Within the depths of the caves, Julius sat by himself beside the glowing crystals. He stared in the directions where Ruby had returned to before his eyes flicked to the screen in front of him with his eyes narrowed.
[Mail.] (2)
[You have levelled up.]
[You have one levelling point available.]
[Would you like to exchange it?] (Y/N)
-
[You've completed 'Main Quest: Ice Troll Slayer'.]
[Completion rewards have arrived.]
[Would you like to receive it?] (Y/N)
-
'Ruby went back ahead, now's probably the best time to receive the rewards.' Julius thought to himself.
"Let's start with the levelling point. I'd like to exchange it."
At that point, a different status screen appeared before his eyes.
[You can exchange a point for the following rewards.]
[Rewards are randomised.]
[Option 1 - Two additional stat points.]
[Option 2 - Gamble Wheel.]
[Option 3 - Full body recovery.]
Julius's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the three options.
'Stat points…'
He glanced at the at the [Status] tab.
[Julius Night]
[Level 2 (75/100)]
[HP: 100/100%]
[Energy: 100/100%]
[Strength: 2]
[Agility: 3]
[Stamina: 2]
[Sense: 2]
'...The points are probably meant to increase either one of the four categories. My strength, agility, stamina and sense are all low right now… With two points I could become twice as strong or fast…'
Julius placed his hand beneath his chin.
'But that's not going to help me right now. The only reason I've survived this long is because my ability is powerful. To escape this blizzard, I'll need to focus on my strengths, not my weaknesses.'
He looked at the remaining two options.
'I'm fully recovered right now, so that only leaves…'
[You have selected option 2: Gamble Wheel.]
The instant he received the notification, his eyes widened as a large highlighted roulette wheel manifested before him.
It looked like the kinds you would see in a casino. There were 37 different sections number 0 to 36 and each section was highlighted by a colour which was either red or black.
It was only the 0 that was highlighted in green.
"So this is what it meant… a casino roulette…"
It looked like a hologram, but he could touch it.
[The User must select a colour. The options are red, black or green.]
[Notice: the payout to green is ten fold the payout to selecting black or red.]
'Huh…? So the numbers are just for show? Oh well.'
"There's are eighteen reds and eighteen black colours… an equal number with the only outlier being a single green…"
There was a one in thirty seven chance of it landing on green. Whereas with red and black the odds were far higher.
[The User must select his bet.]
'I'll play it safe and stay away from green… I chose red." Julius muttered.
In that instance, a white ball suddenly manifested on top of the casino, and dropping onto it before spinning around.
[The bet has been placed.]
[The dealer will now spin the wheel.]
Following that notification, the roulette wheel began to spin, its numbers blurring as it picked up speed.
Shortly after, a ball which manifested out of thin air dropped onto the wheel, spinning in the opposite direction.
Julius watched, his heart pounding as he watched the ball bounce and slowly lose momentum. It was then that he remembered.
'I forgot to ask about the risk and rewards…! What happens if It lands on the colour that I didn't pick?'
When that thought crossed his mind, he grew more nervous but by the time he had realised, it was too late-
*Plock!*
The ball had fallen into a sectioned pocket.
Julius's eyes slowly lowered to check what colour it was and when they fell on the wheel, he breathed a sigh of relief.
It was red, number 5.
[Your bet was successful!]
[Would you like to stop spinning and claim your reward?]
[Or would you rather, risk it all and continue spinning the wheel for a better reward?]
[Warning: Failure means that all rewards will be forfeited.]
"..."
After contemplating it for a few seconds, Julius made a decision.
"I'll stop now. The others are waiting for me, I don't have much time to spend on these rewards…"
[Ending the bet…]
The casino roulette wheel which had manifested began to glow before slowly taking the shape of a small orb.
[Congratulations! You have acquired a skill point orb!]
[Consume it to unlock a skill point!]
Julius grabbed the floating orb, and inspected it.
'This is different from the system manifestations… this feels real… others can't see the system screens but they might be able to see this.'
After coming to that conclusion, Julius threw the orb into his mouth and swallowed it.
[You have consumed a skill point orb.]
[You have gained a skill point!.]
[Skills.]
[1 skill points available.]
[Nightmare Level 1: Nightmare Domain.]
❖ Warning: This skill carries severe side effects that include insomnia, sleep deprivation, mental vulnerability, and nightmares that exacerbate with time.
[Skill locked???]
'...Alright, now I'll be able to use it to power up Nightmare if worst comes to worst… I'm not sure what side effects will come with it, so I'll keep it stored up for now…' Julius thought to himself before staring at the next screen.
[Completion rewards for the Main Quest: 'Ice Troll Slayer' has been received.]
[You may choose from the following rewards:]
[Option 1 - Three additional stat points.]
[Option 2 - Shell Game.]
[Option 3 - 50 Experience Points.]
*Grumble…*
Julius's stomach rumbled loudly, his face looked pale from the hunger. He had been trying to ignore it but he could no longer bare it.
'...Shell game without a doubt… But… I'm too hungry to play… this is weird… I can go days without eating… Is it because of exhausting my energy or the elixir?'
"Either way… I'll leave this reward for later… time to go back and get some food…" Julius muttered.
-
-
-
Julius's figure slowly came into view from the depths of the cave as he approached the campfire.
"There he is!" Lyra said excitedly as she ran up to him whilst holding a meat skewer.
It was a thin wooden stick which held some of the meat strips that they had been cooking together.
He quietly sat down, beside Ruby who had been silently watching the two interact.
Unlike the gloomy air around her before, this time it was far more cheerful.
"We were sort of lacking in ingredients so it might look a little plain… It's also frost salamander meat but you may like the taste." She glanced at him from the campfire as she continued to grill the food.
'F-Frost salamander? Last time I ate monster meat it was horrible...' He thought to himself.
Hesitantly, Julius took a bite of the meat, pulling it out of the skewer before eating it.
His eyes grew wide before yelling.
"It's good!"
The meat was brimming with flavour, although It was unexpectedly chewy, the texture was soft. The feeling resembled eating a chicken wing.
"Of course it is, we both worked hard to prepare for it." Declared Ruby with a proud smile.
Taking on bite after another, Ruby and Lyra watched with a smile as Julius happily savoured the meat.
"Ruby, you seem far brighter than earlier… were you able to sort out what was bothering you, with him?" Lyra asked as she turned to her.
Ruby glanced at Julius, who was distracted by the food, and recalled what had happened.
-Memory
"...That's it…?"
Ruby nodded before looking him right in the eyes.
"That's all…"
"Pfft- Ahahaha."
Unable to hold it in, Julius broke out into a laughter, causing Ruby's cheeks to flush red from embarrassment.
"W-What's so funny?"
"Hah… Sorry." Julius apologised as he held his stomach and caught his breath. "It's just… It caught me off guard… to think that out of everything you could have chosen, you chose that."
She frowned.
"...Nevermind then, forget what I said-"
"You can join us. If that's what you want. Who wouldn't want someone as reliable as you on their side?" Julius asked with a bright smile.
Her eyes slowly grew wide.
"So… I can really join you…?"
"Why not?" Julius asked as he slowly extended his arm and pat her on the head.
It was something he'd do subconsciously with Lyra and Ava, however Ruby who was not used to it and caught off guard by it, suddenly retreated a few steps back.
"T-Then, rejoice… you've gained a powerful ally!" She declared with a blush before running off.
-Memory end
She nodded happily.
'Now that I think about it, it's the first time I've seen him laugh.' She thought to himself as she glanced at him while he ate.
Her eyes then flickered to the blizzard outside of the cave.
"Ah, also. We should set off right once you're done eating." Ruby declared.