I made a deal with Imayne to let both me and Kareena rest for two days before I returned to the guild to get my rewards. It was a blessing to be able to spend 11 days in a row transformed without going back. To spend time with Helen like a normal person.

People have been calling me the 'Loincloth Immortal Maniac' for some reason. At least it is not 'pervert'. Did I overdo it? Probably yes. I got mixed reactions from my companions about the duel. While they all understood that it was necessary to estabilish the pecking order between me and Kareena there is some disagreement regarding my methods. I mean, I could finish her like I did with Tancred in the Saitama style, but would I be able to subdue her completely playing like a one-trick pony just like herself? Probably not. Now I need to feel the waters and figure out the best approach to get what I need.

Skill *@$%! / Job Management (A) unlock status: 3 - &#$ an active Job Changing Crystal.

There are still two words truncated, but the 3 letter one is obvious. It is a mana crystal just like the pemadras, what am I supposed to do with them? Yeah, no doubts there. The first truncated word is a five-letter one. I have a hunch what it is. It is based on the pattern I see in my unique skill allocation. This setup is given to the person by birth, or spawn in my case and in my case it follows the pattern of fast growth, versatility and independence.

The skill link in [Humanization] is something unheard of according to Marcy and so is using a separate energy source. Skills are powered either by stamina or MP, and they work independently. There are synergies here and there like stacking damage multipliers, but that is it. It feels like these last unique skills are incomplete. As if it was a rushed job. Even the strikeout text in [Humanization] is evidence of it. To boot there is that floating head dude that made me use the gold ticket. He said he crafted the skill 'just for me'. Zahariel did not know about the guy, but he is confident it is not a god.

And it all brings us today to the doorstep of the guild. Early morning before request rush. The day of the reward of the duel.

I climb the short flight of stairs from the street into the guild building. People inside stop and stare at me. I'm wearing trousers, leather armor and metal vambraces. Some veiled insults fly around. Yeah hello to you too. Don't worry I won't molest your sister.

Behind the counters I can see some guild staff preparing the request posts to be pinned on the board. I scan the room and find a free receptionist without much trouble.

"Good morning. I am here to see the guild master, can you announce my presence?"

"Go-good morning. Welcome to the guild. Do-do you want to take a request?" She greets me like a robot. She pales and trembles. I think this girl is one of the youngest receptionists. Am I that scary?

"I said I have an appointment with the guildmaster. Can you tell her I am here?"

"Miss, you know who we are, and why we are here. Please help us." Helen adds in a barely friendly tone.

She freezes. A few minutes later Imayne appears from the back door and beckons us. "This way, Beowulf. Please do not disturb our staff." Really?

The four of us follow Imayne to one private room. It is the same room used to register new guild members. There are only two chairs, she sits on the far one and points at the one nearest to the door for me. I don't sit.

"Are you updating my rank now?"

"Yes. I need your guild card for a moment, please." I hand my card over to Marcy.

"Counselor Marcy, please be my proxy." No more dirty tricks exploiting my naivety.

"Sure thing, B. Now, miss Imayne, please update my client's status." I snort as I imagine Marcy in a business suit. With her hair tied in a bun and business-like glasses. Starring one of those hundred of lawyer series.

"Updating status..." She places my card over the crystal slab and gives the command, "Adventurer Rank Up, Beowulf. Rank F!" Three ranks at once? Or just two, since 'i' is a phantom rank?

Marcy picks up the card, checks it and hands it over to me with a smile.

"Thank you my friend. Miss Imayne, I need to talk to guild master Kareena, is it possible now?"

"I am afraid it is. Please follow me." Did I get a [Enemy of Guild Staff] shadow title? Nah.

We go back to the reception room behind the counters and climb the stairs to the guild master office. I learned that Kareena's living quarters are also up here. She knocks on the door, announces our presence.

"Please enter," Kareena's voice comes from inside. It was a neutral tone. Imayne opens the door and we step inside. Kareena is sitting at her desk all prim and proper.

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"Thank you for your time, guild master. I am here to discuss the final steps of our previous arrangement." I don't want more hostility. I am the good guy, right?

"Have you already ranked up?" I nod to her with a smile and flash my guild card like a proud kid showing a straigth A+ report. "Good. Now the matter of the one thing you can take from this guild building, have you decided?" She is doing her best to hold back.

"Yes. I know what I want. Could you come with me to get it?" I can't just tell them. I want to give them zero time to counter my next move. I am sure they will try to pull some loophole like Imayne did with the bath area.

"Can't you just tell me what it is and I will ask someone to fetch it?" Her gaze is probing me.

"No can do. Please come with me, let's settle this the fastest possible."

Kareena stands up and comes to us," Please lead the way."

