The treasure chest opened, and inside, Klein saw what appeared to be a set of clothes.
On top was a monocle. Klein picked it up for a look. It wasn't the usual European type with just a lens — this one had a violet lens framed by a silver rim, with a silver chain hanging down the left side and a nose clip on the right to keep it in place.
He hesitated to put it on — not because he was worried about Amon (after all, he hadn't "played" against Amon in the Forsaken Land yet, and didn't have Amon-related PTSD).
It was simply because the lens was cracked, and he was afraid it might distort his vision… or worse, drop shards into his eye.
The next second, the lens slowly mended itself, becoming whole again.
"Oh." Klein let out a small exclamation and placed the monocle on his left eye.
A mirror appeared beside him out of nowhere. Klein turned his head, took one look, and smiled.
"Heh, handsome."
The moment he put it on, he felt his strength rise slightly, his mind grow clearer, and, most importantly, the energy he'd just spent quickly recover. He even sensed that his vitality had become stronger.
"Nice," Klein murmured, pushing up his monocle. He wondered if he could bring it out of the dream.
Next, he picked up something that looked like a mechanical exoskeleton for the right hand. It was mostly violet, inlaid with matching gemstones. Only the back of the hand, fingertips, and knuckles were fully covered, with silver strips connecting the joints above the fingers.
There were visible hammer dents on it — yet, just like the monocle, they healed as soon as Klein touched it.
He slipped it onto his right hand — a perfect fit. He could clearly feel an increase in raw strength, and his movements weren't affected at all.
Clenching his fist, violet flames ignited along the exoskeleton — but without heat.
"Whoa." Klein stretched his arm forward, testing it. The flame detached from his hand, forming a flaming right hand that mimicked his gestures and movements."Cool."
Next was a violet jacket, striped with darker vertical lines. A thin chain linked its left pocket to the inner lining, and a hole burned through the left chest, glowing faintly with a purple flame.
The hole slowly closed, but the flame remained, blooming like a strange flower.
Underneath the coat lay a dark plum-colored vest, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. Both the vest and shirt had a matching hole over the left chest, though without the flame.
As he picked them up, violet light flashed — and the shirt, vest, and coat automatically replaced Klein's old outfit, fitting perfectly.
(Heh, even in text form, you don't get to see Klein changing clothes.)
The new outfit filled him with a deep sense of security — as if every enhancement point had accidentally gone into defense instead of attack (cross that out).
But this time, Klein didn't feel joy.
He placed his hand over the cold, flameless chest wound in silence.
If the monocle's crack and the exoskeleton's dents could be from accidents, then a hole that pierced through three layers of clothing right above the heart could only mean one thing.
He wasn't a saint, but learning that the items he now wore likely belonged to someone who died violently made it impossible for him to smile.
Just then, a beam of multicolored light descended from above, washing over him. His heavy mood suddenly lightened.
He looked up, smiled slightly.
"Well, that's a pretty considerate design."
Compared to a certain Genius, his mental fortitude was still lacking.
If it were the Galaxy Bat Hero, she probably wouldn't care — maybe just complain that all the defense stats went into the torso slot.
Klein looked down again — and his expression soured instantly.
It was a short skirt.
A very short skirt.
A flash of violet light — and the skirt turned into a stream of light, wrapping around Klein's legs.
He looked down in alarm.
Thankfully, it transformed into fitted black trousers once it reached his waist.
Still… something felt off.
So this was originally a woman's outfit, huh.
The pants didn't seem to have any special attributes — just one feature:
They could transform back into a short skirt at any time.
Klein grimaced, turning to the last item in the chest —
A pair of heavily scratched women's snow boots with high heels.
Before he could react, the heels shortened, the scratches vanished, and the boots replaced his old shoes automatically.
His body felt lighter, and his speed slightly faster.
Once he'd put on the full set, Klein sensed his spirituality becoming more active.
Then text appeared in front of him:
[This relic set is called "The Scholar Lost in Erudition."It once belonged to the Eighth Seat of the Genius Society, a prodigy named Lambda.]
"Again with the Genius Society…" Klein muttered.
"It seems like this simulated universe was invented by one of their members — the 83rd Seat, maybe."
[This relic contains a trace amount of 'Gray Sigil Gold,' a rare alloy that grants strong control over 'Phlogiston.']
"Phlogiston?" Klein raised his hand; the violet flame flickered to life. "You mean this stuff?"
['Gray Sigil Gold' was developed by Klein, the Ninth Seat of the Genius Society. It can capture and store Phlogiston.]
[AN: Its actually real]
"Klein? Same name as me? What a coincidence."
[This relic was co-developed by the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Seats of the Genius Society.All three later died in a series of coincidences — strange, inexplicable coincidences.]
[But when too many coincidences occur… are they still coincidences?]
That was the final line of text — and it made Klein shiver.
Coincidences…
He remembered Mr. Azik once saying that his fate felt inconsistent, as if something didn't quite fit.
And now, this? Another coincidence.
He decided that once he returned, he'd tell the Captain that he'd been encountering a suspicious number of "coincidences" lately.
Then he'd go to church to pray.
And, of course, talk to Sairuis about it...
Darkness surged from all directions, swallowing Klein whole.
The next second, he opened his eyes in bed, awake once more.
(End of Chapter)