Chapter 47 - New answers, even more questions
Just like with Kazue’s information window, Drake’s own window appeared before everyone for them to take a look at. Adam wasted no time inspecting it, and a few rather striking details stood out—things that were a bit different from what he had expected. While they shared the title of "Outstanding Rookie", the rest of the information differed.
Not only did Drake have a different title, but he also had a few hundred extra points. He didn’t have any skills or items, but his species rank had increased by two levels, which raised the question of what had happened for that to occur. The blond didn't think much about it and responded honestly, explaining that the extra points were a cumulative reward he had been earning throughout the scenario during various moments—the same moments when he had seen that strange floating tab, similar to a chatbox, which he had already mentioned to them before.
That was both intriguing and strange. How was it possible for something like that to exist? Could it be that Drake was somehow in contact with other players? Adam didn’t quite know what to think at that moment. However, his doubts were cleared—only to be replaced by a flood of new questions—when his eyes landed on Drake's second title, and the hidden information began to reveal itself.
⌠Titles: “Otherworldly Fanbase”⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠One or more otherworldly patrons have taken a keen interest in you and your actions in a highly positive way! It’s time to show off in front of them all!⌡ ⌠Hidden: Depending on whether your actions please the patrons observing you, it’s possible to gain 'sponsorships' in the form of extra points and a unique category of items, plot devices, and skills.⌡ ⌠Warning: On the contrary, if your actions displease the patrons observing you, you can permanently lose skills, items, and points, or suffer from altered conditions.⌡ ⌠Hint: The likes and dislikes of the patrons in your fanbase are entirely arbitrary and depend on each one's personality.⌡
That was both an incredible and dangerous ability, but what truly mattered was the mention of the existence of "patrons" who were watching them. What did that even mean? Could it be possible that everything they were experiencing, and the reason why it all had such a strong resemblance to a game, was because they were merely the entertainment of beings from a higher plane of existence?
"Ah, of course this damn place had to be some kind of twisted game for... I don’t know… gods? Whatever, doesn’t matter. You’re lucky at least a few of them seem interested in you."
Li's words broke the brief silence that had settled over the group, emphasizing a harsh truth. It didn’t matter if they were trapped there because of gods or entities using them for amusement, or for any other reason. What was real was that they were stuck in this place, and the only way to survive was by following the rules of this reality. Adam understood this all too well and, with a sigh, nodded in agreement.
"He’s right. For now, we need to focus on what we can do and what we have any chance of influencing. Regarding your title, I would ask you to observe and remember every interaction you have with the… ehm, 'patrons' who are watching you. It will give us a clue about what we're dealing with."
Adam spoke calmly, trying to devise the most logical course of action given the circumstances. However, before the blond could say anything, Kazue raised her arms, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You’re a streamer! A real streamer for the gods! That’s so cool!"
At such an outburst of energy, Drake didn't know how to respond, looking momentarily taken aback. Finally, he managed to express a nervous smile and say the only thing on his mind at that moment.
"I think I know what you're getting at, but I have no experience or knowledge about that. I just hope that those watching me have a good time if it brings us any benefit."
"You whaaaat? Oh my God, no, no! Then we have a lot to talk about and a lot to do. I'm not going to let you ruin your career right as it’s starting!"
The girl seemed scandalized by what she had heard. The truth was that due to Drake's upbringing, he had never watched "streamers" or even programs at all, although he had some general knowledge about them since they were widely discussed across all social strata.
"You have no idea how many streamers, bloggers, VTubers, and artists I followed! I know exactly how they act and what works with the audience. I always wanted to meet one of them in person... and now here’s one with an audience of gods! I'll teach you everything I've learned over the years, trust me, they'll love you!"
Curiously, the only one who truly understood all of this was Nikolai, who was making a great effort to stifle his laughter at the sight of the blond's expression. Sebastian, on the other hand, was laughing softly and nervously, not understanding anything at all, while both Adam and Li simply raised an eyebrow.
Drake hadn't grasped everything that had been said either, but he felt something bad was going to happen if he let himself get swept up in the girl's energy. So, all he could do was tilt his head toward Adam and give him a pleading look for help.
"I think it's a good idea, especially if it helps capitalize on the benefits your title provides, considering Kazue seems to know about the subject. Everyone agrees?"
