Chương 66: A Slave to the Notebook

"What the hell is going on?" Arthur was shocked. He had not willed a contract with this skeleton. He did not even know this was the Faunite Crystal needed for the contract. Then, how did the contract happen? Could it be the doing of that damn Notebook? Arthur could not think of anything other than that Notebook making the contract for him. But why? Why had it actively made this skeleton a worker? Was this skeleton a spy that the Notebook wanted to place on his roster? Why? Arthur thought for a moment.

Suddenly, his intelligence worked overtime, and he guessed the right reason why the Notebook had acted upon its own.

"The Crystal." This Faunite Crystal must be an expensive or supreme Crystal, forcing the Notebook's greed to go as far as to snatch it from him automatically. God damn it, what kind of hellhole did he get stuck in? He started feeling as if he had not awakened a proper Class that others awakened at 15. He was possessed by a demon that made him do things for it. He also obeyed it as a slave. Arthur fell into a deep dilemma.

If the Notebook could act on its own to forge a contract, what other sinister things was it capable of? He wanted to rip his hair out in sheer frustration. The damn notebook hadn't even let him die peacefully. It had revived him, turning his very existence into some kind of twisted quest. Was he even the same person he was before he awakened, or had something fundamental changed within him? Arthur squatted down, racking his brain over what to do or what he could possibly achieve with his current capabilities.

After much thought, he realized he had no choice but to walk this path at least until he grew stronger or finally understood the norms of this new reality, the hidden world of Awakeners. Slowly recovering from the shock, the fog of his dilemma began to disperse. Since he couldn't escape this fate, he had to adjust. He was practically a slave to this Notebook now, stuck with it indefinitely. He had to make his peace with that. With that grim ultimatum accepted, he stood up and summoned his new skeleton, Zero.

[Worker Status] Name: Zero Designation: Appraiser. Specialist: General. Professional Status: Beginner Monthly Maintenance Cost (MMC): 20, 000 Credits [More Details…] Twenty thousand credits for monthly maintenance. He had never seen a skeleton demand this much. Even Dolph, with his Expert Status, only cost 5, 000 Credits in MMC. Just what kind of work could this skeleton possibly do to justify such an absurd cost? He clicked [More Details…]. A total of three abilities were listed.

The first was [Basic Appraisal], a fundamental need for Arthur and a must-have ability for any Appraiser. The next ability was called [Price Estimation]. This had to be the cause of the high MMC. If he were to guess the ability's usage just by its name, this skeleton could estimate the market price of any material. That was huge. With this, he could avoid getting scammed by anyone.

He was used to seeing the price details of the weapons Bathory forged; if he could find out the true value of other materials in a similar way, he could avoid wasting money by overpaying. It was a truly great ability, making the 20, 000 credit cost more than worth it. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The final ability of the Zero skeleton was called [Knowledge Share].

After reading this skill's name, it dawned on him: how else was he going to know all the details about the materials the skeleton appraised? Since the skeleton was non-communicative, this ability was the solution to overcome that obstacle. With it, Zero was capable of directly transferring the details to Arthur or at least, that was what he assumed. To test this theory, Arthur commanded Zero to appraise the crystal that Dolph was holding for illumination.

The next second, Zero's hollow eyes stared fixedly at the glowing crystal. A few moments later, Arthur received a new message. [Material Details] Name: Luxstone Rarity: C Description: A naturally luminous crystal that continuously emits a steady, radiant light without producing heat or consuming fuel. Capable of lasting for 2 decades. What a treasure. A single stone was capable of emitting light for two decades. Arthur's mind raced.

If he were to dig out all the crystals that existed in this cave, he could sell them for an absolute fortune. It would definitely settle his family's finances for at least the next twenty years. But did he really want to do it? Arthur commanded Zero to appraise the price of the LuxStone. Getting the exact value would give him a clear idea of whether mining these crystals was worth his time. [Price Details: 7, 000 Credits.] Upon receiving the details, Arthur was honestly a little disappointed.

He had expected them to fetch at least 15, 000 to 20, 000 credits a piece. However, thinking back to his situation just a few days ago, when he had struggled to earn a mere 500 credits, getting disappointed over 7, 000 seemed ridiculous. Arthur couldn't suppress a sarcastic smile. Seven thousand credits was still a massive amount. He could understand the lower valuation, though; a single Luxstone could only illuminate a one-foot radius, nowhere near enough to light a whole house.

Furthermore, its 'C' rank rarity indicated that these stones were likely plentiful in the outside world, rather than an exclusive 'A' rank item found only in this domain. After a few more moments of thought, he came to a decision. If he hired a few skeletal Mining Workers and put them to the task, they could harvest the crystals without him lifting a finger. Why would he waste this opportunity to amass wealth? Instantly, his mood soared like a rocket. These entire trials were a veritable gold mine.

He could farm as many materials as he wanted and grow as strong as possible. He wasn't going to let this chance slip by, only to end up struggling to earn a living once he finally escaped this place. However, as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly noticed something in Dolph's other hand. It was the Faunite Crystal he had given him to consume. For some reason, Dolph hadn't eaten it; when the contract was formed, only the crystals from the pile had been taken, leaving this single crystal behind.

"Good job, Dolph," Arthur said. Taking the crystal from the skeleton, he handed it over to Zero to appraise. The Appraiser took the crystal and gave it a blank stare. A second later, Arthur received a message. [Material Details] Name: Faunite Rarity: S Description: A rare crystal used for biological transformation, high-level alchemy, and forbidden experiments. It possesses powerful transmutation properties capable of altering living organisms, making it an exceptionally valuable and highly sought-after material.

Arthur quietly squatted down after reading the rarity and description. Biological transformation. It was exactly as he expected. By consuming it or using it appropriately, a creature could turn its body parts into crystal. Unfortunately, his skeletons were unable to consume it. It would have been a life-changing opportunity, a way for his entire undead roster to power up exponentially. But... Could it help him transform his own body into crystal, just like the ant? The chances were definitely there.

However, he needed to figure out the exact method. Since the description explicitly mentioned high-level alchemy, there could be a way to refine the crystal into a potion safe for human consumption. There was definitely light at the end of the tunnel. He would try to figure it out; after all, this directly tied into his personal growth, so spending time researching it wouldn't be a waste of his time in these trials. Before that, he wanted to find the source of the Faunite Crystal.

If the Notebook had dared to snatch it on its own, the crystal had to possess immense material and financial value. To confirm this, he commanded Zero to estimate its price. [Price Details: 2, 200, 000 Credits.] More than a two million credits? What kind of crystal was this? Arthur was shell-shocked after seeing the price. If he collected just a few more, he would be set for a very happy life. A gleeful thought took root in his mind: he definitely wanted more.

Following which, Arthur left the King's chamber and walked back to where the tunnel split into a fork. He commanded Zero to take the right tunnel and check for Faunite Crystals. If the skeleton found any, it was to appraise them and share the knowledge. Using that as a signal, Arthur could easily narrow down his search and avoid wasting time. Zero walked into the right tunnel, while Arthur and Dolph started down the left. Arthur was determined to find more Faunite Crystals, no matter what.