Shala and Alena had been ecstatic to see him. Obi-Wan and the people from Naboo, less so.
The tester didn't care. They would spend several days together while traveling to Coruscant, and he would have nothing better to do than improve his relationship with them then.
Right now, he was itching to check out his gains. So, after entertaining Alena for a little while, he excused himself to one of the leisure areas of the ship.
Sinking on a sofa, he cracked his fingers, unable to stop an eager smile from slipping onto his face. He was really looking forward to this.
A thought later, and he brought up all the notifications that bombarded him after killing Valemerin.
[ You have killed Krayt Dragon Gang leader Valemerin 'The Scourge'. ]
[ Because others not belonging to your party were involved in the battle, rewards will be distributed according to contribution rate. Your contribution: 38%. ]
[ You have acquired: 36.000 wupiupis, Signet of The Scourge, World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll. ]
[ You have killed a target with a bounty on their head. Please head to the nearest location to collect your reward with proof of death. ]
[ Hidden achievement completed: Bounty Hunter. ]
[ Bounty Hunter (completed): Kill a target with a bounty equivalent to 5.000 dollars or more on their head. Bounty for achievement completion: 180.000 wupiupis/30.000 Republic credits/18.000 dollars. ]
[ Completion reward: 1-Star Random Skill Scroll. ]
[ Achievement Bounty Hunter can be further upgraded into: Career Bounty Hunter. ]
[ Career Bounty Hunter: Hunt 30 targets with bounties equivalent to 10.000 dollars or more on their heads. ]
[ Hidden achievement completed: Bring 'em Down! ]
[ Bring 'em Down! (completed): Destroy one of the three major criminal factions in Mos Espa - Makeh Syndicate, Krayt Dragon Gang, Agellum Gang. Faction destroyed for achievement completion: Krayt Dragon Gang. ]
[ Completion reward: Reputation with all local factions +3.000, reputation in Tatooine + 1.000. ]
[ Achievement Bring 'em Down! can be further upgraded into: Righteous Crusade. ]
[ Righteous Crusade: Destroy all three major criminal factions in Mos Espa - Makeh Syndicate, Krayt Dragon Gang, Agellum Gang. ]
[ Observation: This achievement can no longer be completed as the leaders of Makeh Syndicate and Agellum Gang have been killed by someone not in your party. ]
[ Side Mission The Wheel of Hate - Condition 1 completed. ]
[ Side Mission The Wheel of Hate completed. ]
[ Calculating completion percentage... 72%. Rating: Exceptional. ]
[ Completion rewards: Reputation with all local factions +3.000, reputation in Tatooine +1.000, Fame in the current universe +1, 2-Stars Engraving, World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll, 2-Stars Item Selection Box. ]
[ Your reputation with the Hutt Cartel (Mos Espa) has grown to Respected (1.200/25.000). ]
[ Your reputation with the Hutt Cartel has grown to Reputable (980/10.000). ]
[ Your reputation in Tatooine has grown to Familiar (1.145/3.000). ]
[ Achievement completed: Outlaw ]
[ Outlaw (completed): Ingratiate yourself with the criminal faction of the Hutts. Reputation must be at least Well-known. Reputation level for completion: Reputable. ]
[ Completion reward: 1-Star Random Skill Scroll. ]
[ This achievement can't be upgraded further. ]
It was a lot. Rumor decided to tackle it from the least valuable to the most. Keep a little suspense for himself, you see.
After thinking hard about it, he decided not to use the two [ 1-Star Random Skill Scrolls ] he got from completing the [ Outlaw ] and [ Bounty Hunter ] achievements.
It was not that he disliked the idea of getting more skills, quite the opposite. But he had no immediate necessity for them, so he thought he might as well keep them in storage.
The Mind had heavily hinted that he would be able to communicate and trade with other testers after his first incursion, so he would wait for that. Maybe he would be able to get something valuable for the scrolls.
Not the two [ World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll ], however. Those he was using right away. [ Grav-Leap Boost ] had been invaluable in keeping him alive this long, and he was keen on having more skills of the same level.
[ You have used a World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll. ]
[ You have received the skill Holo-Disguise. ]
[ Holo-Disguise lvl 1 ]
[ Rarity: 2-Stars ]
[ Effect: Disguises the user with a holographic projection, reducing chances of being recognized and reducing enemies detection range by 20%. ]
[ Cost: 15 MP every 30 seconds ]
[ Cooldown: 600 seconds ]
[ Description: Active. A skill created using the Star Wars universe advanced technological system as a basis, it allows for elaborate disguises, but heavily drains the caster's MP. ]
That was... Extremely useful, actually. Although he could only use it for 2 minutes with his current MP capability, it was still a lifesaver for infiltration.
