"Huu…"
Luke took off his VR Helmet, a broad smile on his face as the echoes of the cheers he received as Draco still echoed in his mind.
Due to the effects of Synchronization, it was as if he was the same person as his game counterpart. They shared the same memories, and he could feel all of Draco's emotions, including the joy that came from being acknowledged.
'I completed all the Quests this time, which means there'll be more rewards, right?'
He wasn't wrong.
[You will now receive your Rewards]
~Primary Quest Completion: 10 SP~
~Secondary Quest Completion: 10 SP~
~Hidden Quest Completion: 20 SP~
~Performance Bonus Reward: 15 SP~
[Total Reward: 55 SP]
'Even more than last time…' Luke smiled as he saw this, nodding slowly to himself as his mind went to the most important matter at the moment.
"Status Window."
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Luke (Lvl: 10)
- Race: Human
- Class: Legendary Dragon Tamer (Locked)
- Integrity: 10
- Physique: 10
- Aptitude: 10 (100% Essence: Locked)
- S Points: 95
- Quest Completion Rate: 100%
[Current Quest Information]
Primary Quest: Defend the ship against the attacking Dragons(Complete)
Secondary Quest: Ensure no Dragon escapes (Complete)
Hidden Quest: Do not use your Dragon Tamer Privileges (Complete)
[Synchronization Rate: 9%]
'Looks like I also Leveled Up quite a bit from the whole experience…' Luke reasoned, his fingers on his chin as he studied the information on the floating screen.
As Draco, he was too caught up in the moment to check how many Levels he had gained. However, after looking through everything, Luke could no longer hide his sheer excitement any longer.
He was practically leaping for joy.
'I have completed the Tutorial, and all I have to do is wait until the Synchronization Rate reaches 10%!'
Everything seemed to be going great.
'I even have a whole 95 SP… which is more than enough for my current needs.' He beamed, jumping to his feet as he danced with joy. 'From what I saw on the forum, one SP is about 100 dollars… which means I currently have 9500 dollars.'
Just like that, he was rich!
'I should be able to pay for my rent easily with this, but the problem is that I don't know when my Synchronization Rate will reach 10 Percent...'
Once again, he didn't want to risk it.
'Should I go to work again today? I could earn a lot of money like before, but… even if I combine that with what I already have saved, it wouldn't be enough for the rent.' Luke sighed, getting dressed as he prepared to head out.
It was still early in the morning, which meant he could still find some way to get the money before his Landlord arrived later in the afternoon or evening.
'Half… if I can just get half…' He thought, hurriedly racking his brain as he did the calculations in his head.
While walking down the alley, his hoodie covering his face, he noticed something.
Or rather… someone.
'Hm? Isn't that…?' His eyes widened as he subtly glanced at a man who walked some distance from him. Luke instantly recognized him as the person who tried to mug him on a particularly memorable night.
He even had bandages on his crooked nose as he walked, slightly hunched with his lanky physique. The man was on a call with someone, his expression displaying caution as he whispered secretively to the person on the other end of the phone.
Normally, Luke would pay this no mind, but he suddenly became curious about their conversation. This was because he overheard the word 'thousand dollars' being uttered by the lanky man, and that piqued his interest.
He strained his auditory senses, focusing on the man's conversation, picking up even more keywords as he listened in.
Words like "Pick up the merchandise" and "The money is ready" made his excitement increase.
Thanks to his Level 10 Status, his senses had reached an absurdly improved degree, and the best part was that he could focus them on precise targets—even choosing to shut them off if he so desired.
That was why he was able to easily overhear the secret phone conversation despite being several feet away from his target.
'Hehe… this is good for me, though.' Luke thought to himself. 'If I get access to that money, I won't need to worry about my rent.'
At the very least, there seemed to be a few thousand dollars in the so-called base that the thug was headed. That was more than enough for him.
'I should follow him…'
*********
[Moments Later]
Kevin sighed, murmuring silently as he approached the staircase that led to an abandoned railway station.
He slowly descended, making sure to look around him in order to ensure no one was following him. After he was certain of this, he kept his focus up ahead and entered the unnerving territory of darkness.
"Haa… this is so annoying." He muttered, turning on the flashlight of his phone as he kept marching ahead.
He was only a few seconds in the station when he felt like he was being followed, so he swiftly turned back, flashing his light in the direction he suspected his stalker to be at.
There was no one there.
'Am I imagining things now?' He wondered, another sigh escaping his lips.
Slowly shaking his head, he advanced forward, consistently keeping his guard up in the darkness of the station. After walking for a few minutes, he turned to his right, to a graffiti-stained wall, where a tightly shut door inconspicuously stood by the side.
He frowned, approaching it with both purpose and a bit of annoyance.
'Finally at base…' He knocked the door a series of times, having this thought echoing in his head. He made sure to follow the appropriate pattern, and after a few seconds, someone came to the door.
"What's the password?"
"I see corpses." Kevin answered in a slightly disinterested monotone.
"Okay… one sec." The voice from within echoed, and after a few seconds of bolts being unlocked, the metallic door shifted, creaking as it slowly opened.
"About time…" The stout figure who opened the door said as he saw Kevin. "We've been ready to move the money all day. What made you so late?"
"Long story…"
The door closed as soon as Kevin entered, with the bolts back in place while he ventured into the dimly lit room without offering any further explanations to the stout man.
Instead, he went straight past the corridor, into the first room right of him. There, he saw a firm table with a bag on it, as well as over half a dozen men who sat on the chairs, playing poker and laughing among each other.
Kevin, with his dark brown hair and lifeless black eyes, saw this, and sighed loudly. "I'm guessing you're all ready to move."
"Oh, Kev's heere!"
"What took you so long? We've been waiting!"
"The higher-ups already called us, but we said you weren't here yet."
Kevin shrugged as soon as he was assailed by their voices, hurriedly grabbing a seat as he dragged the bag towards him and opened it to see wads of cash inside.
"They also called me, and I already explained the situation to them." He responded to the several eyes resting on him. "Don't worry about it."
While he was still speaking, he—as well as everyone in the room—heard a faint knock on the door to their base, with the stout man's voice asking for the password.
"Are we expecting anyone else?" One of the men asked, their eyes darting around the room.
"I don't think so."
"Could it perhaps be one of the higher-ups?"
Kevin silently listened to them while counting the money in the bag.
It was complete; all 10 Grand.
'With this, things should be back on tra—' Before he could complete his thoughts, Kevin felt a sudden chill down his spine, sensing a presence that ominously stood right behind him.
"Hey fellas…" A familiar, yet strange voice echoed in the air, forcing him to slowly turn back in both apprehension and curiosity.
Once he did, he noticed a masked man in a normal hoodie.
He seemed like a nobody in his early twenties, though with a slightly taller and muscular physique for his age. However, one mere glance at him and Kevin could feel the chill in his body elevate to unfathomable heights.
'T-this guy… this guy is—!'
"... Could you do me a solid?" The intruder asked, his hand outstretched once he took a look at the bag filled with money.
"Hand over the cash."