Chapter 163: System Inspection [2]
I still decided to save the token for later and use it when necessary; I wasn’t particularly in a hurry after all.
So, I turned my attention to the title and achievement next.
[The One Who Took the Fall II] - "You didn’t just intercept blows—you rewrote their trajectories."
Reward: [Character Insight Lv3]
[The Unwritten Epilogue II] - "Some stories deserve better endings."
Reward: [Narrative Glimpse Lv2]
Good.
Both were useful upgrades.
But I wasn’t in a hurry to test them yet—better to save them for the last dish. Though I’m sure they will be good. And one will become my first Lv3 skill, I expect good effects from it.
With that in mind, I focused on the final reward:
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[Affinity Resonance]
"What flows between kindred souls may be channeled, if only for a moment."
Type: Resonance Art
Rank: ★★ / Tier 2
Effect:
- Upon maintaining physical contact (3 seconds) with a target of ★★★ affinity or higher, temporarily replicate one random technique/ability from their Resonance Arts repertoire.
Duration:
- 2 minutes for sustained abilities
- Single use for instant effects
- Operates at 50-70% of original effectiveness
Requirements:
- Minimum ★★★ affinity with target
- Cannot replicate arts beyond your current resonance tier
- 12-hour cooldown per individual target
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I nodded slowly as the details settled in my mind.
A resonance art, not a skill or an ability—meaning I’d have to train it manually. But the potential was undeniable.
Temporarily borrowing techniques from allies? That was versatility I couldn’t ignore. It also reminded me of the other [Shared Burden] ability, which can share pain/emotions, while this one shares skills and even abilities.
The only real limitation was the affinity requirement—I could only use it on people who actually liked me. Which, admittedly, wasn’t a long list.
Hopefully, the requirements loosen as I level it up.
For now, though, it was another tool in the arsenal. One I’d have to practice carefully.
I closed the window, exhaling.
The System is giving me plenty to work with, but not the answer I am looking for. Well, isn’t that usual by now?
Chuckling inwardly, I closed the windows and opened the next storyline - Cassandra’s.
But there were no new scenarios from it, which made one thing clear - only the scenarios I participated in or had influence on would appear here, which was a bit letdown.
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
The System was generous with rewards, but stingy with answers. If I could see all the other scenarios, or at least the ongoing ones—not just the ones I’d stumbled into—I could actually plan.
I could prepare for disasters before they happened. Intervene before the tragedies fully unfolded.
But no.
Only the threads I’d already touched were visible.
Would it change if the System upgrades again?
I mused, scrolling absently through Cassandra’s little storyline.
Maybe.
But if my guess was right, it’d take at least seven to ten completed storylines to trigger another System evolution. And who knew how long that would take? Months? Years?
A bitter chuckle escaped me.
Guess I’ll just have to work with what I’ve got.
Still, I couldn’t help but worry.
Cassandra, Princess Sara, Lannette—were they alright back in the Empire? The last time I’d seen them, tensions were rising due to the threat of the prince. And they were opening a new business in the capital.
If something happened now, I wouldn’t even know until it was too late.
Maybe I should stop by the capital after visiting home.
The thought lingered, but I shook my head.
No use speculating. I’d check in when I could.
For now, I needed to focus on what was in front of me.
Closing Cassandra’s storyline, I opened the next one—
[A Sky Too Small for the Both of Us.]
Nolan and Shaela’s tale.
The title alone was ominous.
But as my gaze scrolled down, I froze.
Two new scenarios stood at the bottom, already completed.
"When did I...?"
My mind raced.
Had the System registered these during its maintenance?
I hadn’t even interacted with Nolan or Shaela that much. I have only seen Shaela during the orphanage visits while Nolan... well, almost every day since I had to keep an eye on our honorary custodian.
Then...
Could it be related to the monster attack?
We protected the town, which resulted in indirectly saving the civilians.
Maybe the town would have suffered losses if not for us? And either Shaela or Nolan would have been involved?
Maybe that’s why it was counted as indirect involvement in their storyline.
Still, it was strange.
Even if I doubted they’d hold the answers I needed, I couldn’t ignore them.
If I was going to help rewrite these tragedies, I needed every piece of information I could get.
Even the ones I didn’t realize I’d earned.
With a slow breath, I selected the first one.
Time to see what the System had been keeping from me.
Ding-!
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SCENARIO: "WHEN THE MOONS MEET"
STATUS: COMPLETED (HIDDEN OBJECTIVE)
"The stray star swept the spoiled moon away from the fiery sun—only for the fractured moon to discover its long-lost brother hidden in the dark."
▸ OBJECTIVES COMPLETED:
✓ Break the Arrogance – Make the elf prince submit willingly. (Thumbs up for making him a janitor.)
✓ The Leash Holder – Ensure he meets the one who keeps him in check.
✓ Path of Reflection – Guide him toward a pivotal realization.
▸ REWARDS:
- [Crescent Mirror] – "Even if the moon can’t speak, it still sees."
- [Lunar Vein Dew] – "Moonlight doesn’t burn. It steadies."
- 50 Scenario Points
- [Affinity Boost: Nolan +★] - Current Affinity: ★★ (Might fluctuate based on Nolan’s mood)
- Title Acquired: [Stray Star] - "You don’t follow paths. You pull others off theirs."
- Achievement Earned: [Royal Mop Diplomacy] - "You convinced an elven prince that janitorial duty is a noble calling. Bonus points if he still doesn’t know."
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My breath caught.
The ’spoiled moon’... Nolan?
The description was cryptic as usual, but the pieces fit.
Nolan, the arrogant elf prince, would have become tangled with Shaela (the fiery sun). But with and without my intervention, the events took quite an interesting turn.
As for the ’long-lost brother in the dark’...
Just who could it be?