As Alex carefully formulates a plan on what he should do next, deep in thought, he suddenly notices Benezia standing directly in front of him, staring him straight in the eyes.
"Explain your thoughts," she says, calm, but slightly curious.
Alex sighs. He then quickly shares his plans with her.
"I see," she responds calmly.
"That's it?" Alex asks, slightly confused.
Why did I explain things to her?
"I can offer my opinion," she suggests.
Alex nods, "Sure, go ahead."
"Before I offer my opinion, please consider this. I am not all-knowing. I am not someone who is always correct. I am learning. I am merely sharing my own, personal opinion," Benezia says.
"Sounds good," Alex says. "An objective, outside perspective would be helpful."
"Your overall decision-making seems sound, so there is no reason to hesitate, in my opinion. Though I would advise against giving away the [Thorian Core]. Perk or not, use it for yourself. Three stat points are more than half of what you require to upgrade your stats by one. If you do the math, these three stat points turn into six, if we include your Innate skill. Stats are incredibly effective for you—more so than any items. Worst of all, you can't specialize in any single stat, which is why you can't fall behind in obtaining as many stats as you can. Once you fall behind, you will turn into a mediocre allrounder, however unlikely that is at this point, as you are seemingly doing an outstanding job."
"...I have thought of it. I have to agree… How about a little compromise? I can't use these three stat points at this moment anyway, so there's no reason to use the item. I can keep it and just decide later, depending on what Rishi offers," Alex argues.
Benezia nods, seemingly agreeing. "A sound and logical argument. However, that way your friend will learn about the [Thorian Core]. Your relationship could suffer if he feels like you are acting selfishly. Your beautiful pet, I, and Menchi will not reveal a thing. I suggest using it right now."
…Could she be right? Her argument is cold but not wrong… however, the Perk could be worth even more. Rishi wouldn't scam me. We've built up trust, purely out of our common need to survive, but it wouldn't make sense for him to throw that all away because he doesn't want to pay for an item and demands it anyway.
Princess Jewel can see the truth in her argument—however, this is not a case with a clear answer. Soulmate would not even be betraying Manipulator Rishi if Soulmate were to hide this item.
"I'll think about it," Alex replies. "For now, I'll use my [Krogan's Might]."
Alex takes out the small ampule, cracks open the glass, and pours it into his mouth. The potion tastes like blood, making Alex's face distort in displeasure.
I want to spit it out so badly, but what can I do…
He desperately gulps down the potion and watches as his Innate skill activates again.
You have gained 1 STR
You have gained 1 PHY
You have lost 1 INT
ERROR: Current stats not aligned with Statistical OCD lvl MAX.
You have lost 1 STR
You have lost 1 PHY
You have gained 1 INT
You have received 2 Stat Points.
"System! Use all my 15 Available Stat Points to increase my stats!"
All Stats increased by three.
Suddenly, Alex's entire body is set on fire. He feels his limbs twist, his bones burn, and every muscle in his body contract and release with unnatural force. Despite the overwhelming pain, he soon feels something else—pleasure. Raw, primal, pulsing pleasure, unlike anything he's ever experienced.
Damn, three stat increases at once is just insane!
After several minutes of screaming, pain, and bliss, Alex finally regains his senses—only to find Benezia still standing there, watching him closely, her expression unreadable.
"That was a fairly interesting process," she comments.
Alex sighs, still not energized enough to deal with his new Supporter.
I should have done it alone… in my room. There is one more decision to make. I'm using [Shepard's Promise], no doubt about that. What other trinket do I equip? 5% AURA regeneration is nice… but really not that great. The Watch increases my LUK by 1, and the time effect is useful… I'm staring at it at least a few times every single day. I think I'll just store the license. If I can upgrade it, it could become very useful, but for now, it's honestly beneath me.
[Hunter License]
World: Hunter x Hunter
Quality: Deep Green
Type: Trinket (Card)
Required Stats: NEN - 1
Effect: Increases AURA regeneration by 5%
Note: You are officially a Hunter! Don't be tempted to sell this license, you'll regret it.
Note: Can be upgraded
[Destiny Watch]
World: Hunter x Hunter
Quality:Light Purple
Type: Trinket (pocket watch)
Required Stats: LUK - 10
Effect:Increases LUK by 1 (If LUK is below 10, just carrying this item will reduce your LUK by 1, and the other effects will remain inactive, displaying random information instead.)
Effect: Always shows the current day, weekday, month, year, temperature, humidity, and contains a 100% reliable compass. Works in any world—circles may adjust in worlds with alternative interpretations of days, months, or years.
Effect: Once per mission, you can activate this item to give you a random hint. Following the hint always leads to a good outcome!
Note: All-knowing, mysterious, and magical, this watch holds powers that provide accurate information regardless of location. However, if the wearer's LUK is low, it won't work at all and even decreases the wearer's LUK.
Note: If you look carefully at this watch, you may discover the source of its mysterious power.
Let's check out my stats for now, without the license and with the new trinket.
