Feeling the familiar sensation of complete silence and darkness surrounding him, Alex is not particularly annoyed or surprised by the process.
The only thing he's feeling is deep relief and satisfaction. Using the silence and darkness, he collects his thoughts.
I did it! Even though I fucked up majorly by getting caught by Netero and the Zodiacs because of those damn white-robed nutcases, in the end, I still got an S+. I mean, no wonder, after all the shit I went through. All in all, it couldn't have gone better! I obtained so many useful items and resources, I resolved my conflict with the Seekers, and I even managed to obtain another mission item... a Gold one at that!
The Chimera Ant arc... should I accept it, I'd better brace myself... the King is an enemy who's virtually invincible inside that world. While I did compete with the elite this world has to offer... Illumi, Hisoka, Silva, and Zeno, I still can't touch the absolute peak, the likes of Netero... meaning that, including the Royal Guards, at least five people are way above me.
The arc has a favourable level requirement, so if I accept this task, I've got a bunch of missions to prepare for. I have a feeling the mission would be incredibly short, dangerous, but very worthwhile. I can think about it later.
Aside from that... Menchi and Benezia are both at Deep Purple... in rarity and even Weapon/Armor Rank, they are maxed out! That's one thing off my mind.
More importantly... Jewel's reaching her limit... if she doesn't evolve soon, she'll end up kissing her Princess days goodbye and end up like her big Mama. I'd better help her so that it won't come true. She's already gotten a little chunkier.
I also managed to get my second Black Quality item... I wonder what I should do with it... I'll probably use it myself... I want to find out what it will change. Selling it would just be stupid. This would bring disaster on me as well and make me a target. I'll just use it.
Before Alex can fully gather his thoughts, he's already back in his player room, the familiar space causing a strong sense of nostalgia, but also a slight feeling of unfamiliarity.
Immediately, Alex notices that the room has grown a tiny bit again.
The damn room keeps growing, but all it does is make it look emptier and force me to take a few extra steps. Worthless....
[Welcome back, Host. This System is not even surprised anymore. Host has once again exceeded expectations and has returned with another spark of Divinity and highly valuable spoils.]
"Thanks, 1337!" Alex says with a grin. "All luck, no skill!"
Immediately afterwards, Alex sees Menchi, Benezia, and Jewel appear in the room.
❤️ Princess Jewel is back! She can't wait to level up her toxicity by playing a lot of Dota 2, League of Legends, and Call of Duty!
Afterwards, she'll go out and visit a few game stores and rob Pokémon card scalpers and plant some packs on others to cause conflict, further increasing her toxic affinity.
"That sounds... quite toxic, alright..." Alex says, his face twitching. "Don't overdo it."
"Little one... did you gain weight?" Benezia asks, staring at Jewel, causing her to jump twice in the air in anger before crawling towards Alex and lying flat on his head, most of her eyes closed.
Princess Jewel doesn't want to become fat....
Maybe I should keep it to myself that the chunky spider on my head is getting really heavy.
Meanwhile, Menchi smiles at the group, her expression complicated.
She spent a lot of time on her phone... maybe she texted and talked with her Master. At least she managed to do that... that's something, I guess?
[Host, this System notices that Host has sustained a severe amount of damage during this mission. While there are no missing limbs, the internal and external injuries the host has sustained are threatening. Also, blood flow is partially disrupted, a result of multiple deep cuts. This system recommends immediately addressing these issues to allow the Host's body to recover as soon as possible. Does Host want to spend 30,000 FC for a full recovery?]
"30,000, huh? I guess I received a lot of damage from that creep, Hisoka," Alex complains. "Fine... I'll go to sleep then..." He then looks at the others. "You should go home before me?"
"We'll see you soon," Menchi says, giving him a peck, while Jewel rubs her body against his head before jumping onto Menchi's back, causing her to visibly slump forward, causing Jewel's eyes to tremble in frustration.
"..."
"..."
"Come back as soon as possible," Benezia says, following after Menchi, ignoring the comedy show before her.
As soon as his friends leave, Alex feels the familiar sensation as 1337 begins to heal him.
An unknown amount of time later, Alex feels incredible, even better than last time, because his injuries had been quite severe.
When he heads home, the smell of food lingers in the air, and Alex's stomach can't help but rumble.
However, before he focuses on the food, he grabs his smartphone lying on the living room counter, the charger still plugged in.
Alex's eyes perk up as he looks at it and notices that only a single day has passed.
Surprised, he sees Tereza, who immediately hugs him, seemingly in a good mood. "Wow, you did it so quickly. That was quite impressive. Jewel already told me most things, and you once again were so close to the razor's edge."
Just a few minutes later, Menchi quickly finishes heating up some prepared food, and the group sits at the table, eating together.
Despite enjoying the food, Alex feels a little drained. Having worked his ass off and risked his life multiple times, only to then spend hours relaxing in an airship, has noticeably messed with his rhythm.
