“You called us downstairs for this?” Robyn asked as she walked into the tavern's dining area. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. Her rude awakening came in the middle of the night. One of her companions wanted to show something that apparently couldn't wait until morning.

“Keep your voice down,” Xander said with a hushed voice. He kept a low profile even though only three people were in the room. His surprise needed to stay hidden. The two unwilling participants looked at what Xander held.

“It…is…a…box…” Nicholas said with a slow voice. He was also tired from the sudden jolt to consciousness, but that wasn't why he was speaking in an odd manner. Nicholas was trying a new method of speaking that would allow him to speak the truth again.

“Yeah, Rex has been keeping it under his bed for a while now,” Xander said with glee. He was giddy like a schoolgirl discussing their first crush. Such a secret almost needed to be discussed with those close to him.

“Why do you have it?” Robyn asked. She didn't particularly care who had what. If it didn't hurt anyone or affect the team, she didn't need to know about it. People were allowed to have private belongings. Who was she to go snooping where she didn't belong?

“Aren’t you curious about what’s inside?” Xander asked. He couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t be curious. They were all participants in the Genesis Program. They were all on the same team and shared everything, so what could Rex be hiding? No doubt, it was something interesting.

“Absolutely,” Nicholas responded with a lie he couldn’t stop. In reality, Nicholas couldn’t care less. He was also against looking into another person’s belongings, especially Rex’s. It wasn’t out of nobility or self-righteousness. He simply knew what would be in the locked box. Knowing Rex, the box only contained a surplus of treasured sticks and iron rods that he refused to sell.

“You too?” Robyn asked with a heavy sigh. She couldn’t believe the childish natures of her companions. Still, her curiosity was growing. It was odd that anyone on the team would keep a secret. Was it gold that he kept secret from the others? Was it something that came with him from their original world? The possibilities were endless and only increased her desire to know more.

“Come on. It’ll be a quick open and shut.” Xander said. He wasn’t much of a smooth talker, especially when compared to the two team members that were proficient at lying. Fortunately for him, Robyn could have been lured by even the dullest of persons. She feigned resistance and stuttered a few more excuses before giving in.

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“Fine. How do we get in?” Robyn asked. She looked at the box with narrow eyes. It was a simple wooden box with a lock over the main latch. The three could easily smash it to bits, but that would be obviously discovered by Rex in the morning. Forcing the lock was also out of the question. The owner of their target wasn’t a complete fool. He’d notice if the lock was broken.

Thankfully, Xander had the perfect solution. He brought out a small bag. Its contents were emptied onto the table and revealed a set of lock picks. Everyone was impressed, and Xander took the opportunity to explain himself. He’d met with a strange man recently that was willing to sell anything for enough gold. The merchant’s merchandise leaned heavily on the illicit side. The set of lock picks stood out, and Xander forked over the money he’d been saving. Thanks to [Forgettable], he didn't worry about the seller remembering him.

The trio huddled around the box. Xander took his time with the process. He’d never picked a lock before, so this was all new to him. Several failed attempts nearly broke his new tools. As an aspiring rogue, he left much to be desired. The others took their turns but to no avail. Eventually, Xander was able to finesse the lock open with an audible click and a satisfying turn.

“Shall we?” Xander asked. The three placed their hands on the box’s lid. Anticipation hung in the air. Everyone nodded in agreement. They simultaneously opened the container. Its contents were finally presented for all to see. A glowing aura surrounded the treasure, though only in their mind. That aura quickly diminished as everyone realized what they were staring at.

It was a [Crude Iron Rod].

To be specific, it was twelve rods. They all sat together in a neat pile, forming a sort of pyramid. The rods all looked the same, but there were slight differences. Some had minor curves. Others were more beaten while one was completely snapped. They were all similar to the one Rex used as his primary weapon. The part missing was the leather grip near the rod’s base. It wasn’t clear if this was a pile of reserve weapons or damaged goods, but one thing stuck to everyone’s mind.

“What the heck is Rex’s smithing level?” Everyone thought. It was no secret that repeated actions correlated to an increase in a skill’s level. Rex should have leveled up several times thanks to these tools, yet he still used iron rods. Of course, no one expected him to make anything above low-tiered weapons, but daggers and shortswords should have still been available.

“I don’t think that’s what he wanted us to find,” Robyn said. She took note of the box’s lid. Etched into its inner sanctum was a message. Normally, the three wouldn’t have been able to read it without the skill [Literacy], but that didn’t apply in this scenario. The language used was one foreign to this world. Only these three, and the man that wrote it, could read the words scratched into the wood. Written in all capital letters, the message presented itself as it was read aloud. Oddly enough, Genesis also decided to read Rex’s prophetic message.

“NOTICE. NEW SKILL [LOCK PICKING] HAS BEEN ACQUIRED”