My Joker System: From Low Mana Trash to the Mightiest Wizard!
Chapter 54: Favor

Chapter 54: Favor

’Ahh...that felt good...’

Hal wiped his face in satisfaction and changed back to casual clothes after a nice workout, leaving the fitness center shortly after.

His thoughts then inevitably returned to the Manaforge Initiate Competition.

’Should I join?’ he pondered as he walked back to his dormitory room. ’Tch...It would take another month...’

He would be left with only five months of preparation time for the Arcana Primis Cup if he decided to join the said competition...

However, what made it hard for him to opt out was the fact that there was actually something to gain.

A D-ranked core and five E-ranked cores would be equivalent to a whopping 100 Chaos Points in the [Chaos Converter].

Furthermore, he was running low on funds, as he hadn’t gone out on a mission for a whole month.

The fifty silver coin reward would pad his reserves quite nicely...

He had learned from his Arcanist Professors that the Veyrathis Brand, which was manufactured and sold by the Aquila Veyrathis’ descendants, was the leading brand for Arcanist Tools, and by quite a huge margin.

A novice set cost another fifty silver coins, which meant that the total rewards if he obtained first place, would be 110 Chaos Points and 100 silver coins.

But perhaps the thing that compelled Hal to go and join was the chance to earn way more Chaos Points than what the competition rewards offered.

Hal knew that if he won, not only would he manage to subtly introduce Arcanist "Joker" to the empire before laying low, but he also believed he would earn more Chaos Points from the system for doing so—perhaps another hundred, at the very least.

’But that’s only if I win...’

Soon, he arrived at his dormitory room, finding Loki adorably sitting on the small table beside the bamboo cot, wagging his little tail.

’There’s also this little guy...I would have to bring him to Azmarin City if I join the competition...’

Hal was torn.

He knew his chances of winning with the Chaos Arcane Link Set were decently high, but he needed at least two weeks of practice to grasp how to use the links properly.

Even the novice-level knowledge and experience granted by the Novice Arcanist Tome of Knowledge didn’t cover the revolutionary Chaos set.

’I also need a week to travel from Aeloria to Azmarin...’

This meant he would have only six days at most to earn the money and obtain the materials and cores he needed, a task that seemed almost impossible, especially since he had only five silver coins to his name.

He would still need to pay for access to the crafting rooms if he wanted to practice.

’Damn... I want to try...’

He could only sigh as he pondered the matter further, preparing dinner for Loki in the meantime.

It was then that a rather shameless way crept into his mind.

Yes...he could borrow some money...

Hal shook his head, initially rejecting the idea.

He took a nice, warm bath before lying down to sleep, trying to drift off.

He would think about the matter again tomorrow, once his mind was clearer.

Sleep didn’t come easily, however, as the option of borrowing money became more and more tempting.

He only needed ten silver coins, and he would pay them back next month or the month after that, at worst...

"Arrgh!"

Hal got up in frustration.

It was still somewhat early in the night, perhaps that was part of why he found it difficult to sleep.

’Sigh...here goes nothing...’

***

Hal didn’t succeed that same night, as not only was he not allowed in the premises of the five-star dormitories, but it also turned out to be exceedingly difficult to meet the person he was looking for.

So he waited...

Hours passed the next day, and Hal did nothing but wait outside the five-star dormitories, enduring the occasional arrogance and disdaining looks of the five-star students.

Surprisingly, very few of them paid him attention, perhaps due to the pressure of performing in the Arcana Primis Cup’s Main Tournament six months later.

They had to worry about the sophomore five-stars, after all.

’Damn it, when is she going to come out?’

He had been waiting since the fifth hour, and it was already the tenth.

’Tch, maybe she left way earlier and is already training in the five-star training fields?’ he mused.

She couldn’t have been out on a mission, as he had already confirmed this with the Mission Hall.

’Aihhh... I’ll just return later and wait for her to come back...’

But just as Hal was about to leave, the dormitory gates opened, and a white-haired young woman stepped out, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Liora!" he called, his voice jolting the sleepyhead awake.

"H-Hal?" Liora responded in a slightly dumbfounded manner, jogging to where Hal was. "What are you doing here?"

"W-Well, you see, I...uhh...need a favor."

"A...favor? How can I help?"

"I need ten silver coins. I’ll return them to you next month if I succeed or the month after if I don’t."

The young woman frowned at the request. "Are you gambling?"

"What? No! Why the hell would I gamble when it’s just a matter of time before I become rich? I’m just running short on funds right now because I haven’t gone on any missions, and I won’t have time for another month or so..."

Liora remained skeptical.

However, she had taken on many solo missions over the past month, mostly F-ranked and occasionally E-ranked, though a few had included five-star comrades.

Ten silvers wasn’t a burden for her. It wouldn’t be a problem even if Hal never paid her back.

After pondering for a moment, Liora set her sack down at her feet, opened it, and retrieved ten silver coins from her pouch, deciding to lend the one-star wastrel some money.

"Thanks, Liora! I’ll pay you back as soon as I can."

Hal was naturally happy that Liora had decided to trust him.

However, as he locked eyes with her, he felt slightly uneasy under her deep gaze.

"Then I also have a favor," she suddenly said. "Help me once you’re done with whatever it is you plan to do."