The Gremlin’s Vengeful Wager
“Buzz!” I shook my hands vigorously, flinging off as much goblin blood as I could before heading home.
Last time I’d forgotten and left the blood behind, and it had been a real pain.
I’d had no idea just how toxic goblin blood was… I’d thought I was going to die right there.
Even after two hours with the windows open, the stench still clung to me. That was why I refused to make the same mistake twice.
The good news? I’d only fought one goblin, so the smell wasn’t nearly as bad.
“Hey… this one’s still here. Can I take it?”
The goblin’s corpse hadn’t vanished, and neither had the sword it had been clutching.
But since it was one the goblin had used, I worried it might carry some curse.
I could’ve just left it alone, of course.
Instead, I gathered the swarm bugs into a makeshift glove, then lifted the sword.
The bugs, vibrating wildly, clung to the blade and twisted like crazy. It looked anything but ordinary.
“Appraisal.”
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“Name: Anonymous Mask”
- Grade: Rare
- A mask forged by crushing the souls of starving people.
- It was almost accepted into the Cult of the Evil God as a holy relic, but the mask’s rampage prevented that.
- Unstable, but it devours its wearer and drives them to ruin.
- Skill: Gluttony — swallow to create your own strength.”
“As I suspected… that’s why the bugs keep falling off the glove.”
I watched the glove develop holes and stabbed the sword into the floor.
It absorbed power, I guessed, but I wasn’t sure what would happen if I kept absorbing it.
Well, it was an unfinished sword anyway… probably useless.
“Huh? Why Sword.”
Even after the fight ended, Sword stayed perfectly still, staring at the mask.
I wondered if it was because it sensed the evil aura or if it was just thinking.
Sword kept glancing between me and the mask. It was almost like it was saying something.
“You don’t want to get close to the mask, right?”
Clack-clack. The mask kept bumping against me like it was agreeing.
I’d seen the other bugs get close, fall off, and die, yet it still wanted to approach?
If I’d been normal, I’d have sent it packing, but I’d spent a few days with it… affection had grown. I didn’t want it to go near something so dangerous.
It was almost like a mom trying to stop her kid from causing trouble.
“Heh, what? I’m not even your real mom. So why do you want to go over there?”
I faced the mask while it squirmed, trying to act cute.
Sword’s red eyes sparkled and stared straight at me.
Wait, a bug this cute?
Is this real? How can a bug have such shiny eyes?
“… Sigh, fine. If it looks too dangerous, you back off immediately. Got it?”
I nodded and slowly approached, reaching out to the mask.
Srrrk. As the bugs released me, I felt uneasy seeing Sword close to it.
The swarm was small, but Sword wasn’t huge either. Wouldn’t this cause real trouble?
While I worried, the system chimed in.
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A bug under your command has discovered a new evolution method.
New evolution is possible.
However, failure is also possible. LT__/div>
I hoped Sword would get stronger, but the warning about failure made me hesitate.
What exactly did failure mean? Would Sword die?
That would be too…
While I was thinking, I felt a tap on my arm. I turned and saw Sword, body straightened, head rubbing against my arm like it had just fallen off the sword.
“Eh? You want to, huh?”
Sword rubbed its head again, as if begging me to believe in it. I met its eyes.
I didn’t know what would happen if it failed, yet it still wanted to try. It had guts.
… Bugs are supposed to have tiny hearts, yet it was brave like this?
“It can succeed?… No, of course it can!”
I straightened up and grinned.
Who would fail when they had such confidence? Sword wasn’t even human, but its self-belief was unshakable.
“Alright. Sword, show me.”
Since I’d succeeded at metamorphosis, I figured Sword couldn’t fail.
The moment I accepted Sword’s metamorphosis, the mask on the floor dissolved into fine threads and wrapped around Sword’s body.
Srrrk—.
The way it spiraled around was almost like a chrysalis.
The only difference?
“If I undergo metamorphosis, will it feel like this?”
