"All right, let's give it a try. If I raise my right hand—the one holding my sword—that’s the signal to attack. If I raise my left, that’s the signal for a total retreat."
I established the signal for a withdrawal just in case things went south. I drew Durandal, making sure I was fully prepared.
It would have been so much easier if I could use Meteor Crash. It was a shame that all-target attack magic didn't work against humans. We proceeded through the cave, taking care not to bunch up. This would make it harder for us to be caught in a single surprise attack.
"I am sorry, Master. There is likely a hidden door ahead, and they are probably on the other side. I did not realize there was a door there. It masks their scent. There might be more of them than I initially estimated."
Roxanne apologized as she guided us. Currently, there was no one in sight all the way to the end of the corridor. It seemed our targets were behind that wall.
I wondered if I could use the method of spotting them from a distance and using Appraisal to check their jobs and levels. But if I couldn't see anything at all, I couldn't make a move. At the very least, I had to confirm they were actually Thieves. I just hoped they weren't standing right next to the hidden door.
"Everyone, get behind me. Roxanne, take the rear."
Holding Durandal unsheathed, I took the lead. Within a Labyrinth, it wasn't at all suspicious to be walking around with a weapon in hand.
We reached the end of the cave. With a rattling sound, the hidden door slid open. The panel dropped down, revealing a small room. Inside were six Thieves.
The space was a small room like any other you'd find in a Labyrinth. There were six Thieves gathered there, none of them particularly high-leveled. Four were in their teens, and two were in their twenties.
Were these really the Thieves waiting to ambush people on the twelfth floor? I doubted a party of this level could successfully raid others capable of reaching this depth. It just didn't seem likely.
A standard party consisted of up to six people. If they encountered a group like ours, it would be a six-on-six fight. At their levels, winning a one-on-one duel would be a struggle. Perhaps they were targeting solo explorers, but anyone soloing the twelfth floor would likely be high-leveled themselves.
Even if they managed to catch someone off guard, there was no guarantee they could kill them in a single blow. If the target fought back desperately, the Thieves would inevitably take damage. If they kept taking hits, they wouldn't be able to maintain their looting operation for long.
Unless they were incredibly desperate, they wouldn't resort to such reckless tactics. They didn't fit the profile of a cold-blooded Thief Brigade lurking in the Labyrinth. I concluded that these six weren't the ones actually committing the robberies. They had probably split their forces, or these were just scouts assessing the situation. Since it was early morning, the main force might not be fully prepared yet.
The possibility of them attacking us immediately felt low.
"××××××××××"
"?"
One of the Thieves said something to me, but it wasn't Brahim, so I couldn't understand him. When I tilted my head in confusion, a man identified as a Thief Lv 28 approached me.
"Good morning. The boss room is that way. We're going to rest a bit longer before we head out."
He extended his arm and pointed to the left. He was the highest-leveled man among the six. Apparently, this one spoke Brahim.
Maintaining my guard, I entered the small room. The Thieves scattered in different directions.
Ah. Dammit.
Their movements were as practiced as if they had been trained for this. The Thieves moved quickly, spreading out across the room. It wasn't that they were surrounding us; they were just keeping their distance while staying alert. Since we were also being cautious, I couldn't exactly tell them to stop being on guard.
However, this made it difficult to defeat them all at once. Backing out now would also look suspicious. What would happen if I started a fight here?
Their levels were low, so I could probably kill two of them immediately. I wasn't sure about the third. Since they had spread out, taking out four or more at once was impossible. If a fight broke out in this room now, Roxanne, Sherry, and Miria would end up in one-on-one duels with the Thieves. It wasn't that they couldn't win, but I couldn't say for certain that they would.
It was better to avoid unnecessary risks. I decided to play along with what the Thief said.
"Thanks."
Following his directions, I headed toward the left. The Thieves stood at a distance, effectively blocking the other paths. They showed no sign of attacking.
I see. I understood their strategy now.
