Chapter 216: Precise Operation
[Ding——!]
[You have opened C-rank Treasure Chest x3]
[Special privilege bonus detected.]
[You have obtained 'Advanced Gem (Spatial)' x1, 'Skill Book: Precise Operation' x1, 'Identity Implant Card' x1]
['Advanced Gem (Spatial)']
[C-rank Item]
[Can be used on any spatial item or equipment to increase its rank.]
[Note: Please empty the spatial storage before use.]
['Skill Book: Precise Operation']
[C-rank Skill Book]
[Grants the skill 'Precise Operation' upon use.]
[Passive Skill]
[Increases the user's precision when manipulating objects.]
['Identity Implant Card']
[C-rank Item]
[Can be used at the start of a mission. Upon use, it will implant an identity for the Agent in the current mission.]
[Note: If an identity implant already exists for this mission, using this item will appropriately enhance the implanted identity, increasing the chance of developing background relationships with story characters.]
Luke looked at the three items that came out of the treasure chests.
A triangular gem, a book, and a card.
Looking at the items' ranks, Luke knew he definitely didn't have the potential to become a "lucky god."
Including this time, none of the treasure chests he'd opened had ever yielded items above their own rank.
Honestly, if it weren't for the boost from his "Authority Holder" title, Luke suspected he might have gotten nothing but junk.
Luke silently sighed.
Thinking back, it really had been that way.
In the dungeon, monsters killed by Ais frequently dropped items, while those killed by him rarely dropped anything besides the mandatory magic stones.
While he wasn't quite unfortunate enough to be considered "cursed," becoming "blessed by luck" seemed hopeless.
Shaking his head lightly to clear these strange thoughts, Luke took out his portable pouch.
The Advanced Gem had come at just the right time.
Though different from the C-rank spatial item he'd imagined, the end result would be the same.
Following the item's instructions, Luke emptied the portable pouch before using the Advanced Gem on it.
A flash of light came and went, the item's effect completing instantly.
At the same time, the new portable pouch's description appeared before him.
['Portable Pouch']
[C-rank Spatial Item]
[Can be attached to clothes, walls, or other surfaces, creating a convenient pocket for storing items.]
[Internal space can be divided into zones according to the user's will. Time flow in each zone can be toggled according to the user's will.]
Looking at the description alone, the changes weren't dramatic.
The zone division function had existed before.
Regarding time flow, in the previous D-rank portable pouch, time was uniformly frozen in the space. After upgrading to C-rank, it gained the ability to toggle time flow.
However, this function didn't seem particularly useful for Luke at present.
Still, having additional functionality was a good thing.
What satisfied him most was the increased space after the pouch's upgrade.
A space equivalent to a 100-square-meter room meant Luke wouldn't have to worry about running out of storage space for items anytime soon.
After returning all his items to the portable pouch, Luke picked up the skill book.
Looking at the words "Precise Operation" printed on the book's cover, Luke hesitated slightly.
It was hard to tell from the skill description alone whether this skill would be useful to him.
If he learned a useless skill, wouldn't that be a waste?
Besides, precision manipulation ability sounded like something tech-focused or mage-type Agents would need—perhaps selling it would be better?
Luke indeed didn't have many exchange points left at the moment.
However, after some consideration, Luke ultimately decided to use the skill himself.
Without the "Authority Holder" title's boost, he might really have sold it.
Since it was a passive skill anyway, he could think of it as enhancing his physical attributes.
With this thought in mind, Luke chose to use the "Precise Operation" skill book.
The moment he acquired the skill, a strange sensation suddenly appeared.
"It feels like... my body is more coordinated?"
Luke stood up and moved around a bit, carefully sensing the changes.
After a while, he stopped while thinking.
"This feeling is... peculiar?"
An indescribable sensation enveloped him.
He could feel that his body hadn't changed at all, and his strength hadn't increased in the slightest.
Yet he could tangibly sense that something was different.
"Looks like I won't have a chance to challenge the 'Sky Ladder' this time."
Luke felt somewhat rueful.
Having advanced to become a B-rank Agent, Luke could now challenge the 'Sky Ladder/Ladder'.
He was quite curious about this facility that was only open to B-rank and above Agents.
He had originally planned to try challenging the 'Sky Ladder' in his remaining week, but his current condition probably wouldn't allow it.
The newly acquired "Precise Operation" skill had affected him significantly.
Though his body hadn't changed, his current consciousness had undergone subtle changes.
The disunity between body and thought would greatly affect one's combat ability, especially for a swordsman like Luke.
So he had no choice but to return to the training grounds to get familiar with the new skill.
As for the last item, the 'Identity Implant Card', he stored it away.
This item might actually have been very useful in other Agents' hands.
After all, not all Agents had the convenience brought by titles like "Authority Holder," and identity implantation could significantly help with completing missions.
But since Luke already had the "Authority Holder" title, this item wasn't worth his interest.
...
As Luke had expected, the training to get familiar with the new skill consumed all his remaining time.
Time flew by, and soon Luke encountered his new mission.
[World: Chivalry of a Failed Knight]
[Mission Difficulty: B-rank]
[Detecting the Agent has special privileges, proceeding with identity implantation.]
[Ding——!]
[Would you like to use 'Identity Implant Card' to enhance the implanted identity?]
Looking at the prompt that appeared on the panel, Luke thought for a moment before selecting 'Confirm'.
Though judging by his current strength, B-rank missions shouldn't pose much difficulty.
However, gaining some convenience for completing missions was always a good thing.
Besides, C-rank items weren't particularly precious, so there was nothing to be reluctant about.
['Identity Implant Card' used, the implanted identity in this mission will be enhanced.]
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