Alex pulled out a handful of circular coins engraved with Agatha's face and handed ten of them to William.
"Well done, you've earned ten creds," he said with a smile.
William accepted the coins, slipped them into his inventory, and gave a polite nod of thanks before turning to leave. He had only walked a few meters when Alex called out again.
"If you're looking for Jonathan, he'll be heading out for the hunt soon. He might be at the planning hut."
Without turning around, William raised his voice. "Thank you!"
---
The planning room was empty except for one man, and the air was filled with an eerie silence. As the hut's curtain shifted, the man looked up and smiled gently at the newcomer.
"William, come in."
William shook his head slightly as he approached Jonathan. He had a question and was eager for an answer. "Jonathan, I wanted to ask you something."
Jonathan, wearing a firm expression, nodded. "Go on, I'm listening."
"I recently found an item with a name described as ???" William said, watching Jonathan closely for any reaction, but his expression remained blank, as though it held no significance.
William hesitated, confused by Jonathan's nonchalant response, but pressed further, "Do you know what that is?"
Jonathan extended his open palm and said, "Show me." That was it—no further explanation. The tension in the air was palpable.
William hesitated, now questioning his decision to approach him in the first place. Still, refusing didn't seem like a smart option after he witness that monstrous stats.
Slowly, he raised his arm and muttered "Status," navigating through gestures to his inventory tab before selecting the white glowing orb marked with ???.
William hesitated, reluctant to part with the item, but fear gnawed at him if he refused.
Inwardly, he berated himself, 'Why did I ever think being direct was a good idea? I should have figured it out on my own,' he thought, gritting his teeth. 'What if he takes it and never returns it? Or worse, kills me for it?'
Jonathan looked at William, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes. He found it amusing to watch William struggle and misunderstand.
However, he didn't dwell on it. He assured William that he would return the equipment safely. Taking equipment wasn't easy—it had to be willingly sold or given up, requiring the owner to relinquish their own claim to it.
While there was another method to forcefully make it relinquish, involving either killing or torture, it was a subject best left unspoken to someone already concerned.
William handed over the glowing white orb. It shimmered as it emerged into the world, filling the entire hut with a brilliant white light for a moment. Then, it gradually dimmed until it became just an ordinary white orb.
Jonathan looked closely, narrowing his eyes as he muttered in a low voice, "It's the Book of Solomon." Though his words were quiet, the complete silence made them audible to William, who repeated the phrase almost instinctively, "Book of Solomon."
Jonathan looked at William and nodded. "Yes, the Book of Solomon. It's a legacy relic. There are about seven relics of Solomon, though some claim there are eight. But nobody really knows what the eighth is, so it's considered a myth."
"Curious about its ability, aren't you? This is one of the legendary pieces of equipment, and I might never give it back." teasing William, Jonathan chuckled as he said.
William gave a simple nod, just a nod.
Jonathan continued, "Its ability changes according to its owner. A Beastmaster can record beast powers and abilities, a mage can store all kinds of magic, and a necromancer can preserve his legion. It's truly a powerful item."
'Its ability is to record, which makes it a really versatile power.' thought William.
Jonathan didn't stop, "As a Paladin, I might be able to record various Holy magic from the priest class too." He glanced at William, trying to gauge his reaction to the grand reveal, and what he saw fulfilled his wish.
William was slightly shocked by the comment. He already knew Jonathan's class, but he had to act surprised, so he feigned a reaction. However, the idea of Jonathan wanting the book alarmed him. If it came down to it, he would fight him for it.
Jonathan laughed, his laughter echoing in the silence. Wiping a tear from his face, he said, "I'm just playing. Don't worry, I won't take it, though I would love to add it to my collection. If there's anything you'd like to trade it for, let me know."
William shook his head. "Sorry, but I want to keep it for now." Jonathan simply nodded.
"Thanks for the info, Jonathan," he added sincerely. Though he had more questions, getting answers would require revealing his own secrets. Until there was a bond of trust between them, he was reluctant to do so.
Returning the white orb to William, Jonathan said, "I'll be heading out with my team to hunt the ogres of Lysia River. If you're interested, there's a spot for a capable fighter." He paused briefly before adding, "Sharing your class with teammates will help build trust. I'll make sure my team keeps it confidential."
It wasn't just a request for the mission—Jonathan was making it clear that trust was essential for any future good relations between them.
William nodded, giving his farewell and thanking Jonathan once more. Whatever it was, he needed some time to reach a decision.
'Can I even trust him? Well, he did go with Elsia to look for me... but beyond that, the guy is an enigma. Is his "???" also a piece of Solomon's equipment? And if so, what could it be? I'll have to wait it out for now and give him an answer after his hunt. For now, I need to figure out what to do with this book. I'd better solve it soon, or the path ahead will be harsher than it needs to be.'
William was heading towards his hut. He needed to wash, but he couldn't since the river or any water source was too far away. Drinking water was supplied by some mages, but it wasn't meant for domestic use like bathing. In short, water was scarce. He also needed to rest as he was exhausted from using his mana to hunt goblins around the clearing. However, he had one more task before he could rest—figuring out how to create an exploit and adjusting Solomon's Book ability to fit his own class.