Chapter 23: Oh...

"Not that I could think of at the moment." Firm just wanted confirmation from Venture, though he could have asked the others, but Firm haven't seen anyone of them today. And he found Venture before anyone else did and just wanted to satisfy his curiosity. "Anyway, I'm off to find others to join the faction. We can't always have such low numbers in the [Dark Star Faction]. Our lucks won't be always that good with everyone surviving a job." Firm knew how many life-threatening jobs everyone has faced, even himself and Edify. And she is a freaking doctor! Yet, everyone has survived since the forming of the [Dark Star Faction]. But, it only takes one small mistake before someone dies.

"Alright, see ya later." Venture said to Firm, as he watches the person that recruited him into the [Dark Star Faction] walk away and leaving through the door. "Now, what should I do now?" Venture mumble to himself while recasting [Idle Simulation Accumulation Spell] to work on [Mult-Casting], which Venture is currently at 4 at the moment. Twice the amount since a few days ago. But, Venture won't be casting 4 [Spells] since it would increase his rate of mental fatigue going up quicker than normal. He still hasn't figured out what other sources of energy to use to power the [Spells] yet.

After looking around, Venture found nothing much to do. So, he will do something he should have done ages of ago. Venture pulls out his phone and starts browsing for more info about physical fatigue and mental fatigue since he now has a search engine to work with. But, secretly, Venture hoped to obtain a computer since it's a lot better than a phone. Even if the latter is portable and easier to carry.

-LIABG-

Venture look at the ceiling with a blank facial expression. As he just has done a few hours of research on both physical fatigue and mental fatigue.

So far, he learned the same thing as before. But, much more and Venture got the feeling it would take a while searching for the book on it. Of course, he could shorten the time needed to find it via [Everything Is A Gamble]. Nonetheless, the smartphone with internet access made it a lot easier for Venture.

Yet, what Venture learns, and this is public information not the private closed information for certain types of people could access and discover that some people tried to go beyond 100% in both physical fatigue and mental fatigue in the past. Where some have managed to, but at a great cost. One of the common examples was and still to these days. Where these people end up losing one of their five senses forever. If unlucky, then more than one sense would be lost after a few seconds of going beyond 100%.

Another example is that they could cause the percentage cap of both physical fatigue and mental fatigue to become smaller. Some even have the worst luck and end up with the percentage cap to be forever set at 10%, no known evidence have shown anyone going down below 10%, but that doesn't mean there haven't been some people who did in the background. Nonetheless, forever only have 10% physical fatigue and mental fatigue being treated as the same as 100% have caused these people to live in a life of danger every day. Because any moment of extra activities could be fatal to them.

There is one case, where the person who was unlucky enough to forever have 10% in both physical fatigue and mental fatigue ended up killing themselves by accident due to forgetting to rest and/or eat at the time. They were too focused on what they were doing at the time, then the next moment, they died from overworking.

From that point on, everyone knew that there is no third chance for those that go beyond their limit a second time. This is the main reason why [Modifier] became a thing. To solve this problem of having to be consistently worried about their physical fatigue and mental fatigue going 100%. Of course, the entire main idea for this had stray off course when some accidentally discovered, to give others the ability to use something outside their [Skill] and [Title]. This end up in the result of many forgetting the main goal of creating the [Modifiers] in the first place.

These events occurred 3 decades ago. So, now, 30 years in and there are many things created by now. There are some people who still remember the main problems with physical fatigue and mental fatigue had decided to do something about it when [Modifiers] became a semi-dead end.

With the [Booster Fatigue Shot] is something no one in public possesses. The current and latest thing that could such a thing, where it's available for the public to buy. Is the [Pill of Fatigue Recovery], with the most expensive being 5000 gold coins for just a single pill and it's way, way worse than the [Booster Fatigue Shot]. Going by 10% per pill; however, this there 3 versions of this [Pill of Fatigue Recovery]. One is meant for physical fatigue. Another for mental fatigue and the last one is for both. The last one cost 5000 gold coins while the other 2 pills are 2500 gold coins each. So again, just plain bad. Yet, people still buy them whenever they can. Since it's a game-changer for situations that just 10% is enough to change the tide of the situations.

Though, Venture has no idea if the other factions have something similar to the [Booster Fatigue Shot], but once Venture found about this. Yeah, he won't be quitting the [Dark Star Faction] any time soon. Just for the [Booster Fatigue Shot] alone is worth the price for staying. Not because he got a free smartphone out of the deal and panic if it will be taken away from him if he leaves the [Dark Star Faction]. Nope. Not at all.

Letting out a sigh; Venture figure Gat won't be showing up anytime soon today. So, may as well do something else as relaxing and being lazy is great and all. But, then it will become boring and just a wasted time thing to do when he should be working on something that would improve his survival ability even further. In fact, now that Venture thinks about it. It's time to get even more work done since he rather finds out that he still too weak to protect himself and needs to get stronger.

