Back in Zaun, what greeted Caleb was not just a massive crowd of citizens.
There was also a stack of documents taller than he was.
"I swear..."
Grinding his teeth in frustration, Caleb sat down at his desk and grabbed the files.
"This one... and this one too..."
His pen flew across the page as he signed and sorted stacks of documents, tossing them into a basket, someone else would handle the rest afterward.
[Ding.]
The moment he heard that sound, Caleb was already rubbing his hands together in excitement.
Sure enough, the system's cold mechanical voice rang out a second later.
[The first phase mission has been completed. Your rewards will now be issued.]
"It's here, it's here, it's here... finally!"
The joy on Caleb's face was impossible to hide.
[Physical Enhancement: Lv. 15. Combat Skill Enhancement: Lv. 15.]
"Damn..."
Even someone like Caleb, who had seen plenty by now, could not help sucking in a sharp breath.
"This thing just jumped all the way to level fifteen?"
Feeling the explosive surge of strength flooding through his body, Caleb barely even dared move.
He was afraid he might send his head straight through the ceiling.
If his old fighting ability had only been enough to deal with two or three street punks, then now, even if Vi came at him wearing the Atlas Gauntlets, he might not lose.
Now this was what a system-novel protagonist was supposed to look like.
Not running himself ragged, scrambling back and forth, then barely clearing the stage with risky tactics and good luck.
"No... this is way too generous. Something's off."
Caleb calmed down almost immediately.
Back when he was still just an ordinary person in prison, all the system had given him was a little basic Hextech and chemtech knowledge.
The tiny bit of physical improvement he had gotten after that had all gone into catching up with Vi. If he had not been bold enough, he probably would have fallen to his death somewhere in Zaun by now.
Was the system really this kind? Just like that, it boosted him all the way to level fifteen?
Caleb sank into deep thought, but the next system prompt cut him off.
[Rune Enhancement Lv. 10, one copy of Rune Magic: From Beginner to Master.]
Rune enhancement?
Good lord, he was getting seriously stacked now.
After this wave of rewards, mastering magic was only a matter of time.
Putting aside everything else, even the Hexgate ran on rune energy.
Surging magic coursed through Caleb's body, restless, eager to burst free.
As he adapted to the power rising inside him, he also worked to suppress the magic constantly flowing through him.
What a beautiful burden.
[Now then, let us begin the classic ten-pull segment.]
Apparently, the system was not done yet, and that left Caleb thoroughly stunned.
"Oh, wow, how generous. I guess I really did earn this after surviving hard mode."
Caleb might have had the Hex Claw and Hextech shield in hand, but at this point he had no intention of carrying either of them outside Zaun anymore.
He was basically a walking all-purpose Hextech machine now, who needed anything else?
[Skill obtained: Sky Splitter.]
[One system inventory obtained.]
[Spell-learning aptitude increased.]
[Item obtained: Lost Chapter.]
[Item obtained: Wild Cards.]
[Item obtained: Noxian war axe + Noxian shield.]
[Skill obtained: Pillar of Ice.]
[Skill obtained: Arcane Shift.]
[Item obtained: Hexcore.]
[Item obtained: living weapon, spear.]
Looking at the dazzling wall of rewards, Caleb could not help grinning.
There was Volibear's Sky Splitter and Trundle's Pillar of Ice.
Then there were Wild Cards and Lost Chapter, both pretty decent pickups.
And with Ezreal's Arcane Shift added on top, the skill set he had now was enough to let him run wild through Piltover.
The only thing that gave him bad vibes was the Hexcore, Caleb tore it apart without the slightest hesitation.
He had used up so many Hextech Gemstones already, it was about time he replenished his stock.
Production up in Piltover was limited, and Heimerdinger needed materials too, so saving what he could was always a good idea.
And then there was the last item... the living weapon...
Caleb stared at the pitch-black spear. It looked as though a heart had been embedded in it, still pulsing, still beating.
Without a second thought, Caleb yanked back the fingers that had almost reached out to touch it.
Good lord, a Darkin.
Of course he knew how powerful the force inside a weapon like that could be, but he also knew it would break down a human body and use it as fuel.
Aatrox, the most infamous of the Darkin, had beaten the hell out of him more than once in his previous life's games.
So he also remembered exactly what that thing looked like, basically a body stitched together out of mortal flesh.
After being sealed away by the Aspects and humanity for so many years, there was no way creatures like that would not be full of resentment.
If he had gotten cocky just now and grabbed the shaft, his consciousness probably would have vanished in an instant.
[Reward distribution complete. Please wait for the next phase mission to activate.]
After that announcement, the system went silent again, leaving Caleb fuming.
"I thought you'd actually grown a conscience. Turns out you were just digging another pit for me!"
Caleb shouted in irritation. The office was soundproof anyway, and Jinx was not here.
"You piece-of-crap system, get out here!" Caleb yelled without the slightest restraint, not caring at all that it had just handed him all those rewards.
Seriously, he had almost walked straight into the trap. What the hell was wrong with this system?
[Go ahead.]
"So what exactly is your deal?" Caleb asked, genuinely curious now. "Sure, getting a system after transmigrating is standard enough, but you setting me up like this is way too much."
[You'll know when the time comes.]
The system's voice was as calm and cold as ever.
"Whatever." Caleb was not about to dwell on it.
"I'm going to enjoy myself for a while from here on out, then quietly out-grind everyone behind the scenes."
A plan was already beginning to take shape in his mind.
Just then, two knocks sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Caleb instantly slipped back into his usual relaxed manner and leaned against his office chair.
The one who entered was Ambessa. Her broad frame almost did not fit through the doorway.
"I came to say goodbye, Mr. Caleb."
Her face was full of smiles, but Caleb did not believe a single word of it.
Since when were Noxians that kindhearted?
Did she take him for a three-year-old, or for Taliyah getting sweet-talked into going to Ionia?
"I heard you captured a criminal alive, the one who likes to call himself an artist."
Ambessa glanced at the mountain of paperwork on his desk and looked a little guilty.
"Would you be willing to hand him over to me?"
"Sure," Caleb said without even looking up, continuing to review the document in his hand.
"But you'll need to add another fifty percent in gold."
Since Camille was an intelligence operative, it would not do for her to appear in public.
As a result, all the credit for capturing Jhin had ended up on Caleb's head.
No wonder Ambessa had come to ask him for the prisoner.
"And what exactly does Lady Medarda want him for?"
"Well, I'm heading back to Noxus, and that criminal named Jhin is Ionian. He'll be useful to me."
"Then add another fifty percent."
Caleb's pen kept gliding across the paper.
If he was that useful, then naturally Caleb was going to sell him at a good price.
Caleb was not some kind of superhero determined to protect world peace and lock every bad guy away no matter what.
If the money was right, everything was negotiable.
"Then it's settled!"
Medarda agreed readily, then left the room with a smile on her face.
No matter how smart Caleb was, no matter how much information he had, that did not mean he could know every secret of a nation.
But Ambessa knew exactly how Jhin had made his way to Piltover.
Spending that much money certainly hurt, but it was still within expectations.
Once she got back, a bright road would be waiting for her.
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