Out of the three directions available besides the door we entered from, one of them surely led to the Boss Room just as the Thief claimed. If it didn't, there would be no point in casting this net. And in one of the other two directions, the rest of the Thief Brigade would be waiting.
They had thought this through. Even with six Thieves in the room, someone without Appraisal would just think a normal party was resting. If a strong-looking party arrived and the Thieves didn't think they could win, they'd act friendly and guide them toward the Boss Room. If the party looked weak, they'd guide them straight into a trap.
Were we judged to be strong, or were we seen as easy marks? Maybe I should have made Sherry and Miria wear their Misangas more conspicuously.
As I walked past while keeping my distance, the Thieves glanced toward the back. They wore vulgar smirks. So they were after the women. I wanted to execute them right then and there, but it was better not to move yet. I just hoped they didn't think we were easy prey.
The door opened, and we stepped into the cave on the left. No one was there. The cave continued forward.
"...They deserve to perish."
The Thieves must have been staring at Roxanne's and Miria's chests. Sherry, I couldn't agree more.
"There are three or four people around the next bend," Roxanne, who was at the very back, whispered as she caught up and walked beside me.
Sherry, you can celebrate. They're going to perish.
It seemed we had been judged as easy marks. Or perhaps they were just blinded by Roxanne's chest. It was an incredibly effective piece of bait. The group in the small room would undoubtedly come chasing after us now. A pincer attack from both sides—not a bad plan for a bunch of Thieves.
"Those guys are Thieves. A battle is inevitable. If they attack, Roxanne, take the front; Sherry, watch the rear. Miria, support Roxanne from behind. Sherry, give your spear to Miria. I'll take down the Thieves, so focus on defense. I’ll be moving freely; don’t try to follow my lead."
I had Sherry equip her club and gave her Steel Spear to Miria. If she was providing support, a spear with reach was the better choice.
We reached the corner. When I looked at Roxanne, she gave a slight shake of her head. The Thieves were further down.
We turned the corner. There were four men further down the cave. A Feral Thief Lv 24, a Pirate Lv 67, a Thief Lv 48, and an Explorer Lv 42.
Their levels were high. The Pirate was particularly impressive. Actually, if he’d been a Pirate Lv 99, that would have been helpful. One of my Bonus Spells was Extreme Drop Dead. I’d never tested it, but given the name, if it was magic that caused those with extreme values to die, wouldn't it be effective against a Lv 99?
It was also my first time seeing a "Feral Thief." These must be the main force. Not wanting to be cornered from behind, I picked up the pace. The four men spread out across the cave to block our path. Three stood in front, while the Feral Thief Lv 24 stayed back. Was this Feral Thief the leader?
"Did you really think the boss was here?" "Too bad for you. We're Thieves." "××××××××××"
The men in front jeered at us. Since one of them wasn't speaking Brahim, I didn't know what he was saying. He was smirking while looking at Roxanne, so it was undoubtedly something repulsive. Even the Explorer wasn't being coerced; he was clearly fully committed to this life. Their words and thoughts were equally pathetic.
Without Appraisal, a normal person wouldn't even know they were Thieves. If they had focused on a surprise attack, they might have had an advantage.
The six from the previous room finally caught up from behind the corner. As expected, it was a pincer attack. Ten Thieves now surrounded us.
"If you leave your gear and the women, we might let you keep your lives."
I see. Instead of a sudden attack, they were trying to make it look like there was room for negotiation. It probably resulted in less damage to them than a mindless brawl. Once surrounded, some parties might actually give up.
However, the chance of Thieves letting anyone go home alive was zero. It was obvious if you thought about it. They’d found a perfect ambush spot; if they let anyone escape, word would get out and the spot would become useless. I wondered if people lost the ability to make that judgment when suddenly surrounded.
"Hey! Hurry up and drop your weapons!" "Your life is worth more than your gear, right?"
There were ten of them. The four in front were quite high-leveled. Against a normal party, they'd likely have an easy victory. Normally.