Alex Kerber: Lvl 7
STR: 21 (+17), AGI: 21 (+4), PHY: 21 (+8), SNS: 21 (+2), CHA: 21 (+6), MNA: 21 (+10), INT: 21, SPR: 21 (+6), LUK: 21 (+7), NEN: 21 (+2)
Available Stat Points: 0
All stats increased by three. Also, 1 additional LUK, CHA, and SPR for equipping [Shepard's Promise]. Not bad.
"Time to open the chests!" Alex says, while Benezia is still watching him with curiosity.
He uses up another [Blood Essence], leaving him with just two.
You have lost a Blood Essence
All Stats Increased by 6
With a phenomenal LUK of 34, 21 base stats, 7 stats gained through items, and finally 6 temporary stats due to [Drakul's Vitality R2], Alex begins to open his last two Purple chests.
Let's start with the one from the Geth Prime we fought in the ruins.
You have received Soul Crystal (Small)
You have received 21,000 FC
You have received Geth Waistguard
Not checking the items yet, Alex finally opens Saren's chest.
You have received 24,000 FC
You have received Saren's Embrace
Interesting! Let's see what I got!
[Geth Waistguard]
World: Mass Effect
Quality:Deep Purple
Type: Belt (Waistguard)
Required Stats: STR - 15, PHY - 15
Durability: 75/75
Effect:Increases STR by 3 (Flat boost, not increased by other skills)
Effect: Increases PHY by 3 (Flat boost, not increased by other skills)
Effect: Steadfast - Decreases recovery time after receiving physical damage by 20%
Note: A belt created from melted-down Geth Components, creating a unique composite Metal. Despite its tremendous strength, there is not a single Geth part that works.
[Saren's Embrace]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Light Gold
Type: Armor
Required Stats: SPR - 30
Required Main Stats: SPR (Primary)
Durability: 200/200 (Can't be destroyed)
Effect: Increases PHY by 5 (Flat boost, not increased by other skills)
Effect: Increases PHY by 5 (Flat boost, not increased by other skills)
Effect: Reaper Zeal - Increases Movement speed and physical attack speed by 10%. Also recovers 1 Durability every minute.
Note: Trying to equip this item without fulfilling the SPR requirements will lead to immediate, irreversible Indoctrination.
Note: See the light.
"Nice!" Alex yells, clenching his fist.
Another gold item! Also, the belt is a straight upgrade, exactly what I needed! Does LUK even choose what kind of item I obtain?! This is almost too lucky!
"A rather frightening item," Benezia comments, her face twisting into one full of suffering for just a second, before regaining her clarity.
"The Armor is another item I can't use. SPR is not my primary stat, and I'm far away from choosing one… a process I'm not even sure I can do. This is useless for me. However, I know just the person who would consider this a divine—almost godlike—item," Alex says.
"At least you can equip the belt, right?" Benezia asks.
"Yes, however, it might become worthless if it's considered a high technology item. I'm actually not sure if that's the case…" Alex replies, pausing to think. "1337! Is this item considered a high technology item, similar to the weapons and armored suits in Mass Effect?"
[No. This is a generic item. There is no technology left in that Waistguard. It's just considered an item with a special metallic alloy. Host will be able to equip it in all Worlds.]
With a smile, Alex equips his new [Geth Waistguard], gaining one more STR and one more PHY, along with a more durable, more protective item—and the Steadfast effect, perfect for a melee fight.
Alex glances over at Benezia, who's still watching him intently.
This is awkward… Her gaze is making me nervous. I feel like I'm standing in front of some high priestess. I need to learn to relax with her around… and so does she!
"Can you relax a little? I'm sorry, but I seriously need some rest… How about I start the game I told you about? It'll take a while for your things to arrive, and I need some sleep, some fresh air—and I'm a little worried about my friends. They must've joined a mission last minute. I wonder what happened…" Alex mutters.
It wasn't too long ago that she joined a mission. Fairy Tale, if I remember correctly. Why the rush? I guess after she's done, she has the same level as me again. Curious that she teamed up with Rishi. They're constantly bickering… I hope they didn't fuck up.
Princess Jewel can help Benezia with her perfect playthrough!
"Enough with your shitty playthroughs, Jewel. Let her experience the game at least once without help or interference. Afterwards, you can tell her all the secrets and how to access the wiki so she can maybe find out more about the universe," Alex says, rubbing his head.
"You can still play with me, if you want, little one," Benezia says. "I could use some advice on how exactly this 'game' functions," she adds, stretching out her hand.
❤️
Jewel quickly jumps down from Alex's head and climbs onto her hand, then onto her shoulder.
"Have fun…" Alex says, shaking his head and leaving his room.
Feeling worn out, Alex sits down on the couch, Menchi quickly joining him.
"I'm going to the Realm now. I need to check the markets and ingredients!" she says with an excited look. "I wonder how much my [Medigel-modified] and [Omnigel-modified] will cost.
"You look tired, Alex," she suddenly notes, her voice softening with concern.
"I am…" he replies.
She then drags him down and hugs him, cuddling with him in silence.
After 30 minutes, Alex is fast asleep.
Hours later, he wakes up as he feels a sudden shift in the room.
As soon as he opens his eyes, he's assaulted by a brown-haired woman, jumping on top of him, smiling wildly.
Lose some weight… will you?
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