[ You have used a World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll. ]
[ You have received the skill Bacta Rush. ]
[ Bacta Rush lvl 1 ]
[ Rarity: 2-Stars ]
[ Effect: Restores 7% of the user's HP immediately, and a further 3% over 5 seconds. ]
[ Cost: 20 MP ]
[ Cooldown: 600 seconds ]
[ Description: Active. Infuse the properties of the famous bacta tanks in your body, allowing for rapid regeneration of health. ]
Now Rumor had attack, sensory, movement, stealth, and health related skills. All he was missing was a defensive one, and he would have a full hand.
He was very satisfied with [ Holo-Disguise ] and [ Bacta Rush ]. Both were extremely useful, not to mention life-saving if used at the right moment.
But he wasn't done yet. His fingers glided to the [ 2-Stars Item Selection Box ]. The name was pretty self-explanatory, but he was excited nonetheless.
[ Please select the item category: Offensive, defensive, miscellaneous. ]
He didn't even need to think before selecting defensive. With his [ Standard Ottegan Army Blade ] and [ E-206 Renegade Blaster Rifle ], he was more than covered on the offensive side of things. And miscellaneous seemed too random.
[ You have opened 2-Stars Item Selection Box (defensive). An item will be randomly selected from all universes across The Mind. ]
His eyes widened. He had expected it to be something from the Star Wars universe, like everything else he had received since arriving here. His curiosity rose when he saw that it could be from anywhere.
[ You have received Cyclops-Forged Armguard. ]
[ Cyclops-Forged Armguard ]
[ Rarity: 2-Stars ]
[ Requirements: Strength - 6, Vitality - 8 ]
[ Defense: 22 ]
[ Durability: 30/30 ]
[ Description: A pair of armguards forged in the underwater furnaces of the God of the Seas, Poseidon. ]
[ Observation: This item originally belongs to the Percy Jackson universe. ]
[ Observation: Can be brought out of this world. ]
Percy Jackson. Rumor knew it was a book series, but he had never read it. Nevertheless, it was a good item. The requirements were low when compared to the [ High-Powered Slugthrower ], so he thought he might be able to equip it after this incursion.
Next in line was the [ 2-Stars Engraving ]. It would fill his last trait slot, so he had high hopes for it.
[ You have used 2-Stars Engraving (Hutt Cartel). ]
[ You received the trait: Grease the Gears. ]
[ Grease the Gears ]
[ Rarity: 2-Stars ]
[ Effect: Increase the chances of characters accepting bribes and being persuaded by you. ]
[ Description: Hutts are specialists in working the system. To corrupt and be corrupted is the norm. ]
It was more vague than his other traits, but Rumor figured it must be better than them since it was a 2-Stars. He would just have to wait and see.
Now, all that was left were his reputation gains, whatever Fame was, and the item he got for killing Valemerin.
[ Signet of The Scourge ]
[ Rarity: 2-Stars ]
[ Requirements: None ]
[ Effect: Vitality +2, Strength +2 ]
[ Durability: 40/40 ]
[ Description: A ring originally belonging to Valemerin 'The Scourge'. Show this item to any hunters guild office as proof of kill to collect the bounty on The Scourge. ]
[ Observation: Can be brought out of this world. ]
Rumor donned the ring before he even thought about it. That was an extra 10 points of attack, 4 points of defense, and 20 HP without any requirements. Plus, it would earn him a hefty bounty if he had the chance to collect in the future.
