I leaned against the swaying carriage wall and observed raindrops tracing intricate patterns down the glass window. As Remlend had foreseen, the once-sunny day had surrendered to a relentless downpour.

A long sigh escaped my lips.

"Peep!"

It's a good plan, you know.

Leona chirped.

The carriage navigated the battered cobblestone streets of East Genise, its velvet curtains drawn shut, granting Leona and me our privacy. I cracked open a tiny sliver, allowing a faint ray of light to filter through. Not there was much light to go about even if I pulled all the windows wide open; my conversation with Micah had gone on into the late afternoon, by which time dark clouds had filled the skies, and rain poured down.

"Of course, it's a good plan. It's Micah's plan," I muttered, my tone betraying a hint of annoyance.

I didn't bother using the Whispering Necklace. Inside the carriage, there was only Leona and myself, and the heavy rain and broken street muffled any conversation one might have had. I would have had to yell out for the driver to hear me.

The thunderous sound of horse hooves outside signaled the presence of Henry and the other guards. Given the escalating intensity of the rain against the carriage, I didn't envy them.

But, the more tumultuous the storm, the more content I felt. Freida Stran was open for business, and I couldn't wait to see my favorite information broker.

"Peep!"

Then why have you been sighing nonstop?

Leona tilted her head to one side.

"Because…." Ironically, I sighed once more. "Studying isn't my strong suit. It never was."

Knowledge. Or rather, pursuing knowledge was Micah's primary directive to me.

His logic was sound. Strength reverted entirely with each round, while Intelligence, Perception, and Charisma were retained and thus made the most sense to invest in.

Thus far, I have been utilizing the System freely to read and summarize for me. It had been an excellent cheat. However, Micah had strong opinions on the matter.

"Don't rely solely on the System to memorize everything for you," he had advised. "Retain knowledge for yourself as well. What if you're in a situation where you cannot call upon this System of yours? You'll be in a difficult situation."

This meant I was going to have to actually do the learning myself.

"Peep!"

There could be an artifact that can help you concentrate.

Leona offered a helpful suggestion.

"Perhaps," I muttered.

I still needed to see Orla Rex the next time she would come into town about an artifact to hide Leona's presence. Carrying Leona around in my jacket pocket was but a temporary solution.

Then, there was the other detail Micah had expressed that bothered me.

"Besides, I don't fully trust that System. You are at its mercy," he had warned.

It caught me off guard. The thought never even crossed my mind that the System might ever harm me. My relationship with it was peculiar, akin to that of an old friend or a sibling. It tended to poke fun at me, but even in those instances, it was evidently attempting to do all it could to help me. There was never any true ill-will. None that I felt, at the very least.

However, it remained an unknown entity. I knew next to nothing about it. I knew it wanted me to succeed in the Game, but its origins and motives remained elusive. When I inquired, it evaded providing a direct answer.

[ I'm afraid you are not yet intelligent enough to comprehend such knowledge. ]

'Yet.' That was the distinction.

"System, can you show me the stat screen yet?" I asked.

I knew the cool down period since turning off access to the Game Store and regaining my other functions wasn't complete, but I decided it was worth checking.

[ Yes, that much is possible to show, albeit there might be a few errors, and abilities are still being processed. ]

I nodded. I expected as much.

A familiar blue screen appeared before me.

[ Player: Luca Frey

Age: 19

Title: Observant Ex-NPC

Round: 8

Level: Error ]

[ Strength : 8

Dexterity : 46

Perception : 60

Intelligence : 68

Charisma : 22

Mana : 2

$@#!^\ : -1 ]

I frowned.

Most of my stats had gone up, including the mysterious stat. However, the one I cared most about, the Intelligence stat, was practically unchanged from over ten days ago when I last was able to check my stats.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

<< Hey, System, what the heck is this? >>

I switched over to utilizing the Whispering Necklace, not wanting Leona to hear.

