Chapter 13: Reward Orb
Later that day, Akira arrived at his usual inn, where Alice was already waiting for him, excitement clearly visible on her face.
She spoke eagerly, "Akira, take it out! Let's see it!"
He calmly opened the bag and took out a small orb, faint glowing lines twisting and swirling around it.
Turning it slowly in his hands, he said, "I wonder… why didn't I want to sell it?"
He answered himself, "Because… it's far more valuable than it looks."
At that moment, a notification appeared before him:
[Name]: Random Reward Orb
[Rank]: First Rank (Low)
[Description]: Grants a random artifact. The rank can range from Unranked to First Rank.
Alice spoke in an analytical tone, "Monsters sometimes drop reward orbs or artifacts. The drop rate is ridiculously low, but hunters do obtain them on rare occasions."
Akira replied, clearly amazed, "So… I really am lucky."
She added, staring at the orb with fascination, "I didn't expect you to get something like this. Think carefully before using it."
He nodded confidently. "I'll try it now."
The orb glowed brightly in his hands, then began to stretch and reshape itself, slowly taking form until it finally became a long, slender sword.
A new notification appeared:
[Congratulations! You have obtained a First Rank item]
[Name]: Blood Katana
[Rank]: First Rank
[Description]: A katana-type sword that feeds on blood. The more enemy blood it absorbs, the sharper it becomes.
Warning: High chance to inflict bleeding.
[Durability]: 1000 / 1000
Alice exclaimed with genuine amazement, "My god… you actually got a First Rank sword!"
Akira gripped the katana and lightly swung it through the air. A sharp tearing sound echoed:
"Shhhhh—"
"Awesome."
Alice laughed teasingly. "Careful, you might cut your finger."
Akira gently returned the sword to its sheath and placed it calmly on the table.
Alice smiled brightly. "Starting tomorrow, we begin your physical training. You'll wake up at dawn, run, then practice swordsmanship, followed by magic training, and finally, reading."
Akira stretched lazily as he headed toward the bathroom. "First… a shower. Then a deep sleep."
Alice watched him disappear inside, then whispered softly with a light smile, "It's… random. Extremely random."