Chapter 122: Settlement
Chapter 122: Settlement
Enjoying the sensation of Carla and Elisha as they shivered and burrowed into my arms, I reached out and picked up the alarm I had set aside.
Ding!
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【Academy’s 7 Great Mysteries Defeated!】
You encountered the 7 Great Mysteries—which you thought were mere rumors—and defeated them all!
Well… they weren’t quite as grand as the rumors suggested, and perhaps they weren’t even the real deal!
Regardless, it is a fact that you unearthed and resolved the secrets of the Academy!
As a reward, a portion of the essence of these ghost stories will be integrated into you!
-Title: Ghost Buster acquired.
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It was exactly as I expected.
The "Ghost Buster" title was one of those subtle rewards—nice to have, but not something you’d be crippled without.
Its effects were simple.
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【Title: Ghost Buster】
You completely crushed seven different ghost stories before a single night could even pass.
The things that cannot die should be the ones afraid of you instead.
-5% bonus to the effectiveness of all actions taken against the Undead.
-Low probability of reflecting mental attacks from Undead-type monsters.
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At first glance, one might think it’s a decent title despite being limited to a specific race, but…
The fact that it was limited to the Undead was the problem.
Undead monsters are powerful, but they have just as many weaknesses. They’re weak to Light magic, weak to Fire, and they practically melt when exposed to Holy Power. A melee fighter could get a bigger bonus than 5% just by splashing a cup of holy water on their weapon. If they received a Priest’s blessing, the bonus would be even higher.
The only truly useful part was the second option: reflecting mental attacks.
Undead monsters, regardless of their level, all possess some form of Intimidation-related trait designed to strike fear into their enemies. Usually, this just results in the target’s body stiffening or their morale dropping. However, Mage-type Undead actively utilize this for various curses and mental magic.
If I could reflect that instead of just resisting it? It could become a broken title capable of making even high-ranking Undead flinch, if only for a moment.
But that second option triggered about as often as a drop of rain falls in a drought, so I couldn't pin much hope on it. If it worked, I was lucky; if it didn't, that was only natural.
Thus, the Ghost Buster title was treated as something that was nice to have but wouldn't cause any issues if you lacked it.
Of course, that was only the case in the game.
For the current me, who needed to become even a little bit stronger, it was a title well worth the few hours of investment.
As I sat there with a broad grin, mentally reviewing the dungeons and events related to the Undead...
Ding!
Suddenly, another alarm rang out.
"Huh?"
Was there something else left to trigger at this point?
【Boiling Silence Cult Exposed!】
"Ah."
I checked the system window with a sense of wonder. It contained the settlement details I had briefly forgotten about.
So this is finally popping up now.
Since it hadn't said anything until now, I thought it wouldn't give rewards for an event that didn't exist in H&A. But looking at the long, cascading notification window, a satisfied smile naturally spread across my face.
Perhaps I had made my joy a bit too obvious.
Carla and Elisha, who had been trembling at the rather eerie conclusion just moments ago, looked up at me with suspicious eyes.
"…You were thinking about something else just now, weren't you, Master? What's making you so happy?"
"She's right. Do you really have the leeway to think of other things while fondling both Carla and me at the same time?"
"Now, now. 'Fondling' is a bit harsh. I just happened to have a good thought."
I took my hands off their breasts, which I had been kneading, and calmly stroked their hair.
There was Carla’s platinum-blonde hair, which felt as smooth as silk against my skin. And then there was Elisha’s voluminous blue hair, which seemed to gently push back against my palm.
As I soothed their little complaints, I quickly read through the rest of the notification windows filling my vision.
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【Boiling Silence Cult Exposed!】
Oh my! You have exposed the dangers of the Boiling Silence, which had been so tightly hidden, to the entire world!
And you did it through a method everyone could accept—by utilizing a divine object of the Righteous Light!
Normally, this would be impossible!
They say the first time is a coincidence, the second is inevitable, and the third is fate.
But what should we call you, who has twisted fate three times now?
From now on, the high-ranking officials of every nation will be even more wary of cultists.