<< I had learned so much. And yet, my Intelligence is up only by a point compared to the last time I saw it. Is this an error? >>

[ It is not an error. ]

[ Unfortunately, either you have not been as proficient in studying as you might think. Or you got dumber. ]

Tsk.

It's back to making fun of me again, isn't it?

I frowned.

No, the System never made fun of me for no reason. And since I had certainly gained new knowledge in the time that I had access to the Game Store, that could only mean one thing.

<< System, what caused my Intelligence to drop? >>

[ $@#!^\ dropped to its boundary, and to offset the adverse effects, the points were taken away from your Intelligence. ]

"Peep!"

What is it? You look displeased.

I crossed my arms.

"I'll tell you later. I'm still figuring it out myself," I replied.

Whatever $@#!^\ was, I needed to prevent it from dropping. Otherwise, it was going to affect my Intelligence negatively.

<< System, am I cursed? What connection exists between this unknown stat and Intelligence to cause such an effect? >>

[ No, this is not a curse. If anything, it's intended to be a blessing. ]

<< A blessing? What bullshit blessing makes you dumber? >>

[ Affliction : !$*G(#3 ;$ Bliss ]

More unknown characters. Great.

However, if this affliction was intended to help me, whatever $@#!^\ was was clearly trouble if its so-called benefit was reducing my Intelligence. And if I wanted to get smarter, I would have to do something about it eventually.

The carriage rounded a rough corner, causing me to sway to one side. Instinctively, I grasped the walls to anchor myself. Despite the soft cushioning of the carriage seats, my body still bobbed with every pothole on the deteriorating road.

I drew back the velvet curtain slightly with my index finger and peered at the contorted, dark buildings we passed in East Genise. We were deep into the pits of East Genise now. Even though the residents of this part of the city ought to have been inside, given the downpour, only a few lights shone from the buildings we passed. People dressed in dark, weathered clothing trudged through the streets.

It was a stark contrast to the conditions of West Genise. There, well-dressed men, women, and children went about their day seemingly without a care in the world. Yet, here, especially in the far deep east, children younger than Elda could be found gnawing on rats.

The two sections of Genise rarely mixed; they were like black crud oil and glistening fresh river water blessed by a saint—a true saint, unlike Chase Daylan. Each was so out of touch with the other that the other's existence and living conditions seemed like a myth.

Once Micah takes over, he'll surely improve things.

I let go of the curtain, shrouding the carriage in darkness again. The sound of rain hitting the glass of the carriage reverberated.

I thought about the cruelty that Elian Vikzhou showcased towards whom he considered his closest friend and future life partner. Moreso, the conversations I overheard at the Spider's auction between the other visiting nobles, lords, and the well-off were often even more repulsive.

Once Micah is in charge, perhaps he could address some of the continent's broader issues too.

After several more turns, the carriage came to a stop.

"Young master Luca, we're here!" The driver called out.

I pulled open the curtain, looking out at the empty city street. There weren't any people in this part of East Genise due to the rumored curse hanging over the area.

"Peep!"

This place looks abandoned. Save for that horse.

A horse?

I frowned, spotting the creature nestled under the roof of one of the shabby buildings.

Who else could possibly be here?

Leona flew over and nuzzled inside my coat's pocket, hiding herself from view, just as Henry pulled open the carriage door.

"Young master Luca, be careful with the puddles." He extended his hand, helping me out of the carriage. He held a large, red umbrella in his other hand.

"Thank you." Stepping outside, the scent of rainwater filled my nostrils.

I gazed around, noting half a dozen guards in dark raincoat gear. If they were uncomfortable, they didn't show it. Micah had assured me that more of his people were following from the shadows. Previously, I might have considered such protection excessive. Still, having been kidnapped once by The Farmer in this exact spot where I now stood and having context that the Spider's Syndicate had increased their interest in my family's affairs, I was thankful to have the additional protection around.

