Before I can enter my mansion, Duchess spits out a ring.

"..."

[...]

"Marriage proposal?"

[Thisss one "pocketed" something during the commotion.]

I haven't seen this one in the vault. It's a gold ring with an amber gemstone as its centerpiece with delicate etchings along the metal.

[Ring of Luck C

A gold ring with an amber gemstone that has been blessed by the goddess of luck.

Luck +10]

"...I'm so happy I could kiss you."

[Can thisss one keep the ring.]

"No."

I slide the ring on my right pointer finger before checking my stats.

Might

200 (195 + 5)

Agility

200 (185 + 10 + 5)

Vigor

349 (309 + 25 + 15 )

Mind

201 (126 + 75)

Spirit

225 (215 + 10)

Perception

45

Charisma

50 (35 + 15)

Luck

12 (2 +10)

Unused

0

My luck has increased six-fold! Maybe I should take up gambling. I check my dungeon's only occupant, and he's still sitting there in the same position I left him in. Maybe I can give him a feather duster and have him clean my mansion. All my stuff is in it, so I won't. In the morning, I check a room in my manor I haven't been in for a while.

I wonder what magics are contained in my manor. There is a room labeled 'personal museum' with epithets of all the fractures I've been in and the percentage I have explored. The ebony skull that exudes a menacing aura, a golden statuette of a snail on a flower, a lighting cloud frozen in time, a black bonsai tree, and a snowglobe are still there, and there are two new displays next to them. A disk of sand is segmented into six different colors, and a set of ribs sticks out of a model volcano.

[Endless Graveyard: 1% Complete]

[Snail Garden: 12% Complete]

[Lightning Maiden's Temple: 2% Completed]

[Dark Forest: 64% Completed]

[Snowstorm: 23% Completed]

[Vanderblitz's Mistake: 8% Completed]

[Bone Garden: 5% Completed]

I don't like that the fracture I was stuck in for a month is only eight percent documented. I don't like the implication that I only explored half of one of the six segments, nor do I like the fracture's name. The fractures the institute used to host the games aren't here. My personal museum is a purist and doesn't count those custom fractures as good enough. It's probably something else, but I find the idea funny.

I leave my mansion and find my team waiting in the living area with the TV on. It seems like the results of the competition will be announced on television so everyone will find out at once. I slip onto the couch and join in. Only Rai looked over. He locked eyes with me before turning his attention back to the screen. I don't know who the person talking on the screen is, but I see Albert on television waiting his turn with a smile. I don't know if he's over his sadness or if he's good at hiding it. I haven't checked out the box because I'm anxious about what I'll find. I'm going to bite the bullet during the commercial break.

"It's been a long month since the start of this grand tournament, but the victors have been decided. For those that don't remember, this tournament was created after an invitation from the Elvish Country. The high king Brendimere has invited members of every race for a grand festival in the elvish lands. The students of today are going to represent the human race!"

While waiting for his speech to end, I examined the ice cream wrapper and noticed something weird. Its sell-by date was only twelve years ago. This box was supposedly donated at the institute's founding over a hundred years ago. Either my grandfather had some premium ice cream, or something was wrong. Is ice cream significant in any way? I can't remember. What brand is this? It has a clown as a mascot. [Fun-time Iced-creams]? It's "argentine" flavored. What is this?

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

I take Val's phone from the counter and input her passcode. I look up the company, but instead of pressing search, I click "I'm feeling lucky." It's an ice cream company... cool. The owner isn't listed, and the company only has one shop. It used to have a shop in Bluefield, but the only shop remaining is in the capital.

"It's time to reveal the institute that won! Many people criticized the contest, claiming that the Auroran Institute, as the highest-rated institute and as the hosts have an unfair advantage. Bluefield institute, known for its textile production and farms, has tied for first place with the Auroran Institute!"

"How the fuck did a tie happen? Wouldn't we need the same amount of points?" Arlug says with disbelief.

"I bribed him with ice cream. I got the wrapper right here." I crinkled the wrapper before putting it in my pocket.

"Seriously, what does this mean for the elvish festival?"

"We'll find out, but I wonder when the institute will kick us out of the dorm."

"Is that my phone? What the hell?!"

We sit around and watch the highlights of the tournament. The fight against the [Death Walker] wasn't shown. After about thirty minutes, I got bored and left for my mansion.

~

I put the box on the table inside my library. Duchess is in the room, but her attention is occupied with books and Flash Gordon. Rob is out in the front messing with the gentlemancer's safe that we still haven't managed to open. Khan is doing something.

[Black Box]

[Scientific Insight+] isn't helping. I pull the note out of the box. It's connected to the lining by a silver string. It's handwritten, and I'm not sure whose handwriting this is.

[Read this before flicking the switch. These are the instructions for activating the Container of Copious Compartments. Flick the lever and keep your hand in the box.]

I flick the lever. The box closes in on my hand like a camera's shutter. I swear to the gods, if I lose my other hand, I'll scream. I lose around one thousand health as the familiar feeling of blood leaving my body is apparent. The box opens up, and my hand is still there. The words on the card change.