"Spool of thread that guides the brave through the confusing maze..."
Ignoring the Thieves, I began chanting.
"We've coated this cave in Shielding Cement. You can't escape!" the Explorer spat mockingly.
As I thought, they’d considered that much. If a party had an Explorer, they could use Dungeon Walk to escape a pincer attack. But with Shielding Cement applied, Field Walk was useless, and Dungeon Walk would likely be blocked too. By using the cement, they ensured no one could escape even with an Explorer in their ranks.
"Dungeon Walk."
Ignoring the warning, I spoke the skill name. I said Dungeon Walk aloud while visualizing Warp in my mind. A black wall appeared. If it was Warp, it worked even with Shielding Cement. I plunged into the wall.
"Impossible! He used Dungeon Walk!?" "××××××××××" "No, only one of them ran! What a coward, leaving the women behind!" "Who exactly is the coward here?"
Hearing Roxanne's voice, I thrust Durandal forward. I drove the blade into the neck of the Feral Thief Lv 24, the only one standing in the rear.
I had used Warp to appear directly behind him. I’d predicted the exit point and aimed specifically for his neck. If I'd missed, the chest would have been a better target for raw damage, but given the possibility of armor, the neck was an easier hit since he wasn't in full plate. Because I needed momentum, I thrust the sword blindly.
Durandal pierced exactly where I had aimed, better than I’d even hoped. Struck from behind, the Feral Thief Lv 24 collapsed. At the sound of him falling, the others realized something was wrong.
"I-Impossible! What the hell is happening!?" "Doesn't matter! Kill them all!"
It would be a problem if they all rushed us at once. I manifested a Fire Wall between Sherry and the six Thieves in the back.
"There's another one! There's a Mage hiding somewhere!" "××××××××××"
The Thieves panicked. While a Fire Wall couldn't completely block the cave, it was a powerful deterrent. They hesitated to charge through the narrow passage and the flames toward Sherry, who was waiting with her club. Moreover, by using the Fire Wall, they assumed we had a hidden Mage ally and fell into confusion.
Roxanne, Sherry, and Miria hadn't chanted anything. To the Thieves, I was clearly the Explorer who had used Dungeon Walk. That meant there had to be a Mage somewhere else who had cast the Fire Wall.
Despite that, the three high-level members of the main force ran straight at me. A logical choice. By moving, I had effectively sandwiched them between myself and my party. If they eliminated me, they could regain the advantage. This suited me perfectly. If they focused on me, Miria and the others were safer.
Now, how to kill these three? All-target attack magic didn't work on humans, but single-target magic did. Since the Fire Wall was up, I couldn't use other spells while it burned. However, Bonus Spells were a different story.
Magic from the Mage job and Bonus Spells must have been on separate cooldowns. I’d backed away once to create distance, but certain that the Bonus Spell would work, I moved forward. I didn't like using this spell if I could avoid it, but I couldn't afford to be picky.
As the Thieves closed in, I focused on the man in the center and thought: Equivalent Exchange.
It was the single-target attack magic from my Bonus Spells. It had practically become my trump card against Thieves. Honestly, it was terrifying to use it on a Pirate whose level was higher than mine. I didn't know how much HP he had. If the Pirate Lv 67's HP exceeded the sum of my MP and HP, I was dead.
Since I’d had plenty of MP left after using it on the Explorer Lv 25, it probably wouldn't be a problem against a Thief Lv 48. However, if I killed the Thief Lv 48, the Pirate Lv 67 would still be standing. If I killed the Pirate, only the Thief Lv 48 and Explorer Lv 42 would remain. It was a question of which trade was better.
I’d barely managed to defeat the Thief Lv 40 with Sherry’s help. Alone, even a Thief Lv 48 would be a struggle. A Pirate Lv 67 was almost certainly stronger; I’d likely lose if he remained. Even if Equivalent Exchange created an opening by blowing the enemy apart, the higher-level Pirate would likely recover faster than the Thief.
