Chapter 45: Breaking Through to Level 10!
[System: You have been defeated by Bronya in-game. Acquired 50 EXP.]
The system's chime echoed softly, officially marking the end of their match.
"You are a very strong opponent."
With the game concluded, Bronya finally ceased her machine-like recitation of their scores. Instead, her voice held a note of genuine affirmation for Rovel. She could tell he had been trying his absolute best.
More than that, he was impressive. This was only the third time Rovel had ever touched a racing game, yet he was already skilled enough to go toe-to-toe with her. He had even managed to suppress her during the early stages of the race, a feat few could claim.
It was a pity that his lack of map knowledge had been his downfall. The hidden shortcut she'd used was an obscure trick, a secret path unknown to anyone who hadn't thoroughly mastered the game. If Rovel had known about it, he never would have given her such an opening.
"Coming from you, Bronya, I'll take that as high praise. Here, your prize." Rovel smiled, retrieving the No. 001 Christmas Haxxor Bunny from his inventory and offering it to her.
Bronya carefully wiped the faint sheen of sweat from her palms before reaching out with both hands to accept the figure, her movements precise and reverent.
"Bronya will give you the 'Homu Adventures' that was promised tomorrow," she said, her tone earnest.
[System: Bronya Zaychik's Trust has increased from 30% to 40%.]
"Alright. You should get some rest early tonight, too. Good night," Rovel said softly, preparing to log out.
"Good night," Bronya replied with a small nod.
"Wait."
Just as he was about to vanish, Rovel's voice stopped her.
Bronya turned her head, her silver-gray eyes filled with confusion.
"I bought three of those limited Homu blind boxes earlier," Rovel explained casually. "Since Bronya is such an expert on the subject, could you help me check the value of these other two?"
As he spoke, he materialized the remaining figures from his inventory.
"The Haxxor Bunny Heavenly King?! And Houtarou?!"
For the first time since he'd met her, Bronya's expression went completely and utterly blank. Her usually stoic composure shattered, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief.
"Hmm. Judging by your reaction, I take it they're pretty good," Rovel noted, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful nod.
And then... he logged off.
He simply vanished, leaving Bronya standing alone in the digital space, clutching the No. 001 Christmas Haxxor Bunny, her mind in a complete and utter storm.
Early the next morning, the moment Rovel logged back into the game, he was met by a dark, piercing gaze that seemed to bore right through him.
"Eh?" Startled, he let out a strange noise and instinctively took a step back.
"You..." Bronya's voice was low, her eyes shadowed by heavy, dark circles from a sleepless night. "Why did you suddenly log off?"
The exhaustion only made her stare more oppressive, her usual impassivity replaced by a laser-focused intensity.
"Hmm... I wanted to tease you," Rovel admitted with a disarming smile. "And from the look in your eyes, I can tell the rarity of these two Homu figures is even higher than the Christmas one."
Bronya took a deep, steadying breath. Even with her disciplined personality, she felt a powerful urge to scold him. But Rovel currently possessed something she desperately wanted, so she forcibly suppressed her annoyance.
"You guessed correctly. The rarity of the Haxxor Bunny Heavenly King and Houtarou is indeed far greater than the Christmas Haxxor Bunny."
She began to explain, her voice taking on the cadence of a scholar discussing a priceless artifact. "Before the Homu franchise became as popular as it is today, the producer released a very small batch of dolls for the Haxxor Bunny Heavenly King and Houtarou. The production run was minuscule, and because Homu's popularity was so low at the time, they have long since been out of print. While I heard rumors that these two models were included in the 100,000 limited blind boxes, Bronya has never seen one surface."
She paused, her gaze fixed on the figures in his hands. "The two you are holding are most likely the only ones in existence."
"So, my luck is pretty good, then?" Rovel's eyes lit up.
"It's beyond 'good.' You must have saved the world in a past life," Bronya emphasized, a hint of a pout touching her lips. "Why doesn't Bronya have such luck..." she muttered under her breath.
