Luke still had no idea how much purchasing power Endspace Coins held, but he figured the options were probably worth roughly the same. That meant he should prioritize the things that looked rarer.
Free attribute points were easy enough to understand. Endspace's description stated that he could allocate them in the Enhancement Hall, directly raising his basic strength.
He was definitely taking Option A. He could improve through training, sure, but there was no reason to turn down free stats.
Among the remaining options, Luke first checked the details of the title.
[Title: Fearless]
Rating: B+ (E- to SSS+)
Source: In the derivative world Bleach, the Explorer achieved the legend of Shin'o Academy's fastest graduation. His fearless spirit in challenging a captain became widely celebrated throughout the academy.
Effect: While this title is equipped, the Explorer's Strength is fixed at +1. This effect applies at any rank.
PS: Only when entering the derivative world Bleach, this title additionally grants the Explorer 1,000 base Reputation.
Evaluation: I polished up "reckless idiot" into "Fearless."
The corner of Luke's mouth twitched at Endspace's evaluation.
This space really had a sense of humor. If it wanted to call him a brute, it could have just said so. Why dress it up as Fearless?
Jokes aside, he thought the title was pretty good. A permanent +1 to Strength was a simple, brutal bonus at any stage, and it neatly filled the slight gap in his current Strength.
From what little he knew about games, titles were probably not easy to obtain. After some thought, he selected it.
The remaining choices gave him a headache. Based on his experience with the scam-riddled games developed by the Company, anything random like a treasure chest was deeply unreliable.
But he did not know the precise value of Small Inheritance Crystals either. He was also skeptical about using external means to improve his own proficiencies. Could a skill raised by Endspace truly compare to one he had mastered through his own training?
After thinking it over for a long while, Luke still chose the Inheritance Crystals. The chests felt far too unreliable.
There seemed to be plenty of Explorers in Endspace. He could head outside later and gather some information, then decide whether to use the crystals himself or sell them.
After selecting A, E, and F, the rewards were delivered.
Just as Luke was about to take a shower and relax, Endspace's notification sounded again.
[Endspace invites Explorer No. 404040404 to become a Pioneer. Do you accept?]
"A Pioneer?"
Luke turned the word over in his mind. He remembered what Endspace had said when it first brought him in: depending on his performance in the trial world, the terms of his contract could improve or worsen.
Was this Pioneer thing an upgrade, or a downgrade?
[Endspace selects Explorers of the greatest talent and potential to sign contracts and conquer worlds not yet synchronized with Endspace. Such Explorers are known as Pioneers.]
As if it had read Luke's thoughts, Endspace continued.
[Please review the Pioneer Contract.]
A floating screen appeared before Luke, displaying a contract-like document that outlined a Pioneer's duties and privileges.
It was extremely long, but Luke focused on the key points.
[Under Article 26 of the New Endspace Regulations, except under special circumstances, Endspace may not send a Pioneer into a world whose maximum difficulty is lower than the Pioneer's Explorer Mark level.]
[Pioneers will be dispatched to conquer higher-difficulty worlds, generally with more demanding main missions. All for the purpose of bringing new worlds under Endspace's domain.]
[During a Space War, Pioneers may not refuse Endspace's conscription. All exemption medals and items are invalid. Pioneers who help Endspace achieve victory will receive generous special rewards.]
[Under special circumstances, Pioneers must assume the duties of an Arbiter and execute rule-breaking Explorers. This conscription applies only after the Arbiter of the same rank has failed repeatedly.]
[A special Glory Store will be opened for Pioneers, where Pioneer Merit may be exchanged for various items.]
[A Pioneer's Explorer Mark permissions are increased by one rank by default.]
Luke understood. Put simply, a Pioneer had greater authority and greater responsibility, higher risks and higher rewards. They entered the most dangerous worlds and fought the hardest battles.
That sounded interesting. Exactly his kind of thing.
"I'll sign it."
Luke gave Endspace his answer.
[Contract established. Your original Explorer number has been converted into a false number to protect Pioneer privacy and security. Pioneer No. 008, Endspace looks forward to your conquests in new worlds.]
After the contract was formed, Luke noticed that the Explorer Mark on his wrist had changed. Its pale cyan color had become deep violet, and its patterns had grown more intricate and mysterious.
According to Endspace, whether one was an Explorer or a Pioneer, only the bearer could see the mark. Natives of mission worlds and other Explorers could not see it. It was one of Endspace's identity-protection measures.
After signing the new contract, Luke took a shower, changed into fresh clothes, and eagerly pushed open the door.
Sunlight filtered through a colossal lattice of woven vines, scattering dappled shadows across the ground. Luke took a breath, and his entire body seemed to loosen. He had never experienced air this fresh before.
In his era, pollution in many places had become so severe that people needed breathing masks just to survive. In some regions, the Company even sold air itself. Breathing cost money, and the poor could only wait to die.
He looked around and realized that he was standing atop an enormous vine. The "door" behind him was actually a long, narrow purple leaf.
People moved back and forth along the vine, dressed in every imaginable style.
Luke's curious glances in every direction gave away the fact that he was a complete newcomer to Endspace.
"Hey, brother. New here?"
A dark-skinned, burly man approached Luke with easy familiarity. "Just cleared your trial?"
Luke nodded. "Got any advice for me?"
"That trial world must've scared the hell out of you, right? Don't worry. You're safe for the moment now that you're in Endspace. Getting dragged into this place is bad luck, sure, but life moves on. Let me tell you, if you want to survive here, information is essential..."
As he spoke, the man rubbed his fingers together. His meaning could not have been more obvious.
"How much?"
Luke understood the importance of intelligence. He had just arrived in Endspace and knew nothing, so he did need someone to show him the ropes. Of course, if the man thought he could fleece him, he had picked the wrong target.
The man's face lit up when Luke asked for a price. "Not much. Five hundred Endspace Coins will do. Trust me, the information is absolutely worth it. Ask around the First-Rank District—everyone knows Black Whirlwind has the best information network."
"Fifty. If not, I'll look around on my own."
Luke stared straight into Black Whirlwind's eyes. He was a brute, not an idiot. His first main mission alone had paid only 500 Endspace Coins. An ordinary Explorer would be lucky to earn even 1,000 Coins in their first trial world. The man was clearly trying to rip him off.
Black Whirlwind's expression froze. He looked conflicted, but when Luke turned to leave, he hurriedly stepped in front of him.
"Fine, fine. You win. Fifty it is."
With the mindset that even a small profit was still profit, he began explaining the common knowledge of Endspace to Luke.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register