37 Strength and it's Problems

On his little business trip this time, Randolph had made just a single client, being Arnold. But he wasn't discouraged. Arnold wasn't just a big fry, but he spoke of quality above quantity and was a connection to future business.

Randolph's main concern this time was not about whether or not the man would call him back, but about the system. It was mainly about the privacy clause.

John, the only other person who had signed a contract with him thus far, was dead. There was no precedent to how the system enforced the contract, for both parties. But he wasn't too overly concerned about it.

I don't think he's stupid enough to go against the clause.

"It's this hotel, right?"

The young man's thoughts were interrupted by his taxi driver's voice in front of him.

"Yeah, just stop in the parking lot and I'll get off myself." Randolph nodded his head in response.

The yellow car drove into the parking lot, staying at the further end near the entrance.

Randolph moved slowly and deliberately, pulling open the handle to the car's door before pushing it open. As he exited, he grabbed onto the handle, holding it gently as he pushed the door shut.

"Something wrong, mister?" But the process was interrupted by the taxi driver's voice.

He had rolled down the driver's window, and his call had broken Randolph's focus, causing him to clench his hand just a bit too hard.

"Uhh… nothing. Nothing's wrong, thanks for the drive." Chuckling awkwardly, the young man put his hand behind his back as he waved farewell to the taxi driver.

The man gave him an odd look, but drove away shortly afterwards.

What he didn't notice was that the door handle that Randolph had grabbed had been twisted in, as if melted by a ferocious fire. Five distinct fingerprints had been embedded into the handle, distorting it by merit of sheer brute strength.

Randolph frowned as he watched the disfigured handle on the car driving away. It looked like a pretzel that had been twisted too much.

Lifting his hands, he observed them carefully.

They looked completely normal, but Randolph could tell that they were very different from before.

His hands and fingers were much more solid and muscular than before, his skin losing their rough texture and being replaced by firm muscle. If he clenched any muscle in his hands, he could feel an extreme tightness.

This change wasn't restricted to only his hands, but affected his entire body. He could feel that every vein in his body was pumping blood at an intensity much more powerful than before.

The change had taken place on the car ride back to the Hotel, very shortly after he had completed his trade with Arnold. It forced him to be careful and conscious of his every movement. As the car ride was a very long one, he didn't even have the luxury to sleep properly.

This is going to be a bigger problem than I thought…

He had expected the situation to be a problem, but his improved strength had shocked even him.

Though the car door was cheap and made mostly out of aluminium, he hadn't used that much strength when he had clenched his hand.

I have no control over my power currently. I can't control how much strength I exert. I have to be more careful.

While this problem was large, it was still only his second concern.

There was a larger problem that he could physically feel, and it was a bloated sensation all over his body. If he clenched his muscles, he could feel power flow through them and feel them tighten, but if he clenched too hard, he felt like his skin would rip and his muscles would explode.

This problem occurred only after I traded for his strength, which means it has something to do with the strength points… Considering that I traded only strength and the bloated sensation in my body, does that mean I have too much strength points? 

Randolph's footsteps were slow and deliberate as he made his way to the Hotel's entrance.

As he approached the multiple large doors, he noticed an elegant old man standing outside of the doors. It was Archibald, seemingly waiting as he stood with his back straight as a rod, his gaze forward and unmoving. The two bellboys at the side occasionally glanced at him in obvious respect and admiration.

"Archibald!"

"My Lord."

Upon seeing Randolph walk up the stairs to the Hotel's entrance, he quickly made his way forward.

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Yes, my Lord." As he reached Randolph, he bowed forward.

"How did you know that I'd be back?"

"I merely felt it."

The butler's strange response confused Randolph, but he brushed it off.

"Perfect timing then. Open the doors for me and help me to my room will you? I can't really do it at the moment."

"Of course, my Lord. I have finished with the task you have given me, and the information is prepared."

"Really? Great! Though… you'll have to explain the situation to me later, I just want to rest right now."

"Yes. You must be tired from your trip." As Archibald spoke, he stepped back. Straightening his back, he sized the young man up.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you have anything you would like me to carry, my Lord?"

"Uh… No, I don't." Confused, Randolph tilted his head.

He wasn't carrying any sort of luggage in his hands, so he had no clue why the old man would ask such a question.

Guess it's just room service. Pretty nice to have, huh.

"…Very well."

Bowing forward again, the butler began walking forward. His service was impeccable, almost immediately matching Randolph's slow pace as he walked. He escorted Randolph the entire Hotel, pre-emptively pressing the elevator buttons and opening the doors without him needing to say a word.

After unlocking Randolph's hotel room, he held the door open for the young man to head inside.

"Wait, Archibald," Before the butler could leave, Randolph stopped him. "It's getting late, could you prepare dinner in advance?"

"Of course, my Lord. Shall I bring your meal up to your room?"

"No, there's no need for that. I don't think it'll be an easy task because I'll be ordering a lot, so I'll just eat down at the fourth floor. We can discuss the stuff I asked about down there as well."

"Yes. I will inform the chefs to prepare a large amount in advance, will anything be fine?"

"Yep, thanks Archibald."

"Your praise gratifies me, my Lord." In response to the thanks, the butler bowed his head. "I will come back shortly, rest well."

Stepping back, Randolph watched the dignified old man walk away with strong footsteps. Closing the door behind him, he slowly walked back into the room.