A flicker of jealousy shone in her eyes. These limited blind boxes weren't cheap—35,000 credits each, with a buy-two-get-one-free deal. She had tried her luck several times, hoping for a miracle, but had only ever pulled the more common limited editions or duplicates of ones she already owned.
And then Rovel comes along, buys three, and pulls two of the most precious figures in the entire collection. How could she not be jealous?
"So they're that precious..." Rovel's lips curved into a playful smile as he looked at her. "It seems I could sell them for a very good price."
"Sell them?!" The words shot out of her, laced with anxiety. "The Haxxor Bunny Heavenly King and Houtarou are priceless!"
If these two ever went to auction, they would undoubtedly be bid up to an astronomical price. If some tycoon decided to throw a fortune at them—say, 87,000,000 credits—then Bronya's dream of completing her Homu collection would be shattered forever.
She had to get them from Rovel. She absolutely had to.
"Let's not talk about that for now," Rovel said, smoothly changing the subject. "Since we're both here, let's play another game first."
"Do you want to place a bet?" Bronya's eyes lit up with hope.
"Next time, for sure," Rovel replied casually, dangling the possibility just out of her reach. "When you manage to get me 'red-hot' with excitement again, maybe I'll use them as the wager."
"Hmph..."
With her intelligence, Bronya instantly understood the unspoken meaning behind his words. For now, she had to play along. As for when he might give her the figures... that depended entirely on his mood.
It was an open conspiracy. A blatant, shameless manipulation. The despicable Rovel was using two super-rare Homu as hostages to force her to play games with him.
And so, Bronya channeled all her simmering frustration into the game. Rovel was beaten, again and again, his virtual car sent spinning into walls and off cliffs.
Fortunately for him, each loss still brought a reward. His EXP bar steadily climbed. 7,000... 8,000... 10,000...
[System: EXP has reached its maximum. Level increased to 10.]
[System: All four-dimensional attributes +1. Free attribute points +2.]
[System: Your current level has reached the cap. Please complete the breakthrough mission as soon as possible.]
A new window appeared before him.
[Breakthrough Mission: Complete three of the following objectives to break through.]
[1. Possess a skill with proficiency at Mastery rank or above. (Completed)]
[2. Reach 300 or more prestige points with any organization. (Completed)]
[3. Defeat or kill an NPC with a level of 10 or higher. (Completed)]
[4. Slay a Death Soldier single-handedly. (Completed)]
[5. Obtain a recommendation from a referrer. (Completed)]
[System: Breakthrough mission requirements met. Do you wish to break through?]
Rovel blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected to have already completed all the missions.
'Wait... what's with mission five?'he wondered.'A referrer? When did I get one of those?'He quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind, his focus shifting to the more important matter at hand. He selected'Yes.'
[System: Breakthrough complete. Level cap increased to 30. Stigmata slot +1.]
His status screen refreshed, displaying his new potential.
[Level: 10]
[Level Cap: 30 (Requires mission breakthrough to unlock further)]
[EXP: 0 / 20,000]
[Race: Human]
[HP: 720 / 720]
[Honkai Energy Infection: 0%]
[Constitution: 72]
[Strength: 72]
[Agility: 72]
[Intelligence: 87]
[Honkai Resistance: 1300HW]
[Stigmata Slot 1: Empty]
[Equipment: Elysia's Crystal Flower (Special Accessory)]
[Inventory: Ultimate Healing Potion x10, Chiba Academy Student ID, Mobius's Scalpel, High-Quality Wooden Sword x2, Haxxor Bunny Heavenly King, Houtarou, Death Soldier's Blood x4, 25,000 Credits]
Just as he finished reviewing his stats, another notification popped up, this one far more significant.
[System Prompt: You are the first player to break through to level 10. A server-wide announcement will be made. You will receive a reward: one random lucky draw. Do you wish to remain anonymous?]
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