William paused, reflecting deeply on his life choices and pondering where he might have faltered. He couldn't pinpoint many mistakes, and the few he did identify seemed too trivial to have led to his current predicament. So why was this happening to him?
He was aware that the chief harbored feelings for him, but he had always believed those emotions would eventually fade if he didn't encourage them. He had been careful not to reciprocate, so why was she singing such an enigmatic tune?
What could possibly be the reason?
She likely knew that her song would draw him out, yet she continued. Was she simply forgetful, or was this an intentional trap?
William lingered there for a moment, the rhyming escalating as he desperately sought a solution. Finally, as the bizarre yet unsettlingly truthful rhyming came to an end, an idea surfaced.
He quietly retreated up the stairs, then descended loudly, making his presence known. "Ahhh, now that was a deep sleep! To think I'd sleep for an entire day— that's quite something. But now I'm hungry. Thankfully, I've got a chief who cooks the most delicious food," he declared, hoping the chief would hear him and cease whatever she was up to.
As anticipated, there were clattering noises that William surmised were utensils dropping to the floor, followed by an uneasy silence. Just as he was about to start moving again, he heard hurried footsteps, indicating she was quickly preparing something.
William exhaled a sigh of relief before casually making his way downstairs. Instead of finding what he had expected, he discovered the kitchen was completely deserted, save for several plates with their lids on. He glanced around, but the chief was nowhere to be seen—she seemed to have vanished into thin air.
'I suppose she thought I overheard her and ran off in embarrassment. At least now I don't have to confront what happened earlier— so that's a relief,' William thought.
He approached the plates, lifted the lids, and smiled. "Ahh, Carbonara." He consumed the food steadily, savoring each bite, then patted his belly and stayed there to rest. Unbeknownst to him, a burp escaped, causing him to startle himself.
"Perhaps I should stop eating like this for a while," he mused before heading down to the underground facility where Clawdia was overseeing the workers, who were moving at a frantic pace, driven by their fear of her.
'Maybe I should keep her here and assign her the role of manager,' he considered, nodding thoughtfully.
William approached the large tiger, who quickly turned her head, sensing someone familiar. Realizing it was her master, she rushed to him and nuzzled against him, asking, 'Master, are you alright?'
"Yes, I am. I noticed you weren't by my side today and figured you might have left out of concern for my pain. Thank you for that, Clawdia— it was very helpful." William said, stroking her muzzle, which made her visibly content.
"Alright, I'm going to level up now, so don't disturb me, even if it's something urgent," William said as they walked away.
Delmar nodded. "As you say, boss." He remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the gigantic centipede. Then, a realization struck him, and his eyes widened in shock. "What the actual f*ck!" he exclaimed, spinning around to look back at William who had already left.
Unaware of what had just transpired, William returned to his room and locked the door before addressing Arthur, "Arthur, I'm going to level up again, so you know the drill."
[Of course, sir. I'll tighten security and ensure that no one disturbs you during the process.]
"Good AI." William said before closing his eyes and focusing on the items he would need to level up. After a minute or two, in the darkness of his mind, he saw three items floating there, though they were blurry and difficult to identify.
He concentrated, and the items gradually became clearer until he could discern their names. Returning to reality, he opened the system and typed in the names, purchasing all three items.
[Light-Hearted Pill – Awakening Material - Light - Rare - Cost (20 Silver)]
[Darkness Enchantment Pill - Awakening Material – Darkness - Rare - Cost (20 Silver)]
[Dragon's Fire Pill - Awakening Material – Dragon – Very Rare - Cost (2 Gold)]
William scrutinized the awakening materials again, noting something peculiar about them. All of them were pills, each emitting a different kind of glow. One radiated a white light, another was a sticky black substance, and the last resembled a smoldering piece of coal.
'Does something change every time someone levels up, or is it just different at certain levels for everyone?' William wondered, before shrugging and swallowing the pills— finding the last two particularly difficult to ingest.
After what seemed like he had eaten the worst medicinal pills in his life that he wanted vomit out of him, he finished.
'I really didn't think the last one would actually burn inside my mouth.'
He shuddered at the pain before he closed his eyes and began the process.