"Hahaha, so that's what I had to do!" Hal laughed heartily at the heavens.
For the past three weeks, all he'd done was train his body and take on missions, focusing on figuring out how to earn Chaos Points from monsters.
And he finally did, after what was his fifteenth and possibly final F-ranked mission.
As it turned out, it didn't matter whether the creature was a monster or a beast, but whether he could disrupt a plan.
For instance, if a beast was stalking another in hopes of eating it and he killed the predator, he would've disrupted its plan of eating, which granted him one point.
But more than that, Hal had stumbled onto a frightening clue, though he wasn't sure if his guess was right.
It sounded impossible—and even terrifying.
However, the more he tested, the more it seemed to lean toward being true.
The predator's intent to stalk and eat its prey might not even be the point; it was about whether a higher being had intended for that prey to die today.
Maybe that being was a god, but what Hal kept thinking of was "fate".
Yes.
He had a hunch that disrupting fate's design for every creature was the real reason he earned points, and if a creature was significant enough in the grand scheme of things, the more points he'd gain.
But there was still something he didn't have an answer to.
Why would fate allow him to get the Clown Box from the Arcane Repository, then?
Why would fate be foolish enough to make it someone's destiny to ruin its own plans?
It just didn't add up.
Then, it hit him as he recalled something Joker once said.
"Chaos' Chosen…" he muttered while harvesting the wings and antennae of the massive moth beast he'd just slain. "Is Chaos fighting against Fate, then?"
Hal shook his head afterward.
He could believe that Chaos was real.
After all, he received the Joker System from that great being, but Fate…
Hal wasn't so sure.
People could be born unlucky, sure, but there was no proof it was fate's doing, or that fate even existed…
Besides, how could a mere human like him be involved in a clash between two godlike entities?
He might just be spinning a wild theory in his head, so he decided to stick to what he'd discovered and not overthink it.
He would continue earning Chaos Points the way he'd learned
…For now…
A few hours later, before nightfall, Hal returned to the academy's Mission Hall, feeling a little excited to claim his mission rewards.
This marked his fifteenth mission, which meant that...
"Congratulations, Young Sir Hal Fennec, here's your access card to the second floor. You may now take on E-ranked missions. Once you complete one that involves hunting an E-ranked monster or beast, you will be officially registered in the Imperial Wizard Database as a Novice Wizard. Once again, thank you for your contributions to the empire. Líetha Aeternus, Arcanum Imperium."
"Líetha Aeternus, Arcanum Imperium." Hal replied customarily, giving a slight bow as he received a blue card.
Clenching his fists in celebration, he walked out of the Mission Hall 2 silvers, 2 academy credits, and five contribution points richer.
His current total stood at 18 silver 50 copper coins, 19 academy credits, and 100 contribution points.
Hal decided to rest for the day and resume grinding tomorrow.
Half an hour later, back in his dormitory room, he locked the door and laid on his bamboo cot, snapping his fingers to access the system.
==
Chaos Points: 198
==
He'd saved up a fair amount.
But he wasn't planning on using them—not just yet.
Depending on the situation, he'd either draw from or upgrade the system.
'For now…'
Hal tapped on the [Quests] function, deep in thought.
==
Quest Title: An Arcanist's Humble Beginnings
Act 1: Novice Gatherer - [Completed]
Act 2 - Avoiding Suspicion
Attend Basic Arcanist Knowledge Classes: 0/25
Reward: 10 Chaos Points
Act 3 - [Locked]
==
'Tch…twenty-five days of arcanist classes, huh?' he thought.
He still had some time before the Arcana Primis Cup's Main Tournament, but was it really worth locking up his schedule for twenty-five full days just for 10 measly Chaos Points?
The Joker System seemed to be pushing him toward arcanist-related quests, rather than combat wizard ones.
Although Hal didn't mind picking up some extra money-making skills, he wasn't sure if it was worth the investment in this crucial period.
He made up his mind a few minutes later.
"Fine then, I'll invest time in it…"
He'd focus on those twenty-five days, take on the occasional mission, earn Chaos Points when he could, and continue training his body.
That would be his plan for the next month.
But before all that, he'd be going on one last quest tomorrow: his first E-ranked quest, which wouldn't just let him officially become a novice wizard of the empire, but also help him confirm one final detail about how his point-earning method worked.
It was then that a knock at his room's worn-out door broke him out of his thoughts.
Hearing the voice that soon followed, Hal's eyes widened:
"Hal? Are you there?"