In that sense, I had no choice but to target the Pirate. My MP had been more than enough for the Explorer. I had to believe that against the Pirate, my combined MP and HP wouldn't be completely drained.
No, maybe I was being too hasty. How much could I really trust my own judgment? My inept judgment. My worthless reasoning. My petty, cowardly logic.
The Pirate Lv 67 exploded.
The man in the center of the three Thieves suddenly vanished in a burst of gore. Leaving his armor and equipment behind, he literally blew apart.
"Huh?"
The movements of the men on either side froze for a heartbeat. Seeing the man next to them suddenly detonate would do that to anyone. I desperately suppressed the wave of nausea and horror at what I’d just done. I couldn't waste this opening.
Lashing my heart, which cried out that it didn't want to do any of this, I swung Durandal. I effortlessly lopped off the head of the Thief Lv 48 while he was still paralyzed. I felt my HP and MP surge back. It was Durandal’s absorption.
My judgment hadn't been wrong. Targeting the Pirate with Equivalent Exchange was the right call. I wanted to turn and run right then, but I stood my ground. The Explorer next to where the Pirate had been was still frozen. Bits of what used to be the Pirate were stuck to him. It would take a few more seconds for his brain to restart.
Grateful for the restored MP, I suppressed my revulsion and moved my arm. I took the Explorer’s head as well. My HP and MP restored further. It wasn't a full recovery, but I couldn't complain.
I immediately used Warp again, appearing behind the six Thieves.
"Over here. You're not going anywhere."
I called out to them from behind. I opened my Item Box and pulled out recovery medicine. First, the Nourishing Medicine. No, should I have used a Tonic to prioritize MP? You incompetent fool. After swallowing the Nourishing Medicine, I grabbed a Tonic and tossed it back too. Since I was still in a fight, prioritizing HP over MP was the right call. It wasn't a mistake.
"××××××××××" "××××××××××"
The six of them shouted something to each other and charged at me as one. They must have realized they were trapped. The Fire Wall had vanished, but Roxanne and the others were still in front of them. I was alone behind them. There was no exit that way, so coming at me was their only choice.
However, it wasn't a smart move. They were forgetting something. Until just a moment ago, there had been a Fire Wall between them and Sherry. I cast another Fire Wall in front of the charging six without a chant.
The lead Thief didn't take much damage from the flames, but while he was distracted by the fire behind him, I took his head. The second and third Thieves charged straight into the wall of fire. I cut them down, but since I gained almost nothing from them, they might have died from the fire instantly. The fourth Thief tried to scramble out of the flames, but I cut him down while he was struggling. The fifth managed to retreat after only a brief contact with the fire. He was sitting on the ground, clutching his legs.
Only one was left unscathed.
I stepped forward, keeping an eye on the Thief on the ground. The unscathed one backed away slowly in time with my steps. Roxanne and the others caught up from behind them.
"Back off a bit," I told them.
As they created distance, the unscathed Thief backed away even further. I kept moving forward. The Thief kept retreating. Once I was in range, I took a large step and swept through the neck of the Thief on the ground.
Seeing that, the last unscathed Thief lunged at me. For a Thief, it was likely his best possible move—if my sword hadn't been Durandal. With a normal sword, lopping off a head isn't that easy. He might have been able to stab me while I was finishing off his comrade.
But I was using Durandal. The swing that took the head of the man on the ground effortlessly continued through, catching the charging Thief in the side. His downward swing lost all momentum, and I dodged it with ease. I drove Durandal into his abdomen with all my strength, then slowly pulled it out.
The Thief collapsed.
"Master!"
Roxanne and the others ran toward me.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Yes."
All three seemed unhurt. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. But it wasn't necessarily over. I immediately gave orders.
"Roxanne, Miria, check if anyone else escaped. Sherry, help me collect the Intelligence Cards."