When I touched it, the texture was pure iron. Not soft and plush, but rough, hard, and cold.
I wasn’t sure whether I could call it a chrysalis, but…
“So when does this end?”
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Sword’s metamorphosis will last seven more days. LT__/div>
“What, seven days?!”
I’d become a metamorphosed bug in just one day, yet it would take seven? I never imagined metamorphosis would take that long.
Insects molt longer than that, but this skill was too slow!
Still dizzy from the news, I carefully carried the chrysalis that was Sword.
This meant it was time to head home.
“Exit the tower.”
Last time I’d been forced out, but I hadn’t been forced.
I could exit whenever I wanted, so if I’d known that sooner, I could’ve grabbed my armor back then too.
What a waste.
…
Back home, I stretched my shoulders and rolled out the stiffness.
“Ugh~ The fight must have worn me out. So the reward should be…?”
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“Reward calculation complete.”
“Class-type skillbook (E to A) acquired.”
“Two skillbooks acquired.”
“Physical ability improved.”
“Five E-grade magic stones acquired.”
“Extreme reward box acquired.”
“No bug-grade upgrade this time?”
Last time Sword had leveled up, but going from Normal to Rare was easy; Rare to Epic was apparently impossible.
If it had been possible, I’d have had an overpowered army of bugs by now… then no one would complain about item prices.
I still didn’t understand the tower or hunters well enough.
“Two Extreme reward boxes now?”
I’d get one every time I cleared the tower, but I hadn’t used them yet because I didn’t know what was inside.
Two boxes… maybe I could open them without thinking.
But there was something odd this time.
“What’s this? Why are there two books on the floor?”
They looked unfamiliar, but I’d seen similar items in the Hunter Market app. I knew what they were.
Skillbooks that anyone could learn.
I definitely hadn’t received any during my last tower clear, yet here they were. I checked the unfinished message.
“They added a skillbook to the reward?”
I’d thought the reward was similar to last time, but there was a difference.
Last time it only offered class-type skillbooks, but this time it listed non-class-type skillbooks too.
That explained the two books.
I hadn’t expected any skillbooks, but class-type ones converted to B Points as usual. This one just dropped as-is.
Skills could be learned by anyone if conditions were met, right?
But non-class types were less efficient, so everyone sold them…
I had no class, so why not?
I picked up the skillbooks, and even without Appraisal, the system told me what they were.
“Oh… Fireball (B)? Wait, what?”
The name Fireball sent my hopes soaring, but the line “(Cannot be learned)” immediately made me frown.
Why? Why couldn’t I learn it?
It sounded like a simple fireball-throwing spell!
And the accompanying E-grade skill, Thread Control, I could actually learn? That made me even angrier.
It felt like the kind of thing you’d eat and throw away…
“Why don’t they tell you the reason?”
I grabbed the reason-less skillbook, then let go, worried I’d tear it.
I put it away and calmed down.
Yeah… it might be unlearnable. I got too excited thinking I could learn something new.
But no matter how I looked at it, I was still mad.
I’d been waiting for a new skill, and all I got was Thread Control?
My Fireball! The magic I dreamed of using!
“This probably won’t sell anyway.”
I looked at the E-grade skillbook for Thread Control and thought, “Might as well learn this.”
After all, it was bugs. I’d summon a bug that handled thread eventually.
It would help somehow.
“… Ugh, my anger won’t go away.”
What to do? I knew exactly what to do.
I grabbed my phone and opened a delivery app. I needed food and stress relief.
Man, I really wanted to smash the tower.
They should’ve just given points and more bugs.
“Oh, actually, there’s something to do.”
I spotted the two Extreme reward boxes on the floor. Opening one might relieve my anger.
Honestly, I was nervous about getting another useless item like the skillbooks…
But the description said it would be helpful. Surely it wouldn’t be useless?
“Alright, let’s open them right away.”
I used the box, and with a bright flash, the box vanished and a small bottle appeared in my hand.
What is this? What did I get?