"Let's go." I motioned to Henry and walked toward the shabby-looking shop with its metal sign 'Things, Junk, and Stuff for Sale' swinging in the wind.

It swung open just as he was about to open the door for me.

"Luca? What are you doing here?"

I stared at the broad-shouldered young man, this time with his beard cleanly shaved off. I didn't expect anyone to be here, but if anyone made sense to have come here, it was the man who introduced me to Freida Stran in the first place.

"Grandov, I didn't expect you here either." I raised my hand toward my head, a slight headache forming. "Did you come to see Freida?"

"I did," Grandov replied. His eyes shifted past me, looking over my slew of guards.

It was seven years since I saw his bare face, but he looked considerably younger, with fewer fine lines.

"Did you meet with Princess Evelyn regarding the promotion?" I asked.

Grandov nodded, his gaze extending somewhere beyond.

Did he catch a glimpse of one of Micah's shadow guards?

"My first promotion will be announced within The Order soon," Grandov said. His eyes returned to mine. "Thank you for that."

"Of course." I smiled. "Adovoria will be most prosperous and prepared with you in charge of our armies."

Grandov, however, had a strange expression as if he were observing me down to my soul.

"You are better protected than the last time I saw you," he noted.

I laughed. I had gone inside The Royal Bar with only Henry beside me. Now I had a small army—Micah had informed me that even two mages were in the midst.

"I'm a brother to the king-consort-to-be and part of a fairly well-known family within Adovoria—there's more reason to be cautious than ever before," I replied.

Grandov nodded. "I think we ought to have another conversation regarding Adovoria's future."

"I agree; feel free to come by the manor tomorrow morning," I suggested.

Aside from seeking knowledge, Micah stated that sowing the seeds to powerful connections was imperative. Grandov might not have been an Awakened, but he would certainly be a powerful ally against the Kobar Empire.

"Perhaps in three days would be better," Grandov proposed.

"Very well." Unlike me, who had no schedule or responsibilities outside of the Game, Grandov was a soldier.

He departed on horseback, disappearing into the rain.

"Young master, shall we enter?" Henry nudged me, already holding the door open.

"Yes, let us enter." Stepping into the dimly lit and dust-filled shop, I allowed my eyes to adjust to the surroundings while my nose adjusted to the thick scent of incense.

My eyes grazed over the mismatched tables, topped with stacked junk.

I wonder what other cursed artifacts there might be.

Oddly enough, the cursed ring that made my needles and boots appear invisible wasn't around the previous two times I came. I settled on some other trinkets in a hurry, neither of which provided any notable worth to me, and I promptly offloaded in the Game Store.

"Luca Frey. You're back."

My attention turned to the elderly woman with vibrant magenta hair fashioned into two pigtails, who had emerged from behind a pile of assorted objects, startling Henry.

"What a strange young man…." Freida muttered, tutting at him.

"Well, come on back. I assume you want your questions answered." She gestured for me to follow her behind the aged curtain at the rear of the shop.

Seated across from each other, I placed five phoenix stones on the weathered wooden table between us.

However, she waved me off. "I already have enough work on my plate. Come back in three days."

I blinked. I had never run into this situation before.

Damn it. Grandov must have already posed his questions and taken up whatever slots there were.

"What if I were to double it?" I inquired.

Freida responded with a dismissive eye roll.

I bit my lip.

"What if I added an extra zero in there?" I proposed.

Her eyes slanted toward me, and a mischievous smile appeared on her wrinkled face.

"One hundred phoenix eyes for one question. And you must select two items," she declared.

It was outright extortion.

Yet, when it came to the quality of information, no one surpassed Freida Stran. In that sense, it remained a worthwhile deal.

I intertwined my fingers and rested my chin on my hands.

"I'll pay," I said.

Freida unwrapped a pink, round candy, tossing it into her mouth. The sound of it against her teeth resonated in the room.

"I guess you better make it count," she remarked.