I move in front, everyone follows me. Destination: job-changing room. "Here we are!"

"Do you want to change your jobs already?" Kareena says in disbelief. It was totally possible for me to be level 40 in apprentice magician if I wanted, did you know?

"Can I touch the crystal?"

"You are now a rank F adventurer, please go ahead. Or do you need a tutorial on how to job change?"

"Don't mind if I do!" I answer with a happy voice holding both my hands behind my back. Like in those apple bobber games.

CHOMP! CRUNCH CRUNCH! GULP!

Skill Party / Job Management (A) unlock status: 3 - Eat an active Job Changing Crystal. [COMPLETE] 18,549 points added. 172,807 ponts available. [281,102 / 1,000,000]

An A-rank pemadra. Just delicious. Tastes like cinnamon apple pie with a sour aftertaste that is not bad.

Skill Party / Job Management (A) level 3 unlocked.

"What the fuck did you do!" Kareena screams in a mix of dismay, rage, disbelief.

"I just touched with my mouth the job-changing crystal that was mine. Because it was the reward I wanted."

"You ate the job-changing crystal!?! Who are you?"

"Someone blessed or cursed with several strange things from birth, ma'am. And now our deal is complete. As per our agreement, you will refrain from harass or take any action against any one of my party."

She grits her teeth and her hands go to her waist as if it was second nature. There is no sword there, of course.

"And if you try anything funny this time, I will agree to the 'duel to the death' thing. You will get a hundred spankings before dying."

"No! No! The guild is ruined without this crystal! Nobody will be able to change jobs or party up without it!" She screams her lungs out.

"This is news to me. It means that the ability to party up using the cards is because of that crystal. It totally makes sense now. But miss Kareena, I suppose you don't have another job-changing crystal lying around, do you?"

"Of course not! These crystals are specially enchanted by the guild headmasters. Only they know how to make one."

I should keep squeezing juicy info from her, but I won't antagonize her. I will put my scolding hat and dish out justice.

"All that happened here is your fault. If you had not meddled in my business this far, the guild would have earned quite a sum of gold and that whole duel thing would be avoided. But I am not one to hold grudges. I have a business proposal for you. Give me the A-rank pemadra that you have in the vaults below, and I will get you a new job-changing crystal." Sense treasure is showing me an A-rank pemadra in the vault.

"Ho-how do you know that?"

"Do you know how many unique skills I have? How many skills ranked A or above? Or how high are my base stats? There are as many things I can do as there are stars above the night sky. Now, do you want to deal or not?"

"You just made an enemy of the whole guild! Nowhere will be safe for you or these people that sided with you."

"You are violating our duel contract. I think there is a naughty girl that needs more spanking," I threaten and she flinches. "That was the duel you proposed and these are the terms you eagerly agreed to. Kareena, I'll give you an advice. Having one powerful move is nice, but at the end of the day it is just a powerful move. What good is your {Heartseeker Blade} against a napalm slime? Or a mithril slime that can only be pierced by adamantite? Or an army of acid-spitting frogs that will melt you before you can pierce the hearts of two of them?"

My words hit home. I bet she stopped adventuring and became a guild master at such an early age exactly because she was unable to fight stronger monsters with tricky to reach hearts. Or no hearts at all. And I don't even know if these monsters I mentioned exist or not. She is so out of her mind that I can feed her any BS I want.

"Now, do you have any use for that A-rank pemadra? And I want two B-rank pemadras as tutoring fees. Do. We. Have. A. Deal?" I put pressure until I am inches away from her face. I am oozing all my killing intent and my [Intimidating Presence] is working overtime.

"If you can un-eat that crystal, then yes. Please get away from me. No more..."

"Of course I can't un-eat it. But I can replace it. The pemadras, please."

"Wait here, please." Kareena leaves in a hurry, my crew and I are left behind. The girls have a look of 'you did it again' stamped on their faces. I lost a lot of affection points. Zahariel is amused as always.

"Before you scold me for doing that, I need to talk to you while we are alone. I unlocked the skill. Marcy, please disband the party now."

Your party has been disbanded!

I continue, "Good. Now, [Party Management]! Create Party! Invite Helen! Invite Marcy! Invite Zahariel!"

Helen has joined your party! Marcy has joined your party! Zahariel has joined your party!

"How did you invite someone that is not an adventurer to a party? Worse yet, the guild cards are dormant!"

"It seems the crystal's powers filled in the incomplete skill. But now that it is unlocked I can do all that crystal can and much more!" The possibilities are immense. I can probably job change in the field. My mind races as I make calculations for exploiting this job system for the optimal build. Also there are several jobs that are hidden or just unavailable by design in the guild setting. Being unlimited might bring tons of benefits.

"There are a lot of things I want to try out. But it will have to wait. There are people coming."