The boy then said, completely unaware of his companion's feelings and thinking he was simply being asked for his opinion. Meanwhile, Li and Sebastian raised their hands to indicate they had no objections, as they understood little to nothing of the situation. Nikolai also raised his hand but lowered his gaze, trying with all his might not to burst into laughter.
With that point settled and waiting a few more minutes for Kazue to finally calm down and sit again, they moved on to the next issue that needed to be addressed: the lack of skills and the increase in rank in the "species" category in Drake's information. The boy quickly responded, indicating that he had also received the reward of a random skill based on the scenario and an increase in his abilities. However, since he didn't have any skills, the system asked him if he wanted to use both to improve himself directly. After accepting, this resulted in his species rank increasing by two levels.
"Got it, and... do you feel any different? What could having a more advanced species rank mean? Unfortunately, no matter how much I try, there doesn’t seem to be any additional information on it."
Adam said, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and frustration because of the absolute lack of explanation, but one thing could be said for sure, it has to be something very important.
"Hmm... Well, I think the best thing would be to show you."
Drake’s discomfort was palpable as he removed his jacket, followed by his shirt, revealing his bare torso to the group. He clearly wasn’t thrilled about this, but it seemed like the simplest way to get his point across. The others looked on in confusion, unsure of what to expect, while Drake stood there, bracing himself for their reactions.
As he stood before them, they immediately noticed something different—a very, almost unnatural definition in his abs, back, and arms muscles, heavily pronounced than what they remembered. Was he always that fit? It was as if his body had undergone some form of accelerated development or transformation.
“Waaaah!”
Kazue let out a sudden, high-pitched squeal, instantly covering her eyes with both hands, her face flushed bright red with embarrassment, but despite her reaction, she left a small gap between her fingers to sneak a peek at Drake, curiosity clearly getting the better of her.
Oddly enough, she wasn’t the only one reacting to the scene. Out of nowhere, a small gray window floated beside the blond, displaying nothing less than an emoji—wide-eyed and flustered, as if even the mysterious patrons were entertained by the spectacle.
image [https://i.imgur.com/gUBHkAX.png]
Well, that was definitely killing two birds with one stone, Drake had clearly demonstrated what he wanted to show, and they had finally witnessed firsthand the interaction brought about by his title.
Adam remained thoughtful for a moment as his companion put his shirt back on while explaining that not only did his body feel different, but he could now recall details from his life he hadn’t even known he had experienced, meaning his memory had improved significantly.
"Li, does that mean the higher your species rank, the better your physical and cognitive abilities will be?"
Adam asked, recalling that Li also held a rank E in species; however, the man didn't respond immediately, as he was too busy staring at and feeling his own chest. Adam hadn't noticed it at first, but both Li and Nikolai were visibly shocked by the sight of Drake's well-defined muscles, to the point where they started feeling a bit self-conscious about their own physiques.
"Uh, what? Oh, yeah... I don't know. I didn't feel any changes on my part, but I do know someone who had a different race and reached rank C. As far as I remember, the others told me that the higher the rank, the more abilities of that race you would unlock."
Interesting; if that was true, it meant that the higher the rank obtained, the closer one was to being a "true" specimen of that race. This left Adam wondering what else a human would unlock if they reached the maximum possible rank. It also indicated that he himself would eventually become a complete demi-lich if he continued down that path. Did he feel anything different in his body now that he had advanced to rank E? Not really. But just as Li had said, that first rank might be just the beginning, and there might not have been any significant change—something for which he was grateful.
Seeing that the topic had been settled and was becoming a bit uncomfortable, Drake quickly moved on to change the subject.
"And well, continuing with the rest... As I mentioned, I already know what I want to buy, and in fact, from everything I've learned so far, I think one of the patrons watching me is the one who guided me to find it."
He didn't waste much time invoking the store window in front of him and began searching for something in particular while Adam watched with curiosity, surprised to see that instead of opening the normal search bar, he entered the section called 'Idea Forge,' where it seemed he already had something saved.
⌠Pinnacle Class Craft - Rank ?: 1500pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It grants the user the skill ‘Class X’, where X is based on the effort and aptitude demonstrated from the moment of acquisition. Once accepted, this skill will disappear and be replaced by the new class.⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Pinnacle Class Craft - Rank ?” ?⌡ ⌠Y/N⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Hidden: There is an infinite number of possible classes, and although many may share similarities, each one has something unique.⌡ [Hint: The user has a 5-second window to decline the class that appears as a result immediately after the announcement. This will reset the merit/effort meter but will guarantee a class of greater rarity in the next result. This is a cumulative option.]
