CHAPTER 22: CHAPTER 21: SPOILS

Zaen was excited after killing the minions, thinking they’d awaken the stick and unlock newer abilities. However, it seemed the system didn’t recognize those carnivores as anomalies.

Is it because they were human?

He realized there was a lot he didn’t know about the system or the game and made a mental note to check in with Beep-Boop the next time he was in a game.

For now, he opened his inventory and was surprised.

Out of the seven slots, all four of the scenario slots were filled. One carried the remaining 18 sealants, another was occupied by the Boning Sword, the third slot held a blue capsule, which he assumed to be the so-called EXP capsule, and the last slot had the loot box.

"So that’s what it meant when it said the inventory would store up to four scenario-specific items," Zaen nodded. "...I have a feeling I shouldn’t open the loot box just yet, as I don’t have enough slots to store more items."

During the first trial, he thought there was no need to have so many slots. Only now did he realize even seven slots weren’t enough, especially because of the item-specific slot restriction.

"I should look for ways to expand the storage—"

[Please evacuate the task area.]

[The corrupted location will disappear in 1 minute(s).]

"...Disappear?"

Zaen didn’t wait for an answer and hurried out. But he didn’t leave the area and sat on the bench on the opposite side. He stood ten meters away, looking at the shop through his perception.

As soon as the counter hit zero, the entire shop was covered in a ball of flames. There was no explosion, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary... at least to those who were blissfully unaware of the existence of anomalies.

As for Zaen, he didn’t know why no one was reacting to a building that was on fire. Yet, he didn’t stick around to know why. The task was complete, and it was time to check the spoils.

***

Another shock was waiting for Zaen when he reached the house. The distance between the shop and his home wasn’t too big, just two kilometers, but considering the time he had spent completing the task, it should have been way past midnight.

However, to his utmost shock... not even an hour had passed since he had left for the restaurant.

Only the time it took him to go there and return had passed. It was like the time he spent inside the restaurant wasn’t accounted for!

Did... time freeze?

Hina had told him about the discrepancy that even though they spent over twenty hours inside the game, only minutes had passed outside. He didn’t believe it back then, but he had no excuses now.

"I’ll think about that later. First, let’s check what I got from the task."

Zaen clicked on the familiar vial first.

—x—

[Item: Blood Sealant]

[Type: Consumable / Medical]

[Rarity: Common]

[Uses: 3/3]

Effects:

— Instantly seals open wounds.

— Completely stops Bleeding effect.

— Restores 25 HP/second over 10 seconds.

— Ineffective against curses, toxin damage, or reverse limb loss.

Description:

A thick crimson gel stored in a small pressurized vial. When applied to a wound, it reacts with blood cells to create a temporary biofilm that stops bleeding and speeds up tissue regeneration.

Originally designed for field medics, it has become a staple among anomaly hunters who can’t afford to bleed out mid-fight.

[In inventory: 18.]

—x—

Hmm... nothing that I didn’t already know. Wait... it can also heal?

Zaen quickly looked at his current HP, which was 3900. His HP was high, and compared to that, the sealant wouldn’t heal him fast enough, but that didn’t mean it was useless, especially when he didn’t have any other way to heal himself.

"Still, I can use it in emergency. Next item... EXP capsule."

—x—

[Item: EXP Capsule]

[Type: Consumable]

[Rarity: Uncommon]

[Uses: 1/1]

Effects:

— Instantly grants experience equivalent to five player levels upon consumption.

— Can be used during combat.

Description:

A capsule sealed with a translucent material containing compressed knowledge and experiences of fallen Hunters. Upon use, all that knowledge and experience is fed into the player’s mind, boosting their experience substantially.

[In inventory: 1.]

—x—

"Five... levels?"

Zaen realized why it was the primary reward for completing the task. Five levels might be inconsequential, but it was more about the all-cure nature of leveling up five times.

One could be on the verge of death and pop this capsule to regain all the health they had lost. It was essentially a capsule for a second life.

"These tasks... I should complete more of them!"

After receiving such valuable gifts, Zaen no longer cared about the dangers he had faced. The rewards far outweighed the risks, and he wasn’t even halfway done through them.

"Next, Boning Sword!"

—x—

[Item: Corrupted Boning Sword]

[Designation: Slayer #331]

[Type: Weapon]

[Rarity: Common+]

[Status: Corrupted]

[Damage: 412~502 HP/hit]

[Attack Speed: User Dependent]

[Durability: 3,000/3,000]

Effects:

[Presence: +1.25]

Description:

Despite its plain appearance, the Boning Sword carries a faint residue of corrupted energy from being carried by an anomaly for too long, making it more noticeable to both other players and anomalies.

Its sharpness is unmatched among lower-tier weapons, but the corrupted status makes it unreliable during prolonged combat scenarios. Refining the corruption will allow the player to unlock its unique skill.

—x—

"Refine it? But how?" Zaen asked, scratching his head.

Since the blade was doing more damage to the anomalies, he had assumed it would be of a higher rarity than the stick. But that wasn’t true. The sword only had high attack, nothing else.

While there was a hook hidden behind the corrupted status, it was useless to him since he didn’t know how to refine the blade.

"Still, it’s got high attack. That counts for something."

Finally, only one thing remained. The loot box. Zaen clicked on it and a strange box appeared in his hands, but instead of being excited, he was grossed out!

"What the hell is this rotten smell!?"