So, Venture decided, that this should be a good time to work on his [Serene Assassinate Style - Velocity] next. Velocity refers to both speed and trajectory, meaning that Venture will have a much easier time predicting the enemy's attacks and counter it. So, now, Venture will have [Idle Simulation Accumulation] work on it until Venture deem it good enough to work on the last part of the [Serene Assassination Style - Force], then Venture could focus on mastering the entire fighting style afterward.

-LIABG-

Venture sat down on his bed after coming back from taking a shower. As it's already night time, but still no news from Gat, making Venture wonder if Gat decided not to take him along for the job. But, Venture highly doubts it since even if he only has known Gat for a month. She wasn't the type to just drop people without informing them why first.

"Hmm." Venture took out his endless ink pen and a notebook, where it already has some notes written down in it. Then start jogging down note, where Venture used the [Idle Simulation Accumulation Spell] on the [Serene Assassination Style - Velocity] is making good progress. Maybe tomorrow or the day after would make it combat-ready. Hopefully, Venture would have enough time to get the [Serene Assassination Style - Force] combat-ready as well before Gat notify him to get ready for the job. Since he still hasn't gotten to the part, to find a [Tracking Spell] to work on yet.

Thinking about this, Venture closes his notebook for a moment as he switches his [Title: Scholarly of Magical Formula] to active mode along with [The Cunning One] to speed up the process of looking for the right [Tracking Spell].

It didn't take long before Venture came across a weird, but maybe a decent [Tracking Spell] called the [Judgement of Stars]. It's a [Tracking Spell] of which the user creates a star, that will track down the target after using something related to the target to work with. Even the picture of the target would do the trick. Not to mention, this [Tracking Spell] can even work on tracking down multiple people that are related to each other somehow.

Also, Venture didn't really have to make any changes to the [Tracking Spell] really, other than using [Idle Simulation Accumulation Spell] to practice with it, that's all. And after thinking about it for a while. Venture decides to work on this [Tracking Spell] instead of [Serene Assassination Style - Velocity] due to the former is much easier to practice with. And so, Venture waited until before recasting the [Idle Simulation Accumulation Spell] with the [Judgement of Stars] as the assigned target to train in.

-LIABG-

Just as Venture considers another day without Gat finding him.

"Venture~!" Gat slams the door open, entering with a big smile on her face.

"Yes?" Venture asks with a hint of caution in his voice, because he never or more like actual saw Gat slamming a door open before since he knows her. In fact, Venture already has a handgun pointed at Gat and almost shot her. Quickly putting the handgun away, Venture waits for what Gat wants to say. Hopefully, it's about the job she mentioned during the protection job at the time.

"It is time~!" Gat walk up to Venture, not wiping her big smile for even a moment.

"For the searching and/or kill job?" Venture starting to feel a little concerned if his daily life would be just plain crazy to the point it becomes normal for him as he stays in the [Dark Star Faction].

"Huh?" Gat blank out for a moment before remembering the job she has mentioned before to Venture, causing Gat to let out an awkward giggle. As she rubs the back of her left elbow with her right hand. Showing how embarrassed Gat is right now. "Yeah... About that." Gat took a few minutes to gather her words before she just decided to go straight to the truth. "The job was finished before we could do it and once I found this out. I was about to inform you, but something came up and I got distracted, to the point of forgetting." Gat noticed the dark look coming from Venture. "BUT!" Gat place both hands on her hips. "I came here because of the promise that was supposed to give you in the first place when you joined the [Dark Star Faction] as a true member!"

"And that is?" Venture wasn't that disappointed with not doing the job for the reward. Plus, he still hasn't finished getting [Judgement of Stars] to work at 100% yet with [Idle Simulation Accumulation]. Though, he is curious about what he was promised to get the moment he became a true member of the [Dark Star Faction].

"Why getting your chance to install a [Modifer] finally, of course~!" Gat knew how hard it is to fight all the time without a [Modifer] helping you out. Something Gat has learned throughout her entire life since the day she awakens her [Unique Skill].

Venture leans back in the newly purchased single-seated couch. "Oh, yeah. I honestly forgot about all that." Then again, with his life on the line at the time. The thought about [Modifier] wasn't close to being on his mind at the time. "Wait, I'm supposed to get one? I thought I had to earn it? Wasn't that the reason why you invited me to that job before to get one?"

"Of course, everyone in this faction is required to have a [Modifier]; well, it's one of the requirements that I'm planning to put in for new recruits. I've already told Firm this today before he went off to find more people." Gat furrow her eyebrows, where she starting to think how strong Venture will become once he has a [Modifier] install. "By the way, do you have an idea what kind of [Modifier] you want to be installed?"

