Suppressing his inner excitement, Irvine Wolf focused on the ability panel within his status window:
[Ability List]
Talent: [Player]
Overall Level: 1Lv
Experience: 0 / 100
Class:
General Class: Genius 1Lv
Skill Points: 3
Passive Skills: Item Box
Active Skills: None
——
After taking the "Genius" class, his overall level had risen from 0 to 1. In addition, he had gained 3 skill points.
This discovery made Irvine's heart beat faster. Sure enough, his Player Talent was somewhat different from the mechanics of YGGDRASIL.
In the game, players could select three skills from their class's skill list each time they leveled up. By level 100, a typical player would have around 300 skills . Of course, anomalies like the Sorcerer King, who mastered over 700 spells, were exceedingly rare even in YGGDRASIL, largely due to his unique skill "Dark Wisdom", which allowed him to learn new magic indefinitely .
"Gaining skill points but no skill list… that's troubling," Irvine mused, his expression unchanged. "It means I must obtain skills through other methods."
His next steps became much clearer.
Crunch!
Irvine's teeth met the surface of the rye bread with a crisp sound. He ate heartily, finishing most of the hard loaf in less than half a minute.
"Cough!"
His throat felt dry. Eating this stuff quickly really was a choking hazard. Irvine picked up the waterskin Nfirea had given him, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp. He let out a sigh of relief, a comfortable expression settling on his face. Had anyone else given him the waterskin, he would have been wary of drinking from it, but he trusted Nfirea's character.
He stood up, hung the waterskin at his waist, and merged into the flow of people heading toward the city center. There were too many eyes around now; it wasn't the right time to store the waterskin in his Item Box.
"Since I'm here, I might as well watch this peak duel," Irvine thought, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
There were still over four years until the Great Tomb of Nazarick descended. While time was tight, it wasn't so urgent that he couldn't spare a few hours. Sharpening the axe wouldn't delay the work of chopping wood.
Though Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus weren't as strong as they would be four years later, they were likely already around level 20—the threshold for human powerhouses in this world . Observing their match could provide valuable intelligence.
Before acquiring the "Genius" class, Irvine hadn't been in the mood for spectating, but now, with a clearer path for his future build, he was more open to the idea. This duel between the future Warrior Captain and the "Nail Clipper" was legendary, even discussed by powerhouses from various nations years later. The match had drawn attention not only within the Re-Estize Kingdom but beyond.
Gazef and Brain were already renowned geniuses. If Irvine remembered correctly, Brain possessed a variant class like Warrior (Genius)—a Talent that enhanced his combat prowess .
Amidst the crowd, excited discussions about the match echoed from all directions, most centered on speculation about the winner. The fervor and energy were palpable.
Irvine's eyes suddenly lit up. Others might not know the outcome, but he did. He recalled that such high-profile events often had underground betting pools. If he placed a bet on Gazef in advance, even with low odds, he could earn some much-needed money. His current funds were meager, and survival in this world required coin.
Spotting a young man in light leather armor—clearly an adventurer—passing by, Irvine stepped forward and asked directly, keeping his voice calm: "Hello, could you tell me where the nearest betting house is?"
Drawing on past life experience, he knew that in such a lively atmosphere, directness was often more effective than excessive politeness.
The leather-armored youth turned in surprise, looking Irvine up and down. A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. "An outsider?"
Irvine's dark gray clothing, short sword, and waterskin made him blend in visually, but his facial features and short black hair marked him as non-native.
"That's right. I only arrived yesterday," Irvine replied, showing no dissatisfaction with the condescending tone.
"Heh, just as I thought. There are no betting houses," the youth said, waving a hand dismissively.
"None?" Irvine was surprised. Such a major event, with so many people flooding into the capital, seemed like a perfect opportunity for bookmakers—especially the notoriously greedy nobles—to profit.
"Of course not. It's thanks to Princess Renner's foresight," the youth explained, a note of pride in his voice. "Even an outsider must have heard of Princess Renner the Golden, right? The Kingdom's Jewel, the lady with the 'Radiance of a Gem'."
"When the Royal Tournament began, Princess Renner proposed to His Majesty that such a competition, representing the nation's image, should be free from gambling. She argued it would dishonor the kingdom's prestige and disrespect the participants."
The youth's voice grew excited as he spoke, crossing his arms over his chest. "Although some nobles opposed the idea, His Majesty the King ultimately approved it. Princess Renner is both farsighted and benevolent…"
Seeing the youth's infatuated expression, Irvine took a step back expressionlessly and quickly melted back into the crowd.
He generally understood the situation now.
"Princess Renner, huh?" Irvine recalled the youth's admiring tone and felt a sense of irony.
It seemed the Golden Princess enjoyed significant popularity among the common people. Banning betting houses? Irvine suspected that while the proposal might have been officially passed, underground operations likely still existed—just inaccessible to ordinary folks.
So much for his get-rich-quick scheme.
"Gentle and benevolent? Using those words to describe the Golden Princess is truly…" Irvine shook his head slightly.
On the surface, Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself appeared gentle, kind, and innocent, always acting in the nation's best interests—a paragon of virtue.
In reality, she was a monster beyond ordinary comprehension; even Albedo, the Guardian Overseer of Nazarick, described her as a "spiritual heteromorph" .
She was practically the woman Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix, the Bloody Emperor of the Bahāruth Empire, disliked the most! Even the Dragon Queen of the Dragon Kingdom, who had lived for centuries but enjoyed pretending to be a little girl, only ranked second in his animosity .