I was certain I’d killed everyone I’d spotted. However, I’d used chant-less magic, Warp, and Equivalent Exchange. If there were witnesses, they all had to be eliminated. Roxanne and Miria ran toward the small room where the six had been.
"That was a magnificent battle."
"Thanks."
"We should collect the wrists quickly."
Sherry began the task with clinical efficiency. She started by cutting cloth from the Thieves' clothes to wrap the trophies. She’d already taken her Steel Spear back from Miria.
I also began the work of severing the Thieves' wrists. I piled them on top of the Thieves' discarded clothes. It was a gruesome task, but I did it mechanically. It wasn't so much that I was used to it, but the MP I’d absorbed through Durandal gave me a strange sense of calm.
I worked quickly but carefully; there was a time limit. I finished taking the wrists just in time. As I cut the final wrist from the Feral Thief, his body vanished as if it were being swallowed by the floor. The other Thieves' bodies followed suit. Seeing them sink into the Labyrinth floor in an instant, leaving only their gear behind, was an eerie sight no matter how many times I witnessed it.
I counted the wrists; there were exactly eight. I hadn't taken the Explorer's wrist since there was no bounty on him. I also couldn't recover anything from the Pirate who had exploded; he had been scattered so thoroughly that nothing remained.
"I don't think anyone escaped," Roxanne said as she and Miria returned.
"I see."
"Regardless, that was incredible. As expected of you, Master."
"Thanks. I'm just glad you're all safe."
My biggest concern had been them getting hurt. The fact that they were fine was the best possible outcome.
"Thank you very much."
"Because you put up that Fire Wall, the Thieves couldn't touch us. Thank you."
"××××××××××"
"Miria says it was amazing, too."
I’d slaughtered them all, but it didn't seem like Miria was repulsed. She’d been the one encouraging me earlier, after all. I checked on her while picking up the dropped equipment, but her expression remained neutral.
"I'm sorry for putting you through that."
"No. Besides, you defeated them all yourself."
"This sort of thing can happen anytime. It isn't even the first time," Sherry added.
She had a point. Miria had grown up in a world where Thieves were a constant threat. Turning the tables on them was likely within her expectations.
"××××××××××" "××××××××××" "××××××××××"
"Miria was quite surprised, but I told her this was nothing for you and instructed her to keep it a secret."
It seemed it wasn't within her expectations in a slightly different way. I felt like that might be a problem, but it was too much effort to intervene, so I let it be. I’d definitely chosen the wrong person to handle her education.
Staying silent, I focused on gathering the loot. Since the bodies had been "digested," I didn't have to undress them, which made things easier. The Thieves' gear was a mix of leather and hard leather. Hard Leather Hats, Gloves, and Boots. I could likely upgrade everyone's equipment with these. A few even had empty skill slots. I tossed them into my Item Box.
The Hard Leather Armor... was probably only for me. Just holding it made Sherry glare at me. Apparently, armor was shaped to the chest, so it wasn't something women were supposed to wear. Since my Item Box was getting full, I had Sherry put some of it in hers. She looked quite unhappy about carrying the Hard Leather Armor.
Maybe it was time to drop Alchemist and pick up Cook for its Item Box skill. Miria was getting stronger; we could probably manage without the plating bonus.
"There's even a Ring of Determination."
One piece of gear had a skill attached. It was the Ring of Determination that the Feral Thief had been wearing. I remembered it specifically because his gear stood out. However, since it was an accessory, it would conflict with the Substitution Misanga. It would have been bad if the Feral Thief or the Pirate had been wearing Misangas; my first strike wouldn't have worked.
"That must be a Relic," Sherry informed me.
A Relic. It was certainly impressive.
As for weapons, there were two Steel Swords and some Iron Swords. No empty skill slots, nothing special. I decided to keep one Steel Sword just in case. There was also a Rapier and a Steel Shield. The Pirate had been using a one-handed sword.
"A Rapier, huh?"
