The spell encyclopedia is just basic descriptions… No numbers, no schematics… It’s better than nothing I guess, but unsurprisingly pretty outdated. Basically none of my skills in there.

I’m most interested in the last section anyway.

Hidden features!

Tapping on the last icon, a window opened in front of Sofia listing the system ‘hidden features’ and the way to use them. A short message preceded them.

‘The following system features are hidden by default, mainly to reduce menu clutter. You can access them by thinking specific keywords aloud.’

[Last bed compass]

Access: ‘bed’ + ‘compass’ in any order while in main menu.

Points toward the last bed you slept in.

Yeah I know this one.

[Weather forecast]

Access: Any combination of 2 from: ‘GPS’, ‘Weather’, ‘Forecast’, ‘Local’ in main menu.

Gives a general weather forecast for your area through the next 24hours. Not always accurate.

That too. I’ve only noticed it being wrong once I think... But I don’t check it too often.

There were a few more that Sofia already knew, so she skipped them and only read the ones she had never heard of.

[Games]

Access: ‘I have nothing to do’ in main menu.

Opens the minigame menu. Not available on weekdays.

Games? I can try that one tomorrow…Not really what I expected. But most of the hidden features have been only mildly useful so I guess it should have been no surprise.

[Dark mode]

Access: ‘Dark mode’ in any menu.

Toggle Dark mode on or off, which gives the system menu a darker color.

Why?

[Shore]

Access: ‘Set sail’ in any menu.

Points toward the nearest shore.

For people lost at sea, maybe?

That’s so random…

[Snitch]

Access: ‘Eye see what you did’ in own status page.

Shows the 3 latest comments on your personal profile.

Comments. Now this could be funny. Or vexing. I’ll know soon enough.

Sofia brought up her status page.

Eye see what you did!

Three extra lines appeared right away on the page, just below her name.

ADMIN-NEX (Twenty-three weeks ago): @HANDLER I am going to need some detailed explanations about this shit, and fast. Send that to my inbox ASAP.

DATABASE (Ten days ago): Reconnection successful.

Routine maintenance completed.

Updated VIP data.

Updated User permissions.

Pre-installed Fused Skill Builder successfully.

Pre-installed Sorrow_D3 successfully.

HANDLER (Yesterday): Snitch.

Yesterday?! I got read like an open book. Too bad it only shows the three latest, reading the entire history would probably be a good laugh. I’ll be sure to check this one often.

What else… Sofia’s eyes returned to the screen. A lot of those are pretty useless…

Hmm, this one looks interesting.

[Endorsements]

Access: ‘Show sponsors’ in main menu.

Displays system connections and guarantors.

Show sponsors?

A new window opened up.

[Endorsements (Sofia Aphenoreth)]

Manager: Sen

Claim priority:

1-Sorrow

2-Sun

3-Death

…

VIP Contractor: Scripture (Disconnected)

Simulated Contractor: Zeus

Holder: No

Advance Holder applications received, in chronological order:

Cecless (0)

Sen (1)

Erredis (0)

Fairy Hands (0)

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Adrian (0)

Zurug-Et Thu’ul Nak (1)

Decrepit One (0)

Ax’Peha (2)

Holding: No

Woah… This is… ‘Manager: Sen’ I can understand since he was the one who dealt with the whole ‘switching to draconic system’ thing. The VIP too. Simulated Zeus… For my avatar skill, then? I don’t really get why it needs to be there but at least I get what it is.

But what in the shit is a claim and a holder?

Also… Chronological order… If I am to assume that Sen and Erredis added me on this when we first met… Cecless has been watching me for that long?

The thought made Sofia shiver.

Why only show up now, then?

And Holding: No… So I should ‘hold’ someone too? Considering the names, I’m guessing it’s some Ascended only thing?

Oh… Ooooh, could be that! Erredis made me promise back then that if I were to reach the last trial I would ‘go see her first’. So she can be my holder?

I don’t really get it. I’ll just ask her.

Interesting list of names, otherwise… If it’s what I guessed then these are all people who at the very least trust that I will get to level 500? Fairy Hands again. I imagine I caught her eyes when she had to make the awakening pill for my mana heart. Ax’Peha was one of the Kleptras in Er’Gakk’s chat. ‘Ar’ is lady, ‘Er’ must be sir, ‘Ax’ I’m guessing is Queen or Princess?

Decrepit One… An undead Fae maybe?

Never heard of Adrian.

And that other name I don’t even want to try to pronounce, certainly never heard of it either.

Knowing that she wasn’t going to get any further information from staring at the names, Sofia closed the system window and got back to the hidden feature list. Most of the features she either already knew about or found useless, and she found only one other interesting one, at the very end of the list.

