Time slowly ticked by.
Listening to the little chibi explain the SnapWarp's features turned out to be far more time-consuming than Sonny had expected.
When he finally glanced out the hospital room window, he noticed the sky had already darkened and night had fallen before he even realized it. According to Anna Cross, the Chief of the Monitoring Division, he had been unconscious for three whole days.
The news had startled him at first. He couldn't help but wonder about all the schoolwork he'd missed, not to mention the job hours piling up. But then, the memory surfaced: his part-time convenience store had been destroyed during the Monster Outbreak and anything related to the outside world was being handled by the Association now.
So really… what was even there to worry about?
Not like he had any friends or family who'd be worried about him anyway.
'Come to think about it, my life has been rather dull and mundane so far. But now, that I have the power to change my future however I fit, what should I do?'
Or rather, there was so much to do, Sonny didn't even know where to start.
First of all, he obviously planned to head to the Hunting Guild Association in the Square Mile and register as a Hunter. Now that he had awakened as a Sleeper, nothing was stopping him from challenging the «Black Tower». And the Tower had acknowledged him too.
But there was a problem.
Entering the Tower without preparation was a fool's errand.
As a Sleeper the lowest rank, stepping into the Tower was nothing short of suicidal. He needed, at the very least, to buy some decent equipment. And given his unique condition, which made it impossible for him to 'level up,' it was clear he wouldn't be tearing apart monsters with his bare hands anytime soon.
However, the problem didn't end there.
He needed money! And apparently, lots of it too!
Gears used by Hunters was vastly superior to anything humanity had developed, as they are crafted using the body parts of fallen Tower Monsters. As a result, it wasn't cheap by any means. Even the lowest-ranking gear could cost around £50,000, with higher-ranking equipment fetching even more.
That was more than his part-time job's salary for seven months!
Sonny held his chin, reviewing the matter thoughtfully as he suppressed the growing greed inside him.
'Using Spellbound, I could make a fortune anytime I wanted. But it'd be suspicious if a huge sum of money, that I couldn't earn in this lifetime even if I sold my body, suddenly appeared in my account. The bank officials are not stupid.
'In other words, I need to be smart about how I use my power… or it's going to cause trouble for me.'
Needless to say, an Innate Ability capable of manipulating reality would be seen as a disaster if the public ever found out. In the worst-case scenario, every top Guild in the world would relentlessly hunt him down with the intent to discover what made him thick and that was the last thing he needed right now.
Not that he was afraid of dying. He didn't believe he'd lose. But the hassle would be bothersome.
More importantly… how would he fare against the War God?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Sonny's face went pale. He quickly shook his head, afraid the idea might haunt his dreams.
[Master, are you absentmindedly thinking about something else again when I'm diligently explaining this to you?!]
'Ah!'
Noticingthe little chibi glaring daggers at him for ignoring her, Sonny gave a small cough and replied shamelessly,
"Sorry, what were you saying again?"
Wasp huffed with her arms crossed.
[I was explaining 'Reality Points.' This is crucial if you want to understand your ability.]
"Reality Points? Wait, hold on… Are you trying to say experience points or something like that?"
[What? No, no, no! Reality Points! Not experience points! Ugh, I knew it! You weren't listening at all, were you!?]
"I'm sorry."
Seeing her master's pitiful expression, Wasp could only sigh in defeat.
[Do you at least remember when I mentioned the equivalent exchange principle used in alchemy?] she asked, exasperated. [Your Innate Ability, Nightweave, works on a similar principle. You have to sacrifice something to produce an 'effect.' And the currency for that sacrifice is called Reality Points.]
Sonny frowned.
"You keep saying Reality Points this, Reality Points that, but I still don't get it. Is it just some kind of sacrifice currency? More importantly, how do I even get it?"
Wasp shot him a look that practically screamed, Isn't that obvious?
[It's actually simple, Master.] She crossed her tiny arms. [You can't level up because of your rather... unique skill, but that doesn't mean you can't receive Exousia.]
Sonny blinked.
"Wait, I can?"
As if expecting the question, Wasp's exasperation melted into a knowing smile. Her voice turned almost conversational.
[Don't you already know? Exousia is stored inside your Soul Core. When normal people level up, their Exousia elevates their Soul Tier to the next Level. In your case, however, because of your shackles, you can't level up, so it just sits there, stagnant, with nowhere else to go.]
She then added.
[That's why it can be extracted and converted into something else. For example, into what I call Reality Points.]
"And these Reality Points... I can use them to create an 'effect,' right?" asked the bedridden young man.
[That's correct.]
"But how do I get them though? Don't tell me it's like one of those cliché stories where I have to do random quests or something," Sonny muttered, visibly trembling as if dreading the thought.
Wasp tilted her head, clearly puzzled.
[Huh? No? And what do you mean by 'cliché stories'? Is that supposed to mean something?]
Sonny let out a short breath and brushed it off.
"No, it's nothing important."
Then, after a beat, he added:
"Anyway, you still haven't answered my real question. Wait, since it's Exousia, that means I just have to hunt down monsters in the Tower, right? Also... how many of these Reality Points do I even have right now?"
Wasp nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
[Yes, obviously. As for your second question, just check your Reality Points on the app. Open your profile, it's listed right under your name.]