"Not a clue." Venture wasn't ashamed to admit this, for he was too busy figuring out what [Spells] he should grab while he still can before he goes off into another dangerous job. Well, more like [Modifier] wasn't that much of a big deal for Venture since he can just get more [Unique Skills] whenever he felt like it. Honestly, Venture felt a little stupid he didn't do so early on before the whole projection job forcing him to.

"Well, that's fine. Come on, it's time to get you one." Gat extends her right hand out, for Venture to grab.

Venture raises an eyebrow at this, for this is something he won't expect from Gat, but he grabs Gat's right hand since he has no idea what happens if he rejects it.

-LIABG-

Both Venture and Gat are on the fifth floor, where they are at the end of the place in the opposite direction of where the door is. In fact, with the [Battle Arena Augmented Reality] in the way. It was near impossible for Venture to think that there was anything behind it. Let alone, there be space for other things. Now, Venture can see why Gat placed the [Battle Arena Augmented Reality] in such a place in order to prevent others that are new or just visiting to know, that the [Dark Star Faction] kept their storage of [Modifiers] behind something big and in a view, that one doesn't expect to be anything behind the [Battle Arena Augmented Reality] other than a wall with how big it is.

Seeing it in person compared to picture online and in those books. The previous thoughts from before when he first found out what the [Modifier] looks like before being installed into others. At first, Venture was a little confused why everyone keeps saying installing the [Modifier] until Venture finally found out it's because the [Modifier] is a small cube and have information data of the [Modifer] stored inside the cube. There many methods on how to take the information data in the cube and install it into the person.

Among the best is to have people with [Skill] that can transfer the information data in the cube into others. But, this option costs lots of money, and even then, they will have to find a reliable person and trustworthy to do the process. Either way, there are other options to install the [Modifer] without the needs of these people. However, these options come with the chance of failure and might cause awful results at the end while those are lucky to not have anything happen to them at the cost of the [Modifer] becoming corrupted, making it useless until someone fixes it, or end up losing all the information data aka a useless cube that may or may not be reusable to store new information data.

Luckily for Venture, he didn't need those people to help him install the [Modifer] nor does he have to worry about gaining any awful side-effects if something goes wrong during the installing process. With the help of [Everything Is A Gamble] and [Chance Accumulation], along with the [Title: Gambler of Fate] would make such a thing not happen at all. But, for now, Venture has to decide what [Modifier] he even wants in the first place before going with all the process of installing said [Modifier].

"Here they are. Just letting you know, these are all we have available. The best ones were already taken, with a few left. So better pick one that's good before the other newcomers grab them." Gat said to Venture as she points at the dozen of small cubes of various colors after she opens the safe that part of the wall, to allow Venture to see the [Modifiers] and among the [Modifers]. There is some equipment inside the safe as well, which are tools for installing the [Modifier].

"I have no idea what is what." Venture said to Gat truthfully, because there is nothing on the [Modifiers] that allows him to tell what information data is in them.

"Oh. Right, forgot about that." Gat rub the back of her arm sheepishly, then start grabbing each of the [Modifiers] and arrange them into three rows, with the first two rows having 5 cubes neatly place next to each other while the last row has 2 cubes. "From the first row are meant to link with the physical fatigue while the second is for mental fatigue. While last row is for both." Gat points out which rows represents which first in order to help Venture out on what [Modifiers] would tie to.

"Let's start with the last row." Venture is curious about the last two [Modifiers] that are meant for both physical fatigue and mental fatigue.

"The one on the left is the [Modifier: Weight Redirection] and the right is the [Modifier: Multiple Afterimages]. The former allows one to manipulate one's weight and others as well. The latter is where one only needs to release a single move to produce multiple afterimages that could affect the surroundings." Gat gave a small introduction of the two [Modifiers] that meant using both physical fatigue and mental fatigue.

Venture finds the two [Modifiers] a bit... disappointed. For one thing, the [Weight Redirection] wasn't worth installing due to the fact, that Venture can find a [Spell] to do the same or better. The [Multiple Afterimages] might be something he willing to get if it wasn't for the fact, that he can use the [Unique Skill: No Explanation] to do the same and much more. Overall, these two [Modifiers] weren't something he has any desire for.

"I guess these two aren't to your taste?" Gat noticed the look on Venture's face right since she too had the same when she got these two before. "I can understand your feeling. Nonetheless, we got 10 more [Modifiers] for you to pick out from." Gat wasn't offended that Venture didn't take these two [Modifiers] that great since anyone with enough training could do the same things as these two [Modifiers]. In fact, they pretty much something commonly used by the people in the government area for a quick shortcut for those arrogant people to look down on those that are weaker than them.