it that way, but… I am happy. 

I wasn’t alone… It finally dawned on me. I am sorry Rin… I wish I could’ve reacted better, thought about it faster… but surprises are rare for me, I simply don’t know how to react… Just like that day… Sometimes you are not supposed to answer… Was it? 

I felt a faint smile grow on my lips. But I decided not to mind it as I looked at my desk, I had to get things together. And it was better to do so while in a good mood instead of thinking about things, although I was quite confused. 

“A chair?” There was a chair in front of the desk now. How considerate! Sarcasm aside I was thankful to finally have one. 

I sat on the creaking chair, the wood on it was seriously old. But it was better than nothing, it was actually quite relaxing, my legs felt oddly sore, but nothing too much. Finally being able to sit down after moving around all day, it was a bliss I hadn't experienced yet, it was nice. I relaxed for a few minutes, it was great to finally have a pause in this chaotic day. Getting threatened by the master, having a vendor insist on me buying a sword with his stone…

Right… I got an inspection stone now, right? At least it looked like the same type of stone. 

I fondled around with my cloak’s heavy pockets until I finally managed to take out the rocks and the small vial the collector had given me. Luckily it wasn’t broken, considering I made the mistake to throw rocks on top of it. It was seriously careless of me. With a more careful mentality, I set the vial aside to avoid the possibility of me knocking it down from the table. 

I was curious though… If everything has a stat value, then… What about my ring and knife? 

[Stiletto pin dagger ⁠— Made by one of the finest craftsmen in the region of death. ⁠— 100% to penetration type damage. ⁠— Remarkable. 

“I hope that this is a reliable companion; make your opponents dress this pin with honor and respect! They will bow before the empire...” ⁠— Grert the Bonesmith to Zaktan the 10th commander.] 

“What…” What was with the long description?! What happened with the one-liners? What empire? That’s not even the right thing to ask… Why is there a quote in my dagger?! I had the strange familiar feeling that I had seen the quotes before, and yet somehow ignored all of them. 

“No, this doesn’t make sense. If it’s quoting something, it must mean it’s important. I can’t have a pivotal part of history simply by dumb luck!” I moved the rock aside, it was nothing but blasphemy. 

Clank…

The small tablet had collided with my expensive tablet. The last thing I wanted was to break it if two materials of the same strength met both of them would break! It was the reason my phone got smashed that one time! Eh…

The EXR tablet was writing something as soon as it came into contact with the small inspection tablet. I picked it up with confusion.

This tablet is broken as well! Is what I wanted to say. Instead I…

“How does this even happen…” I dropped on the desk. I mean, it was a good thing to have something like a great weapon, but… I couldn’t help but question how could I get so lucky, why were things so weird? There were too many questions to ask and not enough answers to receive...

“But if the EXR tablet displays anything then…” I had to know, what was I? I pressed my finger with determination on the sharp nib, as usual my black blood came out, and… it was absorbed by the tablet? It was a clean slate. 

It started writing on itself, its clean surface engraved by its own power, it was kind of magical. This time the board did not have separation lines to make things all tidy. 

Can’t you give me an actual number if you are going to tell me the lifespan of my species?! 

Ding! Ah there it is...

[Ultimate Lifeform ⁠— You have lived hundreds of minutes more than the entirety of your species, for you know the secrets to life. ⁠+20 to all stats! ⁠— First; Ultimate]

Did you just?! Also...

+20?! That’s like… more than what I get for almost dying!

“Good job system!” I would pat it if I could, generosity pays off, but... another first? Huh… I wanted to be happy because I was rewarded for staying alive… but getting it in such a way was kind of lame… Sigh… I guess, I just have to continue reading. It’s already telling me more than what I had hoped. I will get a well-deserved first someday...

Also… path to dungeon ⁠— error? Does that mean I have no hopes of becoming a strong independent core? I wanted to be upset, but I couldn’t… After a shrug, I decided to continue reading. 

“...” I sat in silence as I finished reading. The first thing I did was wipe my teary eyes. That was a straining read. So much information to digest at once. First of all, what do you mean by the fact that I unlocked so many stats?! Rin did mention something like that... but, still...

Also, what’s with the lifespan bs?! I wanted to know more specifics and fewer reasons. What did error margin correction actually do? What were my titles?! If Unique titles often came with advice from the ancients, and I had 7 of them… How did I miss the so-called advice?! 

Sigh… I guess that was that? But… 

140?! THAT’S… AMAZING! 

I couldn’t help but feel my heart pumping from excitement, was I finally getting strong?! Although the fact that the board went out of its way to mention that bonuses are not reliable, scares me. What kind of ‘what if’ conditions does it need? I mean, if I knew how to unleash my secret power wouldn’t I be cooler?! I had to get a title breakdown but...

I held the board in my vision, the letters were already fading away. 

“Find a better board, huh?” That sentence made me depressed, why did it have to be like that. It was depressing to think that I was going to spend all of my money on a board that wouldn’t tell me everything I needed to know… It was still depressing to think I needed another board to know my titles specifically... At least the board is not as big as the first one I saw... 

I sighed as I recalled my first interaction with such a board. It was unfun lightly put.

Thankfully my board wasn’t that big, seeing it was only the size of a modern tablet it was not that bad. The small one was akin to a credit card, maybe a bit larger. Although, why was the big one so thick? Seriously, it was thicker than my thumb… And the small one wasn't that much better either, being about the thickness of my thumb. Wouldn't having so many tablets get annoying after a while? 

“Well… it doesn’t matt⁠— Grr…” Right… I had to eat…

I moved everything from the table aside. I had to do my usual unboxing of “what’s in the box?” routines were good, I was liking this one so far. This time there were some vials and the usual thing wrapped in paper, but why were there more vials. Didn’t I have some already? I mean, I had to drink them... These ones carried slightly different colored water, it was similar but not as opaque. Well, I had to get one of the old ones for comparison. 

“Eh…” The box I left on the table with the vials was gone. “Did he take it?” I mean… the box held nothing of value but the vials, but that wasn't the issue... W- “Will he take away my possessions if he doesn’t think I should have them?” I suddenly felt tense about my new-found treasure, about my other possessions as well. 

I always kept the dagger with me, so I guess it wasn’t much of an issue. Besides, he did say it was mine, but… What about the boards? Would he shatter them like the last one? I couldn’t let my hard-earned possessions get broken like that! 

I spent the following minutes eating my bread and finding a hiding spot, although no matter where else I looked it always ended in the same place... Somehow or in some way, it ended...

“Below the mattress…” Why did I always hide things there?! “Well, not like he will know…” 

Reassuring myself the originality of my hiding spot I went to sleep.

Azrie

Have you read the February 14 Special yet? I worked really hard on it and would want anyone to read it! 

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