With a skeptical look, Sonny opened his SnapWarp profile. A few seconds later, his eyes landed on the so-called Reality Points.
'So it's really here… but…'
His expression twisted, caught somewhere between confusion and disappointment.
Glancing at the chibi floating on his phone screen, he raised a pointed question. "Why is it so low? I only have ten Reality Points. And more importantly, how did I even get them?"
[Ah, that's right]
Wasp muttered, remembering something important.
[I forgot, Master... you were unconscious, so of course you wouldn't know.] She floated a little higher. [You actually gained Exousia by killing that Level 3 Furiataur. That's what triggered your awakening as a Sleeper. I simply converted the Exousia you earned from slaying that creature into Reality Points.]
She paused, then huffed.
[And for your information, the Exousia you got was no small amount! That was 10,000 EP! That's enough to shoot you straight to Level 3 if not for your shackles!]
'Me? Level 3?' Sonny's eyes widened dangerously.
That would've been a sight to see, very much so. All Hunters, no matter how high their Origin Rank, started from the Sleeper rank. Only after grueling hours of farming and grinding did they claw their way up. Even the Level Six had to start at the bottom.
If he had really jumped straight to Level 3… he would've shattered records and made headlines over night!
How sad, then, that a certain skill was holding him back, locking him at Level Zero like a prisoner in his own body!
Sonny sighed.
Even so, his heart pounded rapidly from excitement. Just in case, he misunderstood anything, he asked:
"So, let me get this straight… I have 10 RP and I can use them to activate my Nightweave ability… but in exchange, I lose these points, right?"
[Correct. Reality Points are your fuel. Use them up, and you'll need to hunt more monsters to refill.] Wasp's smile turned a shade sharper. [But remember, Master… the stronger the 'effect' you want, the more Reality Points it'll cost. Equivalent exchange, after all.]
Sonny lazily slumped back into his pillow on the bed, holding his smartphone above his face.
"I see. So I'm basically a broke magician who has to farm monsters for gas money. Not that I mind. After all, Hunters are basically farmers."
Wasp blinked.
[Eh? I don't really get the metaphor, but… yes. That's pretty accurate.]
'Of course, you wouldn't. You were just born three days ago. I would be more surprised if you actually understood what I said.'
After a bit of thinking, Sonny smiled with greed flashing in his eyes. "You have been saying all those wonderful things, but wouldn't it be better if we actually put it into the test."
Wasp's eyes lit up.
[That's a great idea, Master! I was thinking the same thing! So, what's the plan? What do you want to do first?]
Sonny's grin stretched wider.
"Isn't it obvious? The first thing I want… is to get rich. Rich. Rich!"
He let out a breathless laugh, then his smile turned a little sharper.
"But... it's tricky. I can't just make money out of nowhere without raising suspicion. So after thinking long and hard..."
He tapped his temple.
"I finally came up with a solution!"
With a brief pause, Sonny asked while maintaining his smile.
"Would it be possible for me to suddenly turn out to be the long-lost son of some insanely rich old man, who's on his deathbed and ready to leave everything to me?"
[...Eh?]
Wasp stared blankly, clearly caught off-guard.
[Master… That's so specific it's actually scary. Are you sure you weren't absentmindedly planning this before you even asked me?]
Sonny's grin didn't fade. In fact, it grew sharper.
"Answer the question already. Is it possible?"
The chibi assistant crossed her arms, and a thoughtful look flashed in her golden eyes.
[Well… in theory, yes. Spellbound can manipulate reality within the limits of your Reality Points. As long as you have the required reality points, then you would be able to do anything.]
"I see. How much Reality Points do I need for this?"
Wasp answered casually as If it was no big deal:
[That would be seven RP.]
Sonny's grin crumbled.
"Seven?! That's like… almost everything I have right now!" he groaned, staring at the small "10 RP" flashing on his SnapWarp profile. "Damnit. That'd leave me with only three points left!"
Wasp nodded.
[Well, it's not exactly surprising. You're talking about forging an entirely new identity, rewriting records, and making the story actually plausible. If it's done half-heartedly, the whole thing would fall apart within days. And considering you've probably dumped your personal data online at some point, it'd be ridiculously easy for someone to dig up the truth if they bother to look. Simply put, this is a massive reality distortion that ripples on a global scale. When you think about it that way… don't you think seven measly Reality Points actually sounds kinda cheap?]
Sonny summarized everything in a simple manner.
"So, in other words… I can pull off the 'rich heir' scam, but if someone decides to dig deeper, I'm screwed unless I have spare points to cover my tracks."
[That's correct.] Wasp nodded sagely. [It's called Equivalent exchange, Master. The greater the distortion, the greater the cost would be.]
He felt a pang of regret, knowing he had to sacrifice seven Reality Points just to become rich. Was it really worth it? But after a brief pause, Sonny realized he was being stupid.
He fell silent, his eyes lingering on the glowing number "10" displayed on his screen.
Then, slowly, a smirk curled at the corner of his lips.
"…Seven points, huh? That's nothing. I can just farm more by hunting monsters, can't I? So what's there to stress about? And I would be rich too."
Wasp's eyes gleamed.
[That's exactly right, Master! Now you're thinking with a clearer, more enlightened mindset!]
Sonny chuckled darkly.
"Alright then. Let's make me someone's long-lost rich son."