[Close the lid and wait, Alex. Next time don't forget the invocation.]

Alex, like Alexander? That's my grandfather's name. Who made this box for him? I close the lid, and the entire thing starts to shuffle around as pieces slide and move around like it's made up of hundreds of tiny uniform pieces. What is this damn thing?

I watch intently for over ten minutes before a click sounds out. The outside hasn't changed at all. I cautiously open the box and see that the lever and note are gone. I close the lid and open it again. The lever and note are back. What is this damn thing?

[Container of Copious Compartments S

A strange box with many compartments with only one entrance. Usable by certain listed users.]

S-rank? The only other S-rank thing I've seen is my [Adaptability] trait. How does this thing work? First, it was empty, and now there's the switch and note again. I read it.

[Flick the switch to deactivate it again. I don't know why you'd need this function, but it's a safety measure.]

I close the box and open it, still dwelling on the note. Nothing changes inside the box. I put a book inside, and it bounces out, repelled by something. Maybe the books aren't real since they are representations of my [Lexicon]. I put the prosthetic eye inside. The same happens.

I close the box and start thinking. Maybe it needs to be empty for it to stow something. Does that mean each 'copious compartment" can store only one thing? How do I make it empty again? I hold the box up and scrutinize the outside, finding nothing strange or different. I put the box down and opened the lid again. It's empty. Open, close, open, close. Still empty.

Wait. I think of the switch and open the box. It's there, I think of an empty compartment, and it shows up. So that's how that works. I put the eye inside after being sure nothing else is in it. It stores away fine. I switch between the switch, the eye, and another empty container. Now what?

I recall the wrapper and think of that, trying to see if anything else is in this thing. I open the lid. The box is filled to the brim with ice cream wrappers. For a second, I thought this box created a bunch of trash, but the wrappers weren't identical. My grandfather probably used this as a trash can. I pull the wrappers out, but it keeps going, holding far more than advertised. I put the wrappers back before closing the lid and thinking of a sword.

It's still trash. I try for a shield or a journal, but nothing changes. So I need to visualize the actual item instead of being generic. My grandfather's stuff can be in this box, and I can't get it out without knowing what it is. I crumple in my chair. I don't have any memories of material items, just memories of the moments I shared with him. It's not a lot, but I still hold a few near and dear to my heart. I try getting something, anything out. But nothing except wrappers can be found. The clown is mocking me.

I know what his famous helmet looks like, but it must not be stored here. There isn't a single wrapper dated after he disappeared, but many decades' worth of wrappers. Did my grandfather scam the Auroran Institute by making them guard his box, or did he no longer have a use for it, so he gave it away? How did he manage to put new items in it? Can he access it remotely, or did he break in every time? Maybe I can take it to Rain. I still need to talk to Master Wang...

I'll do that after I visit this ice cream store.

~

The store is generic and crammed in between two other stores. An outside seating area only has one table with two and a half chairs. Two chairs and a stool.

Opening the door causes a bell to ding. I walk inside the air-conditioned room and look around. There are pictures of people who I assume are famous sitting around a different ice cream shop. A spry but older man comes out from the back wearing a red and white striped uniform.

"Hey, It's good that youngsters still enjoy a nice scoop of ice cream. How can I serve you?"

"Do you have a flavor called argentine?"

His happy expression turns sad. He shakes himself out of it and answers calmly.

"Sorry, but that flavor got discontinued over ten years ago."

"Why, what happened?"

"It brings back bad memories... do you want to hear a story?"

"..."

He starts scooping ice cream onto a cone.

"This shop used to have branches in many cities, and our main staple was that flavor. It was a secret recipe with vanilla. It was almost exclusively bought online, and most of our money was made that way. Eleven years ago, over 90% of our sales suddenly stopped. At that moment, I was doing renovations, and with the sudden stop in sales, they couldn't be completed. I had to sell a few stores to keep myself afloat. After a few poor business directions, this became the last store."

Damn grandpa.

"Do you know who your online buyers are?"

"No."

He hands me an ice cream cone, and I take it.

"That'll be twenty credits."

"..."

I put the ice cream on the counter and walked away.

~

I push the buzzer at master Wang's abode. It crackles to life, and master Wang answers rather than Rain.

"Hello? Who is it?"

"Master Wang, it's me."

"Ah, yes, Come in."

He doesn't open the gate, so I hop over the wall. The coals don't bother me, but something catches my eye. I didn't use this entrance last time, but I see a sign that says [Mine Field].

Master Wang is shirtless in front of a punching bag. His back is covered in many scars. It's hard to point out a patch of unspoiled skin. Burns, bullets, stabs, claws, and everything else that can cause the body harm has left its mark on his flesh. His muscles are so prominent it's almost like seeing meat through a few layers of plastic wrap.

"Give me a moment."

He dons his gi and moves over to his spot. He sits on a cushion and gestures for me to sit in front of him, so I sit.

"Giles called and requested you to be his disciple. He bribed me with something I wanted, so I relented. He's not going to teach you martial arts anyways. Any questions?"