The man secured the wooden leg in its place, gave it a few testing kicks against the ground, and seemed satisfied. As he straightened up, a translucent box materialized in front of me, showing that I completed the quest. Unfortunately, the rewards were underwhelming—no rare materials, no massive XP boost. Just the basics. Still, it was something.
===================
NOTIFICATION
===================
Side Quest Completed: Missing Limb
-----------------------------------
+ XP Gained: 15
+ 4x Common Item Material
-----------------------------------
| Current XP: 25 / 125
-----------------------------------
| Progress: ██???????????
=========================
As the man tried to rise, I stepped forward to help, gripping his arm and steadying him. He tested the leg, taking careful steps while keeping one hand against the wall for balance. Slowly, he emerged onto the main street, taking a deep breath as if tasting freedom after days of confinement.
“Thank you, kid,” he said, his voice a mix of gratitude and disbelief. “I can walk again. It’s been… days.”
“No problem.”
“I still don’t get your play, boy,” he added, glancing at me sideways. “But thank you.”
“No play. Just wanted to help, that’s all.”
“Well,” he said, placing a rough hand on my shoulder, “thank you. Really. I wish I could give you something for the trouble.”
“No need. Don’t worry.”
“You’re a good kid.”
“Debatable. But thanks for the compliment.”
With a nod, he limped down the street, the faint sound of his steps fading into the crowd. Leaning against the wall, I crossed my arms and watched him until he disappeared from view.
The sky above shifted uncertainly, clouds rolling in and out, indecisive in their intent. For a moment, it reminded me of my world, where the weather could never seem to make up its mind.
“Now…” I muttered, pushing off the wall. “All I need is a coffee.”
As I began walking in the opposite direction, the desire to figure out the translucent box tugged at the back of my mind. But that could wait. A hot coffee, a bed, and a little peace were my priorities before school started.
“Man,” I sighed, staring at the uneven cobblestones beneath my feet. “I just want to go home… this sucks.”
I lifted my eyes to the sky again, watching the dark clouds drift by. Everything and everyone seemed to move forward, but I was stuck—lost in this world with no clear path back to my own.
Turning a corner, my attention was drawn to a massive carriage rolling down the street. It was nothing like the one I’d recently ridden—a grand, opulent vehicle that demanded attention. Its frame was painted a deep ebony, accented with ornate gold carvings that spiraled elegantly along its edges. The wheels, large and reinforced with polished metal rims, seemed to glide effortlessly over the street.
The door boasted a golden knob shaped like a lion’s head, and through the small window, I caught a glimpse of velvet curtains drawn halfway open. The horses pulling it were enormous, their glossy coats rippling with muscle. They wore decorative harnesses with small golden plates that shimmered in the faint sunlight.
Two heavily armored guards flanked the coachman, their polished steel armor catching the light. Their spears stood upright like silent warnings. Through the window, I could make out four more guards seated inside, their silhouettes barely visible behind the luxurious curtains.
“Is that…” someone near me whispered. “One of Haru’s followers?”
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“Why is she here?”
“She’s probably going to the Queen.”
“The Queen’s at her palace, though. And the carriage isn’t headed there.”
“Maybe she’s lost?”
“Wow. One of Haru’s followers!”
So the Queen had kept her word, sending one of Haru’s followers to Seker’s mother. Despite her ego and constant power-tripping, she had at least proven herself capable of fulfilling a promise. For a brief moment, my faith in her judgment felt justified. Then I remembered the agonising hours I’d spent in the dungeon. That woman was… strange.
“Good,” I murmured, a rare sense of relief washing over me. “At least she’ll get cured… wonder how Seker will react, though.”
══════?══════
Entering my room with the coffee in hand, I shut the door with my leg and placed the cup on the windowsill. Pulling a chair close, I settled down and took a long sip, gazing out at the cold, dreary weather. This quiet moment felt almost comforting. Every blink seemed to invite sleep closer, but I knew how it would go. As soon as I laid my head on the pillow, sleep would abandon me, leaving me staring at the ceiling.
I missed my sleeping pills. Truthfully, I missed everything from my world, not just the pills.
Taking another sip, I opened the status screen and tapped the crafting option. A new menu appeared, displaying potential upgrades and items available for crafting. The list included weapons like daggers, swords, shields, and even bows and arrows.
Crafting required item materials, categorized into five types: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. To create an Uncommon material, I needed to combine four Common materials. The same ratio applied for crafting Rare materials, but Epic and Legendary required six of the preceding tier.
“Hmm, let’s see…” I said, getting up.
I crouched down and pulled Phobe’s Armor out from under the bed. After adding it to my inventory, I navigated back to the crafting screen to check the upgrade requirements.
======================
CRAFTING MENU
======================
Phobe's Armor Upgrade
----------------------
Materials Needed:
×Common: 4
×Rare: 2
[CRAFT]
======================
Available Item Materials:
×Common: 8 ×Uncommon: 2
======================
Crafting this will grant:
+2 Armor.
======================
“Okay… what about its stats?” I said, sitting back into the chair.
======================
PHOBE'S ARMOR
======================
Armor: 1
Poison Resist: 10%
Enchantment Slots: ? (None)
Upgrade Capacity:
[□□□] (3 Upgrades Remaining)
======================
“So, I can upgrade it three times… I also remember there’s a disassemble option.”
The armor’s name appeared in a box with a white background, denoting its Common rarity. It wasn’t much, but it had saved my life during the bear attack.
I removed the rich clothing gifted by the fat man and slipped back into my school uniform. The clothing vanished into my inventory when I placed my finger on it and held it for a moment. A white circle appeared, slowly filling as the item was registered.
The disassemble option popped up as a new menu.
===================
NOTIFICATION
===================
Disassemble: Rich Clothing?
-----------------------------------
+ 2x Epic Item Material
+ 5x Uncommon Item Material
-----------------------------------
[Confirm] [Cancel]
Without hesitation, I pressed confirm, and the clothing disappeared from my inventory. Returning to the crafting screen, I checked my updated materials: two Epic, seven Uncommon, and eight Common item materials.
I needed two Rare and four Common materials to upgrade the armor. Fortunately, by combining four Common materials into a single Uncommon and then converting those to Rare materials, I was able to meet the requirement.
“Let’s upgrade it…”
Pressing craft, the material counters in the top corner adjusted accordingly. Moments later, a confirmation screen popped up, notifying me that the upgrade was successful.
I took another sip of coffee, then examined the updated stats.
======================
PHOBE'S ARMOR (+1)
======================
Armor: 3
Poison Resist: 10%
Enchantment Slots: ? (None)
Upgrade Capacity:
[■□□] (2 Upgrades Remaining)
======================
At first glance, the armor looked unchanged, but as I ran my fingers over the fabric, it felt noticeably sturdier.
“Handy,” I muttered. “I wonder what else I can do with this translucent box.”
