Chapter 25 - Woman Dropped Flashbang Grenades in Her Friend’s Tent, Claimed It Would Rejuvenate Them Rubella began the negotiation with Harpy, Haast, and the lizardwoman. Due to the sensitive matter, Rubella, Haast, Harpy, and her mentor left the camp and continued their talk in private, away from the other adventurers. Meanwhile, Parita was not concerned with the affairs of Rubella, Haast, and Harpy. She finished the rabbit soup and cleaned the used pot for the party. After dinner and cleanup, the elves entered their tents and cleaned themselves using wet cloths. Parita, on the other hand, had something else prepared. Upon entering her tent, Parita cast the idol-meeting spell. The purifying light illuminated the space near her tent, reaching Sparrow and her friends. When the golden light touched them, Sparrow, Parrot, and the girls, who had been in the process of drying themselves, shuddered. When the beam went through them, the filth and toxins in their bodies were purged, and they shed some unwanted belly fat. The system prompted Parita about her gain for the day. [You have obtained 755 Idol Points. Current Points: 755.] Parita was glad that she had saved up the spell quota for the day. The gain was higher than purifying waste in Sparrow’s mansion. It also brought up important questions. ’How does the point system work? How is it calculated? Why do I get more points for cleaning up here?’ [Purifying people might yield unexpected results, especially those who lived a few centuries.] ’Ah, yes. The elven hags. What kind of toxins were they collecting? Their livers must have grown tired of all those plants and veggies. Did they snack on shrooms or something?’ [Elves who live outside their forest tend to accumulate the city’s toxins over time. A hundred years’ worth of impurity is more concentrated than a pot of organic waste.] Parita was horrified at the elves’ collection of bacteria and unknown diseases. She was glad that she had used the spell on them first. [Also, a Hunger’s saliva is very toxic. More than half of the points come from the toxin on your skin. You have no right to look down on the elves.] Parita glanced at her arms and sniffed her armpits. Fortunately, they didn’t reek of the monsters’ rotten saliva. She let out a long sigh of relief and prepared to sleep early. However, Sparrow and others stormed into her tent. Their faces were glossy and smooth as though they had smeared premium lotion on them. Parita rolled her eyes. "What?" "Why didn’t you tell us earlier that your spell can purify poisons?!" "...I thought you knew. I did purify your gung in earth jars, yes?" "...True. Anyway, how many times can you use it per day?" Sparrow sulked and shut her eyes in disappointment. Still, she lifted her head and grabbed Parita’s shoulders. She ordered her. "Save that spell just in case something terrible happens, okay? Also, don’t tell anybody that you can detoxify poisons." "...I thought this kind of spell is common." "No. Priests who can detoxify poisons are rarer than gold! Those who can use it all join the church and become a paladin or a bishop. They don’t stick around as adventurers." "Obviously. Their monthly wage is ten thousand gold coins at a minimum. It’s a dream job. They simply sit in a clinic or a church somewhere and treat people a few times per day. I have seen them at work before. I mean, they go to work late, and they go home at noon. Some might train in the afternoon, but most of them just do nothing for the entire day." "Wow. Now, I’m tempted." "No, you must not join them. Are you crazy?! They work for the nobles." "Keep it a secret." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍 Sparrow let out a long sigh and patted her back. She exited Parita’s tent, minding the privacy. After Sparrow and the other elves had left, Parita snorted and crossed her arms. Thinking of a better prospect and a better wage, she planned to investigate the paladin career path later. Unfortunately, the system had another plan for her. [A reminder, you haven’t accepted the daily quest yet.] Parita smirked. "That’s a load of bull. You started the streaming quest in the morning. I already completed it." [It doesn’t matter. This is an emergency quest. You have two objectives.] [1. Go back to Heni Farm and locate the Starve’s lair.] [2. Kill all Hungers and the Starve in the area.] [Your missions will be livestreamed. All objectives must be completed before the sunrise. Failure to complete both objectives will permanently decrease your Charm attribute by 5.] [Rewards: 2,000 Idol Points. One platinum coin. Upgrade one random system feature. Random additional rewards, depending on your performance.] [Note: It is recommended to go hunting in either the previous tight outfit or the idol outfit. Cloaks are unnecessary.] Parita couldn’t believe her eyes. The system quest got absurd. Nevertheless, the benefits increased significantly relative to the dangers. Since her precious "Charm" status attribute was on the line, Parita couldn’t afford to ignore the quest. She put back her equipment and sorted her inventory, preparing to head out. While she dressed up, she asked the system just in case. "Say, I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now. What is this CHARM stat? What can it do, and what is the stat cap?" [Charm attribute reflects your attractiveness as a whole. The maximum attribute is 10. The attribute has the following effects:] [Charm 1: You’re an abomination. Local people of this world will kill you on sight.] [Charm 2: You’re as ugly as a Hunger. You will be prosecuted as a witch if spotted.] [Charm 3: You’re still ugly, but it’s more humanly tolerable. One should not expect to find a partner who is young, attractive, 6’6" in height and makes an annual income of seven figures.] [Charm 4: You’re below average. However, drunk men might like you. Again, no dreamed husband. It’s impossible for you.] [Charm 5: You’re average. Again, don’t expect a rich and handsome husband unless you wish to be a single mother.] [Charm 6: You’re finally on the attractive scale, even though it barely affects anything. Innocent young men will fancy you, but those from the high-class still consider you average at best.] [Charm 7: You’re qualified as an idol, but you’re still nothing compared to the entertainment industry’s standards. 80% of the male population in this world will find you attractive. Nobles might show an interest in you.] [Charm 8: You’re now the cream of the crop. You can be successful as a star, but it will be at a local level. Commoners will see you as their ideal wife. Nobles and rich men will desire you.] [Charm 9: Be careful. Your beauty and attractiveness may fall a nation or trigger a war. You’re now an influential figure, and your livestream will attract at least a hundred thousand eyes instantly.] [Charm 10: You’re a perfect being, aka a goddess. You’re qualified to search for your unicorn.] Parita chuckled dryly. "So, it’s just a beauty scale." "So, I was an abomination before?! My charm stat was one, wasn’t it?!" Parita sighed. She rubbed her forehead, suppressing her anger. After calming down, she slipped outside the tent. Outside the tent, it was dark. Only the crackling campfires provided faint light sources in the wilderness. Soldiers on the wall carried torches and patrolled the area, preventing the adventurers from entering the city. Parita gazed into the darkness and gulped. Even though she got desensitized by video games and anime, a part of her was still afraid of the dark. The rural night’s view caused her to shudder. ’It’s pitch black! How the hell do I fight Hungers in the dark? I’m not some superhuman with night vision!’ [Night vision goggles, night vision spells, and related items are being sold in the system store for 100 to 500 Idol Points.] Parita frowned. ’Is this your plan all along? Are you trying to drain my points?’ [The system only provides hints and guidance for your best interest.] Parita knew that her system had been manipulating her, but she had no time to argue or find fault with it. Accusing the system of a conspiracy served no purpose and was simply a waste of time. Opening the system shop menu, she input the keywords and searched for related items. Many results appeared. The physical goggles were available for a mere 100 points. However, it was a handheld version, not suitable for combat. The tactical night vision goggles that came with a helmet were slightly expensive, demanding 300 points. However, spells existed. The single-use magic scroll was the most affordable option, priced at 50 points. The effect, though, lasted only one hour. Meanwhile, the spellbook version was priced at 500 idol points. By learning this, Parita could repeatedly cast it on herself, and she wouldn’t need goggles or a scroll. Considering the investment, she purchased the spellbook.