"Yes. A thrusting sword. Higher-level one-handed swords focus on thrusting to damage monsters. The fighting style is a bit different."
"Can you handle it, Roxanne?"
"Leave it to me. Besides, Rapiers still have an edge, so I can slash with it just as I have been."
I wondered if a Rapier meant fencing-style attacks. If she could use it the same way as before, it should be fine.
"All right, the Rapier goes to Roxanne. Give the Scimitar and the Iron Shield to Miria."
I handed them over. Roxanne said something to Miria and passed her the old gear. Sherry took the Dagger and Wooden Shield from Miria and put them in her Item Box.
There were also ten Magic Crystals. Even the Pirate’s crystal hadn't exploded. Since the Rapier survived too, it seemed things worn outside the body weren't affected by Equivalent Exchange. The Guild didn't check Intelligence Cards when you sold crystals, so even a Thief’s crystals were good for cash. Even Thieves had to kill monsters in the Labyrinth, so it stood to reason they'd have at least one each.
One crystal was yellow. A Yellow Magic Crystal was the second-to-last tier, a rare find. It represented over a hundred thousand monster kills. It might even be worth more than the bounty. This was a real haul.
"Um... it's still early, but we should go home and clean up. I’ll wash the clothes immediately, and we should maintain the equipment," Roxanne suggested once we’d gathered everything.
My clothes were stained with blood. My face was probably a mess too. It was best to go back. Plus, I couldn't exactly fight while carrying a bundle of severed wrists. I’d used up my Tonic Pills and absorbed plenty of MP from the Thieves, so my reserves were full.
We returned home. The eastern sky was brightening; sunrise was close. I immediately stripped and washed in the bath. Roxanne washed the clothes right next to me.
"Roxanne, I'm sorry about today."
We’d won, but the fact that we were forced into a fight was due to my carelessness. I’d been led along and walked right into their trap. If the Thieves had been stronger, I didn't know what would have happened. I should have been more cautious. If it had been me from when I first arrived in this world, I would have been. I would have retreated and watched the Labyrinth entrance from a distance.
Why hadn't I? It was familiarity. Without realizing it, I’d become accustomed to fighting. I’d started thinking, I can probably handle this much, or I can probably win this easily. Because I’d beaten Thieves once before, I’d underestimated them. I’d assumed Thieves weren't a real threat.
Today’s group was stronger than the last. There might be even stronger groups out there. If there had been just one or two more powerful Thieves, I might not have been able to kill them all. I might have put Roxanne and the others in real danger.
In the end, we won, so my assessment wasn't entirely wrong. And since I had to survive in this world, getting used to combat wasn't a bad thing. But familiarity was a dangerous thing. I should have been more careful in judging the strength of my opponents. If I didn't, I’d eventually find the ground pulled out from under me.
Tighten your helmet strings after a victory. Today was a good lesson.
"What are you saying, Master? It was a magnificent battle."
Even if Roxanne was full of praise, I knew better.
I left the bath and changed. I organized the Item Box. While the girls maintained the gear, I sorted the loot to make more space. I could probably hold out a bit longer without the Cook job. I also combined the Thieves' Magic Crystals. A crystal turned white after a million kills, which was the maximum. My own crystal had already absorbed ten thousand kills to become a Green Magic Crystal.
A Green crystal becomes Yellow at a hundred thousand. If the Thieves' Yellow crystal already had nine hundred thousand kills and my Green one was close to a hundred thousand, combining them might result in a loss. I kept my Green one separate and combined the Thieves' crystals. The Yellow one didn't turn white. I decided to keep the Green one in storage and carry the Yellow one from now on.
I kept the essentials in my Item Box and put the items for sale in Sherry’s. I moved anything we didn't need immediately to the storage room. Then, in the empty storage room, I thought: Character Reset.
I put points into Bonus Equipment and selected Accessory II. This was the gear I’d had since the very beginning. When I finished the reset, a ring appeared on my left index finger. As I thought, it was a Ring of Determination.
