Selling a Shadow Raven's mana stone didn't seem very efficient. I learned that the cost of a gallon of milk is nearly 10k won, probably from the fact that "Korea" part of Numen doesn't have many cows. E/N: Korea does not exist
Are all mana stones poisonous or are Shadow Ravens jerks?
[Ding! All mana crystals are deadly to consume.]
So it seems like other than looking like pretty marbles, mana stones aren't that useful. Especially Shadow Raven's.
[Ding! The Host can continue to consume the Shadow Raven's mana crystal to increase the side of the Shadow Inventory. Low-quality mana crystals increase the size of the inventory by 5%, mid-quality mana crystals increase the size of the inventory by 7.5%, high-quality mana crystals increase the size of the inventory by 11.25%, and perfect-quality mana crystals increase the size of the inventory by 16.875%.]
I feel like I'm walking into a death trap. What's the chance of death for each of those?
[Ding! 80% chance of death if the Host consumes a low-quality mana crystal, 82.5% chance of death if consumes a mid-quality mana crystal, 87.5% chance of death if consumes a high-quality mana crystal, 91.25% if the Host consumes a perfect-quality mana crystal.]
Like hell I'm going to kill myself like that! I'm not increasing the amount of pain I'll feel when I inevitably die facing the Demon King!
[Ding! Fortuna, the Goddess of Luck and Fortuna, wants to give the Host some encouragement.]
What kind of encouragement?
[Ding! Fortuna, the Goddess of Luck and Fortuna, states if the Host accomplishes something she wishes for, she will increase your luck.]
Alright, what suicidal thing am I'm doing today?
[Ding! Fortuna, the Goddess of Luck and Fortuna, promises that if the Host successfully upgrades his inventory five times in a row, she will increase the Host's luck by 0.40.]
I froze.
Of course, a 0.40 increase was a lot for me. If my luck was above average, the chance of dying in the future is decreased. It's like an investment.
Should I do it?
It's just 5 possible deaths. Increasing pain a little won't hurt.
...
I mean, it will hurt, but not that much hopefully.
Now that I think back on it, wasn't my chance of death 95% when I consumed that marble for the first time? I thought it was low-quality.
[Ding! The chance was high back then because the Host's resistance to foreign mana is low.]
Is this the trope of "the more mana stone-or-crystal-thingy I consume, the higher resistance I will have against foreign mana"? It's like drugs.
What type of mana is "foreign" anyway?
[Ding! Mana from living beings other than human beings.]
The answer was so blatantly obvious. I thought about how stupid my question was.
[Ding! Fortuna, the Goddess of Luck and Fortune, says the Host is more "stupid" for standing in the middle of nowhere, dazed, talking to himself instead of making money.]
I looked around and noticed all of the weird looks I'm getting. I forgot I was still right outside the entrance of TREE. I have no idea how many students and teachers passed by me while I was talking with the System.
Guess my reputation is now down in the sewers, but I didn't really care anyways. Not like a good reputation is going to feed you.
[Ding! The Host was almost kicked out of the fast-food restaurant a week ago.]
Okay, maybe reputation feeds you a little.
But money. Money can feed you more. How do I make money? Shut up System I'm talking to myself.
The system had already told me. I was just procrastinating, like the reasonable human being I am.
On the way to the bus stop, I bought a box of surgical masks at a local store with the depressing amount of cash I had. Unfortunately they did not sell gas masks and hazmat suits, but it's at least something. God knows I'll need it to survive through tomorrow.
While I waited for the bus to arrive, I thought about the Woke in my class. Park Rhea genuinely needed perfume, but if I give a bottle of perfume to a random girl I met only once and have never talked to, people will think I'm a stalker. That one girl at the fast food place already called me a "kidnapper". I hope I never run into her again. My reputation is already bad as it is.
Fortunately, the bus didn't take long to arrive, and there were fewer weird looks since I was acting like a normal member of society. Unfortunately, the moment I took a step into the bus, I heard a very distinct, recognizable voice.
"Ah! It's the kidnapper!"
Did I just jinx myself?
I just jinxed myself, didn't I?
I turned my head towards the familiar-looking orange mop sitting in the second row and gave her a stare that said 'What in the thirteen circles of hell is wrong with you?'
"Hyo? He tried to kidnap you? Why isn't he arrested?" The girl sitting next to her asked. She seems to be friends with Ha Hyo. Unsurprisingly, she also seemed to be brain-dead.
"No! He's not really a kidnapper! It was a misunderstanding!" Ha Hyo tried to correct her friend.
"You can argue with your ex-girlfriend later! Get on the bus!" the man behind me yelled annoyingly. I realized I was still standing in the doorday, so I hurriedly got on the bus.
The front row was full, so I sat in the second row, but on the other side of the bus from Ha Hyo. I tried to ignore Ha Hyo's conversation with her friend by looking out of the window.
Ex-girlfriend? Like I'm ever going to be in a relationship with that 'thing'. Park Rhea is more my type. If only she wore perfume or something. The stench will be the death of me.
"-ey. You with the green hair!" I heard someone loud-whisper from across the aisle
I turned my head to look them dead in the eye, because there was only one person I know that has green hair in this world, and that person is A Chul.
"What's wrong with having green hair?" I deadpanned. It's not dark enough to be mistaken as seaweed, and it's not light enough to be mistaken as cyan.
"Did you dye it?" Ha Hyo's friend is now on the top of my "obnoxious" list.
I felt my right eye twitch.
Who in their right mind would dye their hair green?
"Is that a yes?" Can I-
[Ding! Murder is not legal.]
Thanks System.
"Jung, I don't think-" Ha Hyo must've seen the murderous intent in my eyes, because she was desperately trying to shut her friend up.
"Out of all the colors, why green?" This "Jung" interrupted Ha Hyo. Why did she acquaint herself with "Jung" in the first place? Why would anyone want a friend like that?
I felt the urge to facepalm myself and pinch the bridge of my nose at the same time.
At that moment, I have never been more glad for the bus to stop at the death forest.