Now, Rumor's stats looked something like this:
[ Name: Rumor ]
[ Titles: Not You (Bronze) ]
[ Prestige: Unknown ]
[ Health (HP): 120 ]
[ Mental Points (MP): 70 ]
[ Strength: 7 (5+2) ]
[ Dexterity: 8 ]
[ Vitality: 7 (5+2) ]
[ Temperance: 7 ]
[ Spirit: 5 ]
[ Appeal: 6 ]
[ Attack: Physical - 35 (Strength X 5), Mental - 25 (Spirit X 5) ]
[ Defense: 14 (Vitality X 2) ]
[ Free attribute points: 0 ]
[ Traits: Desert Whisperer (1-Star), Stalking Killer (1-Star), Grease the Gears (2-Stars) ]
[ Skills: Observe, Hunter Sense lvl 1 (1-Star), Red Blood lvl 1 (1-Star), Firearm Mastery lvl 1 (1-Star), Grav-Leap Boost lvl 1 (2-Stars), Holo-Disguise lvl 1 (2-Stars), Bacta Rush lvl 1 (2-Stars) ]
[ Equipment: Standard Ottegan Army Blade (1-Star), Rusted Brass Knuckles (1-Star), Sturdy Staff (1-Star), False-Gold Shoulder Pad (1-Star), E-206 Renegade Blaster Rifle (1-Star), High-Powered Slugthrower (2-Stars), Cyclops-Forged Armguard (2-Stars), Signet of The Scourge (2-Stars), 1-Star Summoning Contract (Massiff) ]
[ Miscellaneous: 68.200 wupiupis, 22.000 Republic Credits, Delicious Unknown Fruit (x3), Decent Quality Military Bandages (x5), Slugthrower Magazine (x2), Anooba Pelt, Dorsal Spines (x15), Massiff Fur, Thermal Detonator, Deathstick, Kaminoan Breach Herb, Outer Rim Guide... ]
[ Unlocked achievements: Desert Predator, Tusken Raider, Xenophobic, Extreme Xenophobia, Outlaw, Pop Goes The Bounty, Bounty Hunter, Bring 'em Down! ]
[ Active missions: 1 ]
[ Incursions: 1 ]
To say his character sheet had undergone drastic changes was an understatement. It was with slightly trembling fingers that Rumor turned to his last reward.
Fame +1. He wasn't sure what that meant until he asked The Mind.
[ Fame is a different measure than relationship or reputation. While the latter two affect specific characters or factions, Fame affects the entire universe. Even factions with whom you have never interacted or have any reputation with will have heard of you. Factions are less likely to be immediately hostile to you. It will be slightly easier to gain relationship or reputation points with most groups. The higher your Fame, the better those effects are. To increase your Fame, you must accomplish incredible feats recognized by all. ]
A feat like bringing down a criminal group on his own. Although, Rumor had an inkling the Krayt Dragon Gang was only worth a Fame point because The Mind was being generous with him due to this being his first incursion. He doubted a little gang in some forgotten corner of the galaxy would do it for his next Fame point.
Nevertheless, it was a good thing. Rumor didn't know what the chances were that he would come to the Star Wars universe again, but if he did, the Fame would give him a headstart.
Reclining on the sofa, Rumor closed his eyes. For the first time since arriving in The Mind, he was in a safe place, and with no urgent task to complete.
Before he knew it, the tester had fallen asleep.
...
When Rumor woke up, he found someone had covered him with a blanket at some point. And he had a good idea of who, considering the little bundle of warmth snuggled up against his side.
Letting out a sigh a Alena's clingness, he raised his head and saw Shala sitting opposite from him, just watching the pair.
"I've never seen you sleep this heavily before."
The former slave rested her head on her hands. In the days they spent in Mos Espa before meeting the Naboo group and coming here, Rumor always woke up with their smallest movements or noises.
"We didn't have a Jedi and royal guards protecting us back then."
Shala nodded thoughtfully. After bringing them to the ship, nobody had made any effort to hide the fact the Queen of Naboo and her entourage were in it.
Of course, they were all kept under close watch, even though the guards were polite about it.
"It is over then? What you needed to do?"
Shala hadn't asked what it was back then, and wouldn't ask now. She just needed to know it was over. And she sighed in relief when Rumor nodded.
"It's done. The rest of our hosts should be back tomorrow, and then we'll never see this planet again. Qui-Gon Jinn already promised to look after you in Coruscant."
Shala nodded, then frowned with something akin to disappointment coloring her expression.
"You won't stay with us."
It wasn't a question, and Rumor didn't answer it. Alena was still harboring hopes, having grown attached to her savior, but Shala had known from the start Rumor had goals that went for beyond what normal people like them could imagine.
Even so, there had been a seedling of hope, which wilted away now. Shala gave her sleeping daughter a pitiful look.
"Alena will miss you."
Rumor glanced down at the young girl, who burrowed deeper into his side as if feeling his gaze.
"Maybe. But she's strong, she will get over it."
"Hm, she is. Regardless, I will never be able to repay will for saving me, and my daughter, Rumor. If you have the chance in the future, please do pay a visit. Alena would really like it."
Rumor stared at Shala for a long moment, finding nothing but earnest honesty in her gaze.
"Haa... I will."