[+3 Lumina]
"..." Bran was taken aback when the notification appeared the moment Laura stepped out of the room.
He remained silent for another moment, staring at the message in disbelief, before finally asking, "Ah... what?"
[Host, the target you just aroused possesses a high amount of Lumina, so even a slight tease was enough to farm some essence.]
"..."
Once again, Bran was left speechless by the sheer absurdity of it.
He had only wanted to rile the woman up. She looked quite attractive from up close, and he had thought it would be amusing to provoke her a little. He certainly hadn’t expected her to reward him with something this valuable. And in the first place, was she that sensitive to get arouse by such playful touch?
Yes, three points were nothing compared to what he actually desired right now, but this had revealed an unexpectedly effective way for him to farm more points.
’Doesn’t this system practically want me to approach that woman even more now?’
A grin slowly spread across his lips as the implications sank in.
Oh, this was nice.
...
Soon, he left the room and headed outside to meet the man who had unknowingly helped him discover an entirely new path to power.
"What is it?" Bran called out as he approached George.
The knight frowned at his dismissive tone, but rather than dwell on it, he asked, "What were you doing in there that you couldn’t even let me inside the room? Is that how you were raised?"
Bran barely managed to suppress the grin that threatened to form on his lips again. If only George knew what he had actually been doing inside.
"What manners are you talking about? Do you expect someone to greet you with a bow at this hour?"
George exhaled a sigh of disappointment before muttering, "Your attitude has changed a great deal recently, ever since you returned to the village with that demon in tow. Tell me, do you really think hunting a stray monster is enough to earn you respect? Do you think it will make people fear you?"
Bran merely tilted his head, remaining silent.
George frowned at his lack of response. "What? Nothing to say now?"
Bran crossed his arms and replied casually, "Just waiting for you to finish your yapping and get to the point."
George growled, his fist clenching at his side. This damn dimwit, who had once cowered at the mere sight of him and instinctively lowered his eyes in his presence, was now speaking to him like this...
Yet he reined in his anger and spoke through gritted teeth. "If you want to stay alive and in good health, leave this town as soon as you can."
Bran hummed. "Because of the old man?"
George’s eyes turned deadly serious as he muttered, "You don’t realize what kind of person he can become when someone takes away something precious to him. And right now, you are the one trampling all over his pride, you fool."
Bran nodded. "Understandable. I’m glad he recognizes that."
George frowned. "What... Where are you going now?" His voice rose as he saw Bran turn away.
"I believe the talk is—" Bran was interrupted.
DHAAK!
Suddenly, George seized Bran by the shoulder, his presence becoming unmistakably oppressive as he growled, "Did I allow you to leave?"
SHLINK!
George’s head suddenly tilted backward as a blade pressed against his nape.
The knight’s eyes widened as he looked toward the wielder of the knife. For the first time, there was nothing in his gaze but a cold, unmistakable chill of death.
In a low voice, Bran warned, "Try doing that again, and you’ll face a fate worse than the one I’ve decided for the Governor."
George narrowed his eyes, refusing to back down. "That pitiful confidence you’ve mustered after finding that dead demon is laughable. You really think you can defeat me?"
Bran tilted his head. "Why don’t you try, then? I’m not sure who would win, but there’s one thing I know for certain."
His gaze hardened.
"I will spill your blood. A lot of it."
George gritted his teeth before finally releasing Bran’s shoulder. "You made a mistake by not leaving when you had the chance. Now, you’ll learn why your life until now was nothing more than a mercy."
Bran rolled his eyes.
Such heavy threats.
Just then, a notification popped up,
[Job Quest: Assassinate ten goblins]
[Reward: ???]
Bran hummed in surprise. ’My first quest is to hunt goblins, eh?’ Not very difficult if he remembered things about them correctly.
But the real problem was where to find them.
’Guess I need to visit the guild tomorrow, after all.’