Wow, that was a pretty powerful ability for such a low price. However, it was immediately clear why: it was something you would have to save for a long time if you really wanted it to pay off. Adam clearly remembered that the first "classes" they saw after the first scenario were all low-priced and low-ranked. After this, he could say he was starting to understand the blond's mentality a bit better, especially since he had ventured into the scenario with nothing more than a pair of brass knuckles that he had already lost anyway... Wait, something jumped to his mind suddenly.
"Wait, you had a [Analyze] skill. Why is it no longer showing in your data?"
That sudden revelation startled both him, Drake, and Li, as none of them had noticed it, with the blond being the most shaken. Now that he remembered, he still had it until he lost consciousness in the previous scenario—how could it be gone? A bit desperate, he tried to force its activation while looking at the screen, hoping it would provide him with the basic information his skill offered. However, instead, a couple of additional windows opened before his eyes, visible only to him and Adam thanks to their cursed eyes.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
⌠User Drake Shaw has absorbed and assimilated low-level skill [Analyze Lv1] due to his high species rank.⌡ ⌠Skill [Analyze Lv1] will now be a racial trait.⌡
“...!”
That was incredible, though not entirely unknown; after all, Adam himself also had racial traits thanks to his new species. However, it was certainly amazing to see how Drake, despite being human, had managed to absorb a skill and make it part of his natural abilities. Could this be the greatest advantage of increasing one's species rank? Or perhaps it was a unique characteristic of humans? Many questions and very few answers, and the most shocked by the news was Li, who seemed overwhelmed after being informed about the discovery.
"Wait, does that mean you can absorb all the level 1 skills you want and they'll become part of your abilities? Wow, that's bullshit!"
The jealousy was evident; even though he had many more skills and powers than Drake, the ability to absorb skills and make them personal effects was something he would kill for. However, Drake responded shortly after, not taking his eyes off the shop screen and demonstrating that he could now see information about things without needing to use [Analyze].
"That's not how it works. In fact, it seems I can see what I can and can't absorb."
Adam was surprised again, as even his 'Cursed Eyes' couldn't provide that information. It was likely something specific to Drake due to his new state, so he couldn't help him choose at the moment.
"I understand. Choose what you can assimilate and what you find suitable; I’ll make sure to check the hidden information on all of them."
Adam responded calmly to the grateful look from the blond and the nearly unanimous nods from the group, with only Li remaining silent but not opposing the idea.
Drake ended up purchasing his first choice for 1,500 points and then spent several minutes searching for low-level skills that met his requirements. In the end, he was satisfied with his selections and signaled to his companion to review them. Adam slowly approached and began to read each one aloud.
⌠Physical Strength Boost Package: 300pts⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Physical Strength Boost Package”?⌡ ⌠Y / N⌡
⌠Great Weight Control Lv1: 200pts⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Great Wight Control”?⌡ ⌠Y / N⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Low-level skill that allows the user to increase his weight at will.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Hint: There is no limit to the weight increase.⌡ ⌠Warning: The user is still sensitive to the weight increase, it can cause deadly and irreversible internal damage if the body can’t handle the weight.⌡
⌠Like a Fool Lv1: 100pts⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Like a Fool”?⌡ ⌠Y / N⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Low-level skill that confers the user a chance to cause the status effect [Stunned] to an objective with a surprise action.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Hint: The more shocking the action the user makes, the higher the odds to cause the status effect on the target.⌡
⌠Poison Resistance Lv?: 100pts⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Poison Resistance”?⌡ ⌠Y / N⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Low-level passive skill that makes the user a little resistant to toxic elements from an Lv1 or F-rank source or lower.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ [Hint: This skill shows signs of evolution; it will continue to evolve the more toxic-related afflictions the user overcomes.]
⌠Single Step Lv1: 300pts⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Single Step”?⌡ ⌠Y / N⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Low-level skill that allows the user to take a single step on any surface without stumbling.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Warning: It is not possible to remain standing after activating the skill; once the first step is taken, the effect will disappear. Use with caution, as continuous use may cause severe fatigue.⌡
All of them seemed like strange skills, some more than others, and each came with different types of risks and conditions. Therefore, Adam decided to highlight all these aspects before his companion purchased anything else. The blond simply replied that he had no issues with that, which none of the other group members objected to. Once the purchases were finalized, Drake was left with exactly 90 of all his accumulated points, just as a few system windows appeared in front of him.