Furthermore, the Boiling Silence Cult, which had been playing a key role behind the scenes, will be set back, causing disruptions in the plans of other Evil God cults as well.
This is a magnificent achievement that could be seen as checking the entirety of the cultist forces single-handedly.
Unfortunately, the only ones who truly recognize this are the cultists you’ve victimized.
Still… you’re going to save the world, right?
-All stats significantly increased.
-Proficiency of all growth-type traits significantly increased.
-Affinity with all Good God churches increased.
-Affinity with the Church of Righteous Light increased further.
-All Evil God cults are now hostile toward you.
-The Boiling Silence has designated you as a public enemy.
-Trait: Cultist Hatred (D) has grown by one rank.
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"???"
I couldn't help but tilt my head at the contents.
First of all, the rewards themselves were eye-poppingly good. Stat and trait growth are always welcome. I had also expected my relationship with the Good God churches to improve and the Evil God cults to worsen. The Cultist Hatred trait is difficult to level up, but it’s a trait that only gets better the more it grows.
This was a level of reward comparable to what one might get for taking down an Apostle of an Evil God.
Despite that, there was one thing bothering me that kept me from being purely happy…
Was the status window’s tone always like this?
In the beginning, while there were occasionally lines that felt strangely provocative, I thought it had a more business-like tone. Like a literal game interface.
But the tone of this notification lacked almost any of that inorganic stiffness. Instead, it felt almost… friendly.
"……."
I didn't have a single clue.
Perhaps there was someone behind that system window.
Maybe the reason this settlement was late was because that "someone" was flustered by the scale of the "spy-hunting craze" I’d sparked across the continent. Or maybe it took a long time to calculate the rewards for such a contribution.
Of course, it could all just be my imagination.
However, if there really was someone behind the status window…
That person was surely the one who released H&A on Earth and dropped me into this world in this body.
If they brought me here from Earth, they might be able to send me back.
A word I had once yearned for so desperately, but had eventually buried in a corner of my heart.
Return.
The sudden possibility dangled before my eyes made my heart flutter.
A world I had experienced countless times through a game, a world where my inventory overflowed with gold, a world where I could actually use magic.
But also a world that might be destroyed within a few years.
If I could, I would have given up everything I had to return to Earth.
…At least, that’s what I thought until a few months ago.
Not anymore.
I felt the weight of Carla’s and Elisha’s heads pressing against my arms.
They were small, light heads… but for some reason, in this moment, they felt incredibly heavy.
If I were to leave halfway through, what would happen to these two? To Iris? To Fay?
Squeeze.
"Master?"
"Yandel?"
When I unconsciously tightened my grip around them, they both spoke up in confusion.
I forced a smile and shook my head.
"It's nothing. Just… you both look especially beautiful today. Yeah."
Ah, whatever!
Worrying about something that isn't even certain yet is a waste of time.
I’ll just do my best in the situation I’m given. Just as I’ve always done. And just as I will continue to do.
Repeating the mantra I had carved into my soul, I muttered internally.
'Status Window.'
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Name: Yandel
Title: Clumsy Treasure Hunter
Basic Stats
Strength: 13 -> 14
Durability: 13 -> 14
Agility: 13 -> 14
Dexterity: 15 -> 16
Magic: 20 -> 21
Traits
Endless Mana (A)
Elemental Affinity (B)
Excellent Memory (B)
Ordinary Weapon Skill (D) -> (D+)
Lintblum Mana Core (C) -> (C+)
Lower Mage (C)
Sun God's Blessing (B)
Cultist Hatred (D) -> (C)
Medicinal Constitution (C)
Element Combination (A)
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To think the Mana Core rank would rise already.
It must have been the "Mana Shower" I received for clearing the hidden piece in the library, combined with the various low-to-mid-grade elixirs I’d won at the auction house. The stacks must have been building up. Then, with the significant stat boost from this reward, it finally pushed it to the next level.
I looked down at Carla, who was purring and nuzzling her face against me in my arms.
"Resonance—the trait of the Lintblum Core. You said I could start learning it soon, right?"
Until now, I had simply used my massive mana pool to spam magic.
Now, it was time to use it to increase my destructive power as well.
