"No! Saintess, please reconsider." Stanley raised his voice. "This is an extremely important matter. You can't entrust it to a useless man like him—"
"Do you have objections to my decision?"
"Ack! That…" Hearing the Saintess's calm question, Stanley drew a sharp breath and dared not continue.
Rover, meanwhile, easily guessed why Stanley and Alex were so desperate to take the position of her guide.
It was obvious—they wanted to climb aboard the ship named Saintess.
If they could get close to her, Alex's future—and the entire Sterling Family's—would shine brilliantly.
Rover sighed, finding the whole thing boring. He said softly, "Saintess, I haven't been feeling well lately, so I can't take on something so important. I think Alex would still be the best choice."
The Saintess blinked in surprise and asked gently, "You're not feeling well? I see. The weather's been changing constantly before winter. Since you're an ordinary person, it must be difficult to endure such harsh conditions."
Her voice was full of concern and genuine worry. Without hesitation, she took out a small red vial and handed it to him.
"This is a high-grade recovery potion. There are ten pills inside. If you run out, come to me for more."
Rover: "..."
Stanley: "..."
Alex: "Pff!"
This time, no one hit Alex—he simply coughed up blood out of sheer rage.
Rover glanced at him and thought bitterly, You're supposed to be a genius Awakened, yet you're spitting blood over something like this? What kind of weak mental fortitude is that?
And the Saintess… she's strange. Why does she seem so familiar? And why does she care so much about me?
Rover hesitated, unsure if he should accept the potion from her.
"Saintess!" Alex struggled to speak through his pain, trying to object.
But the Saintess merely waved her hand lightly. At that gesture, one of the white-robed women immediately understood, stepped forward, and kicked him square in the stomach.
BAM!
"ACK! You… you… Pff!" Alex spat another mouthful of blood, his body curling in pain.
Rover: "..."
"Oy! Saintess…" Rover frowned. "He might be a genius Awakened, but if you keep kicking him like that, he's going to bleed out and die."
The Saintess nodded and replied softly, "Sorry, Rover. I just don't like flies buzzing around while I'm speaking."
Rover sighed. "Thank you for the potion, but it's too valuable. I think I just need a bit of rest to recover."
The Saintess froze slightly, her hand trembling as she held the vial. Her voice quivered faintly. "Rover… do you… hate me?"
Rover: "..."
Stanley broke out in cold sweat and shouted, "Rover, take the potion! Do you want to die?!"
"Uh… I…" Rover grimaced. This situation was beyond bizarre. In the end, he could only sigh and accept his fate.
"All right." He took the potion from her hand and said softly, "Thank you. Then… I'll be your guide tomorrow."
"Really?" The Saintess's voice instantly brightened with joy.
"Of course!" Rover smiled confidently. "Then… see you tomorrow."
And with that, he hurriedly left.
Stanley was about to say something, but the Saintess spoke first. "Rover probably has things to do. Let him go."
"Ah! Yes, Saintess, your compassion is boundless. But… about your choice, are you sure you really want him?" Stanley still refused to give up. "Alex, my son, is—"
"Hm?!"
That single sound from the Saintess made Stanley freeze. He inhaled sharply, trembling with fear, unable to utter another word.
"Prepare my room. I wish to rest." The Saintess stood, ready to leave, but suddenly paused. "Ah… where is Rover's room located?"
"Ah! That…" Stanley stammered, realizing with despair that Alex had completely lost his chance.
…
Rover hurried out of the hall, heading straight for a quiet corner of the garden. After making sure no one was around, he sat down and opened the System interface floating before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You have completed Option 3. Rewards obtained: 5,000 EXP, 1 Random Class Card (Rank A).]
At that moment, a glowing card radiating bright golden light floated in the air before him.
[Ding! Would you like to use the Random Class Card now?]
"Wait! You said earlier that one of my rewards was the Saintess's underwear, right?" Rover frowned.
[Ding! The Saintess's underwear will appear tonight.]
"Ah!" Rover frowned deeper. "Why not now? Why tonight?"
[Ding! The longer the time, the stronger the scent.]
"Hm?! The longer… the scent…" Rover's expression twisted. "Oy! System, can you stop being so perverted?"
[Ding! If you don't want it, I can remove that reward.]
"Wait! Hold on!" Rover shouted quickly. "System, you know rewards can't be canceled once announced, right?"
"I can wait. I'm a decent person, after all. I don't need it that badly."
[Ding! Okay, 'decent person,' do you or do you not want the reward?]
"That… uh…" Rover stammered. "I'm just… not familiar with this world's culture, so I'll study it purely for research purposes—particularly female preferences."
[Ding! The System expresses infinite disdain toward its Master.]
"You—!" Rover clenched his teeth. "Fine! Forget it, give me the Random Class Card already."
At once, the golden card shone even brighter, hovering before him.
[Ding! Would you like to use the Rank A Random Class Card?]
"Yes!"
[Ding! Successfully used. Congratulations, you have obtained a new Profession.]
…
Name: Rover S. Sterling
Level: 0 (0 / 20,000 EXP)
Class: Metal Magus | Rank: A
Description: Can manipulate and control all types of metal.
…
Rover read the short description, and one particular figure popped into his mind—Magneto.
"Cool!" Rover grinned. "I don't know if it's as powerful as Magneto's ability, but at least now I can defend myself! I'm not a complete loser anymore!"
He tried to activate his new power right away—but after several minutes of concentration, nothing happened.
Rover frowned. "Oy! How the hell do I use magic?"
[Ding! The System expresses concern about its Master's IQ. Please consume more Omega-3, Zinc, and Vitamin B2. Eat plenty of fish.]
Rover: "..."
"Goddammit! You gave me a profession—if I can't use it, don't I have the right to complain?!"
[Ding! You get offended when I call you stupid, even though it's true. Have you ever played a video game? You may have a profession, but without energy—and without knowing how to channel mana flow—you obviously can't use it yet.]
Rover slapped his forehead. "Ah! You're right. So what should I do now?"
[Ding! The System provides EXP, Master. You can use it to level up or to purchase various items in the System Store.]
Right after that, another translucent window appeared before Rover. Rows of items filled the display—except one problem immediately stood out.
Goddammit! Everything was absurdly expensive.
…
Absorption Art (Rank F) – 40,000 EXP
Recovery Potion – 25,000 EXP
Magic Sword – 160,000 EXP
Death Scepter – 400,000 EXP
…
Not only were there weapons, but also potions, herbs, and various other resources.
However, they were all way beyond what he could afford—since he only had 5,000 EXP.
"System," Rover sighed, "I only have 5,000 EXP. Is there anything I can actually afford right now?"
[Ding! System searching for available items…]
[Ding! Search complete.]
The interface refreshed, showing only three items.
Rover frowned. All three were Absorption Arts.
In this world, Absorption Arts were essential for every Awakened one—they were the primary methods used to absorb and manipulate energy.
But since every Awakened had a different nature and affinity, finding the right Absorption Art was notoriously difficult.
That was why Rover had to choose carefully.
Before him were three Rank F Absorption Arts—all low rank, but with limitless growth potential.
"Hm…" Rover narrowed his eyes, focusing on one particular Art that caught his attention—Cataclysmic Absorption Art.
Its description stated that by killing Awakened beings or monsters, one could absorb their souls to strengthen their own energy and power.
The more one absorbed, the stronger the Art would grow—eventually capable of evolving to Rank S or even higher.
Price: 4,000 EXP.
Rover rubbed his chin, thinking for a long moment before muttering, "This one… doesn't sound good."