I’d been curious about it ever since I appraised the one the Feral Thief dropped. The Bonus Equipment and the drop were identical—same name, same two skills. I wondered if someone else in this world could use Character Reset. My ring was brand new, while the Feral Thief’s was dull and scratched. Just looking at them told me they were different items.
I tried deleting my ring, putting on the Feral Thief’s, and then using Character Reset. Unfortunately, it didn't count as me having Accessory II already. If it had, I would have gained three Bonus Points. A long shot, but worth a try.
Then I tried another experiment. I acquired Accessory II, swapped it for the Feral Thief’s ring, and thought: Character Reset.
...It could be removed.
What should I do? I took a chance and removed the skill. The Ring of Determination vanished. My Bonus Points were fine. When I reacquired Accessory II, a second ring appeared. It was brand new, not the scratched one. It seemed when I manifested equipment through the skill, it was always a new item. The dull, scratched ring was gone.
I removed the skill, took the new ring, and went back to the main room.
"Do you know of anyone who can produce a ring like this?" I asked Sherry.
"Is that the Ring of Determination from before?"
"Yes."
"That is 'Job Fixation.'"
"Job Fixation?"
So people like that did exist.
"Um... come to think of it, Master, you are not part of a Guild, are you?"
"No, I'm not."
"At a Guild Temple, one can receive a blessing called Job Fixation. Once blessed, that person can never change their job again. In exchange, they are said to become much stronger. It is explained as a gift from the Guild Guardian Deity."
Job Fixation. So that’s why there were temples in the Guilds.
"Is there really a Guardian Deity in the Guild?"
"No one has ever actually met one. As for whether they truly exist..." Sherry, as always, was perfectly rational.
"So Fixation means locking your job?"
"Yes. When someone undergoes Fixation, equipment sometimes appears for them. It is considered a gift from the Guardian Deity."
"And that’s what this ring is?"
"I cannot say for certain. But if someone produced a ring like that, it was likely through Job Fixation."
I didn't know what Sherry thought about me manifesting Durandal. She probably thought I was pulling it out of my Item Box. Using the Item Box without a chant didn't look much different from my system.
So there were other people who could produce rings. Job Fixation seemed clearly linked to Character Reset and Bonus Points. There was a definite connection. The manifestation of equipment. The inability to change jobs. Since Bonus Points increased with level, once you used them, you couldn't switch to a lower-level job.
And there was one more thing. Fixation supposedly made you stronger. Bonus Points could be put directly into stats.
"Do you know what kind of equipment appears?"
"It seems to vary. A Mage might receive a sword, or a Swordsman might receive a cane. But equipment from Fixation always has skills. It is said that in extremely rare cases, something truly incredible can appear."
That was slightly different from my case. My Bonus Weapons were only swords. I wondered if it was different for everyone.
"Is there any rule about who gets what?"
"Generally, it is believed that those who have spent many years in a single job are more likely to receive a blessing. They become stronger and get better equipment. Since you can't change jobs afterward, most people only do it when they are considering retirement. If good equipment appears, it is passed down through the family as an heirloom."
It wasn't exactly the answer I wanted, but it made sense. Sherry didn't know about Bonus Points, after all. Was it random, or was there a logic to it? The Bonus Armor I could produce was for men. If a woman used the same skill, she’d likely get something different.
Bonus Points were tied to level, so it was most efficient to use them at a high level. The idea that people who worked in a job for years got better blessings was circumstantial evidence that Fixation and Bonus Points were related. I tentatively concluded that the Ring of Determination was a "Fixed" item.
I decided to keep the extra ring for a rainy day. But since it was an accessory, it conflicted with the Misanga, so it wasn't very practical. It wasn't something to be sold lightly, so keeping it was the right move. I also had eight new Intelligence Cards to deal with, though I couldn't dispose of them just yet. My inventory was getting crowded, but that was just the way things went.