Still, Alex, aided by Menchi and, of course, Jewel, who seems to be back in a good mood, narrates the events.
Meanwhile, Jewel eats more and more food, as Menchi has prepared multiple chicken dishes just for her.
Princess Jewel wants more chicken ❤️
"Are you sure, Jewel?" Menchi asks, staring at her with apologetic eyes.
Yes, Princess Jewel feels incredibly hungry for some reason.
"Uhm... maybe a diet is a good idea..." Menchi says, causing Jewel to finally realize what she's saying.
Princess Jewel never realized what a dangerous position she's in... how awful. She doesn't want to do this any longer. She wants to eat as much chicken as she wants!
"Maybe..." Alex begins to say. "We need to speed things up this time and not wait the full thirty days. Or am I wrong? The evolution might not work if Jewel grows more and more. The Queen warned her."
"It's quite a lot of potential income we'd lose," Benezia states. "Glimmerwhisk warned us not to linger and buy additional time without telling us the specific reasons, but doing the opposite will mean a serious disadvantage and loss. Together with Menchi, I am capable of earning a significant income, at least a couple thousand FC every single day."
"True..." Alex nods, agreeing. "But I am more worried about Jewel."
"In that case, we should inquire whether it's possible to repair her crown. It doesn't need to last long, and even if it costs 20,000 FC, it's still a worthwhile investment that we'll easily recoup." Benezia suggests, her expression calm.
"True again," Alex says, smiling. "You are quite smart!"
"I am pleased that you have noticed... after all this time," Benezia replies, staring at him.
"Anyway," Alex says, changing the topic. "What did you do the entire time, Benezia? I am grateful you got us that job, so we could infiltrate the team of assassins. Thank you for that. Also, thanks for hiring Biscuit to heal me... if you hadn't, things might have gone way worse."
Looking at her, he can't help but smile softly.
She really is like a mother... she's more caring than you'd assume.
"I traded," Benezia simply states. "I kept trading to earn money, and on the last day, I converted it into four small Soul Crystals and exactly 60 White Quality items. I had to buy White Quality items because they were simply the most cost-effective, taking into account the conversion rate of Fantasy Shards. On the other hand, I sadly had to sell both the [Golden Saber] and the [Luxurious Traditional Shamshir] to get some starting funds to work with. Still, I believe it was a good investment. It's not as much as I'd liked, but it's still way more than it cost you to take me with you."
"Indeed..." Alex notes. "Great job, thank you so much!"
Immediately afterwards, Benezia trades the Soul Crystals and items to Alex.
You received Soul Crystal (Small) x2
You received Designer Leather Jacket
...
You received Sharp Yorbian Knife
So much crap....
"I'm going on a mission in a few days as well," Tereza says, looking awkward. "Once again, I was invited by Kira. Apparently, he foresaw that he would need someone with the ability to fly and thus more or less bribed me to join him."
Huh?
"He bribed you?" Alex asks. "With what?"
"Ten million bucks and a guaranteed amount of FC... exactly 1,1 million. In case my loot is below that, he'll make up the difference. He even promised me a flat 100,000 FC regardless of what happens. He also indicated that our mission will be successful... and even though I don't trust him... he hasn't been outright wrong yet. I don't fully believe his magic, fortune-teller act, but these terms are not bad, and I'd rather go with someone familiar... and despite his arrogance and overall murderous vibe, I don't see why I should refuse."
"Well... I mean... that sounds pretty good?" Alex says, looking for the right words.
"Almost too good," Benezia states. "But a player of your level should aim for that amount of FC. I believe it's a reasonable proposal. Do your best. If you decide to be a little bit selfish, prioritize Mission Rating over spoils, since you'll be guaranteed to receive the promised amount anyway."
Tereza, upon hearing Benezia's devilish idea, perks up visibly. "Nice idea!" she yells, a smile forming on her mouth. "That's so smart... and so are you!"
"I'm pleased that you also noticed..." Benezia replies quietly, her face remaining calm, but her left eyebrow showing a faint amount of movement.
"..."
"So what's the plan, Alex?" Menchi asks him. "Benezia and I are fully decked out now, so you can focus on yourself."
"A couple of things," Alex explains. "For one, I need to use my stat points and shard my trash items. Then, with my increased LUK, I still have a Chest to open. I'm willing to use a [Blood Essence] for that Chest as well; it seems worth it. I also have [Killua's Harvest], which is similar to a Chest."
Alex continues, mentioning everything he needs to deal with.
"Then, as we discussed, I need to try to repair Jewel's crown. That has high priority."
"I also need to talk to Glimmerwhisk... I fear because I dodged that bullet last time, I can't avoid it this time."
"What a shame, huh?" Tereza asks, giggling.
"Yeah... but maybe she can help with the crown as well?" Alex suggests, looking torn.
"And what else?" Menchi asks. "Is there still more to do?"
"Yes!" Alex says enthusiastically. "My next big project..."
---------------------------------------------------
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