⌠User Drake Shaw has absorbed and assimilated multiple low-level skills due to his high species rank.⌡ ⌠Skills [Great Weight Control Lv1], [Like a Fool Lv1], [Poison Resistance Lv?], [Single Step Lv1] will now be racial traits.⌡
Adam had to admit that watching him do that was truly fascinating. He would have to ask him to let him check his stats personally later, as, like him, they should reflect the innate abilities he had begun to acquire. He wanted to know if they remained the same or had changed in any way.
Just moments after that, another window materialized in front of Drake, something that everyone could see this time. However, Adam barely managed to read it before the blond pressed a button on it, making it disappear.
⌠The skill [Pinnacle Class Craft - Rank ?] has evaluated your potential and effort, it will be replaced with [Class: Feral Berserk - Rank D].⌡ [Reroll⌡
“That was a D-rank class…”
Adam said, somewhat dazed, that Drake had rejected it so quickly without even thinking about it for a second.
“D-rank? That’s not bad, congrats”
Li said after hearing him, though his voice had a hint of relief. However, it didn’t last long, as the blond quickly responded.
"No, I won’t accept any class that’s presented to me until it has at least an A-rank, no matter how long it takes."
The skill he had purchased was one he chose specifically to reward his tenacity and effort, the only things he considered himself good at. He wouldn’t settle for picking up scraps; instead, he would use it to reach the highest heights his limits allowed. Adam could certainly understand this, even from a cost-benefit perspective, while Li merely let out a grunt.
Finally, the last thing Drake had to do was choose the exchange item using "Thaddeus’s promised reward". This was perhaps the most challenging decision to make due to the limitations they faced. However, to everyone's surprise, the boy simply raised his arm and began to scroll while speaking in a calm and slightly more upbeat voice.
"Don't worry, I know exactly what I want."
It didn’t take long for him to find what he was looking for and signal Adam to check it out.
[Thaddeus's Railgun Revolver - Rank B ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Remarkable mechanical firearm designed and used by the young inventor Thaddeus Volta, showcasing a striking steampunk motif. This innovative revolver utilizes electromagnetic force to propel nearly any metal projectile, functioning like a miniature railgun. While its extreme recoil demands considerable strength to wield, the weapon's destructive power is astonishingly high.⌡ [Cursed Vision Knowledge] [Notice: It can only store six bullets at a time and need to be recharged manually.] [Warning: Due to its heavy recoil, if the user does not have enough strength to use it properly, its accuracy will decrease.] [Do you want to exchange [Thaddeus's Railgun Revolver - Rank B ] with ‘Thaddeus’s promised reward’? ] [Y/N]
“A gun? Are you sure?”
Asked Adam, clearly confused, as he had believed that Drake would always want items that would enhance his hand-to-hand combat skills, given his supposed knowledge and practice in martial arts.
“It’s okay, trust me”
Adam wasn't entirely convinced, especially considering all the other options available in the 'Stratos Technology' catalog. However, he didn't voice any objections, and neither did the others, who simply watched as Drake completed the exchange and received the weapon in his hands. He soon made it disappear in the same manner Kazue had done with her gauntlets.
"Alright, if that's all, I request to be next. You'll see what a true information sheet looks like."
Li suddenly declared, finally taking the spotlight and stepping forward a couple of paces. He summoned his stats window and displayed it to the group with a satisfied smile.
⌠Name: Li Xie Jie⌡ ⌠Age: 36⌡ ⌠Species: Human - Rank E⌡ ⌠Points: 4720⌡ ⌠Potential: D⌡ ⌠Merits:⌡ ⌠Merit Rank D x1⌡ ⌠Merit Rank C x1⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Fake Magician⌡ ⌠Lukewarm Veteran⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Aagasu Winda Lv3⌡ ⌠Ganzu Metalo Lv2⌡ ⌠Physica Naguru Lv2⌡ ⌠Raajia Ignis LV2⌡ ⌠Doruku Pantser LV2⌡ ⌠Gigano Laser LV2⌡ ⌠Begiru Rakketen LV2⌡ ⌠Robo Bleek LV2⌡ ⌠Treasures:⌡ ⌠Lesser Demonic Grimoire (Replica) - Rank E⌡ ⌠Thaddeus’s promised reward x1 (Pending)⌡ ⌠Team Voucher Bonus x1⌡