[War effort]

Access: Any combination of 3 from: ‘War’, ‘Effort’, ‘Contribution’, ‘Points’, ‘Shop’ in main menu.

Open the war contribution board.

A shop? I need to see that.

War point shop.

Again a new window opened.

[WAR CONTRIBUTION BOARD]

Display name: Sofia Aphenoreth

- Pact enforcement -

Top contributor: Er’Zgat

Your Contribution points:

Hugo ElderPlain - 1 000 000

Shop: [Available from level 450]

- ‘The Watchers’ -

Top contributor: Cecless

Your Contribution points:

None

Shop: [Requires contribution points to open]

- Phageid -

Top contributor: Sun

Your Contribution points:

Eliminations - 2

Intelligence - 10 000

Shop: [Available]

Pact enforcement… I got credit for this? For Hugo being banished to the center of the universe or wherever that was? The archangel back then did say he violated ‘the pact’ so… Nice?

Shop available from level 450 though… Whatever that million points is worth I won’t find out for a while.

Then ‘the watchers’? Never heard of those. But Cecless is the top contributor. She did say she was hunting a traitor when she left the toybox… Could be related. Quite the coincidence that I see her name showing up so often now. Well, just twice… But still.

And then the Phageid. Finally a category I fully understand.

Also wow, all of our kills in Zangdar were only worth two points? That’s not a great sign.

And ten thousand points for intelligence… Hmm… Oh, because we found out about the missing Eddarinian planar gate that they’re probably using?

I didn’t expect to get anything out of that.

Shop?

[ERROR]

[Connection required for this action]

Ah.

“Pareth! I’m done here, what about you?”

Pareth, who was in the living room, teleported next to Sofia, a few books under his arm, answering Sofia with a nod.

“Got yourself some reading material? Alright, let’s go.”

Sofia followed after Pareth as they returned to the lift, and they slowly went down.

“Hey, I know you were watching in and out. Did you check your endorsements menu?” Sofia asked.

Pareth did not visibly react, but a system window appeared in front of Sofia.

[Endorsements (Pareth)]

Manager: Sen

Claim priority:

1-Knowledge

2-Death

3-Sorrow

…

Holder: No

Advance Holder applications received, in chronological order:

Theorus Livento Dereus Richard (1)

The Mountain King (0)

Decrepit One (0)

Ax’Peha (2)

Holding: No

“Even with your side of things it’s still not clear what the claim part is exactly… Interesting that Richard is on your list and not mine. Because of grandma maybe? The mountain king I also don’t have. Probably one of the spectators from the trial. Only four applications… Everyone must be blind.”

Pareth shrugged, the lift stopped, Pareth opened the door with the mithrium key, and the two were back in Zangdar.

“I wonder what happens if the door we used to get in is destroyed while we’re in the penthouse. We might need to be careful about where we enter from.”

Pareth shrugged again, and handed Sofia the four books he’d been holding.

“Hmm?”

Seeing Sofia’s incomprehension, he pointed at her hand.

“Oh… Sure,” Sofia stored the books in her ring, "We really need to go get you a proper ring that won’t fall off from Richard… We really need to go shopping anyway, no reason to sit on all the money we made from the trial, right? We need to work on my Mithrium helmet, too, since it’s going to take a while. Anyway, let’s quickly check the shop and get back to it.”

[Generating custom contribution shop, please wait…]

[Contribution point shop - Phageid]

(One new item will be added whenever you reach a new filter)

Point balance: 10 002

Only four items for sale?

[Peacekeeping orb]

Emits a very loud warning and flashing lights when a nearby person is in mortal danger

Range: 50 meters

Requires recharging every few months.

100 Points per unit

Stock: 100

Custom shop… I can see how this could help me for the city. Expensive for what it is, though.

[Gachapon box]

It’s a mystery, what could it be?!

1000 Points

Stock: 10

I know I like gambling, but come on. Paying to end up with an empty box and a pair of socks again? I think not. Not even the allure of possible stat pills is gonna get me there. I’d rather save up my points for something actually useful.

[A certain saintomancer’s helmet enchantment guide]

Author: DATABASE

10 000 Points

Stock: 1

… Hmm hmm. This one feels a little bit TOO custom, you know? I’ll forgive the fact that you’re overtly listening in on me even in Zangdar, but this better be worth the points… Is this their way of asking for forgiveness for pinning this thing on me? Sofia wondered, looking at the Abereth silently spinning on itself near the door. It had spontaneously appeared next to her in the penthouse when she was checking out the bedrooms, and now it was back in Zangdar. There was really no escaping the creepy pillar with eyes. At least they stay closed most of the time…

And the last one… Yeah, well. I see the system is veeeeeeery subtly telling me I should be helping with the Phageid, huh.

[A certain book’s custom catalyst]

Where does all this fog come from?

100 000 Points

Stock: 1