Here it comes.

The timer signaling the arrival of their rewards dropped to the last five seconds. Isaac shared a look with the others, and in an unspoken agreement, they all stepped away from one another. Nothing was ever certain with the Interface, so in case of any explosions, teleportations, or some other bizarre effect, a little distance seemed wise.

The final second… and zero.

Isaac Walker. Task Contribution: 1st. Faced the Guardian: Yes. Reward Tier: I.

The moment these words appeared before him, a searing pain erupted around his left wrist. He flinched, his gaze dropping to his vambrace-covered forearm. The armor almost hid the source, but after shifting it aside, he saw it.

Another tattoo.

At first, it looked like a simple armband tattoo—just a thick black line circling his wrist. Yet, as the burning subsided and he focused on the new addition to his body, two distinct details stood out.

One, some tiny symbols ran along both edges of the band. They were barely visible to the naked eye, and Isaac had no idea what they meant. Still, there had to be a reason for their presence. And finally two, small red images lined the center of the tattoo. He counted exactly five, and some of them seemed quite familiar.

Well, at least he thought it was hard to misinterpret a shape that resembled a boot. Now, why it looked like that, he had no idea. That said, he hoped the Interface would help out this once.

It didn't.

Huh…

"Guys!" James called out. "Did you get these too?"

He turned to the older man just in time to see him raise his left hand with the same armband tattoo. It had some images on it, too, but with the distance and how small those things were, Isaac couldn't tell if they were the same as his.

"Yeah, got one too," Elaine confirmed, also showing her tattooed wrist. "Reward tier three, you?"

"Same," James said, brow furrowing. "Wait—what place were you, princess?"

"Sixty-one." She grimaced. "I was below a hundred, but well, the Minotaur happened."

They all mirrored her expression. Considering just how many people died during that fight, it was no surprise that some higher spots became free afterward. It just showed how many stronger Hosts they had lost in that short time.

"Right…" James muttered. "Boss?"

"Tier one," Isaac answered.

The older man was now outright frowning. "Then I don't get it… I'm eighth on the ranking, and I'm tier three, too. Where the hell is tier two?"

"Maybe it's just for second or third place? Or top five?" Elaine suggested, looking just as puzzled.

"Still feels a bit unfair," James admitted before clicking his tongue. "Oh well, gotta take what they give us. So, any ideas on how to use those things? Think Analyze will work?"

They all shared a look and shrugged. It definitely didn't hurt to try.

Isaac's gaze returned to his tattoo. Okay then. Analyze.

[Storage Brand (T) | Grade: Mystic] A basic and temporary Viron tattoo created by the Overseer as a part of the Contamination Task rewards. It uses the Host's spirit to store a limited number of items without causing any harm. To access storage, channel Viron into one of the images on the brand. To deposit an item, simply push it into the tattoo. Beware: This Storage Brand is temporary and will disappear after 7 Earth days.

Isaac hummed. Now, that was a useful little thing.

While he wasn't entirely sold on the idea of storing items inside his spirit—whatever that even meant—it sure beat lugging around a backpack. Then again, it was only a temporary thing, so he shouldn't get too excited.

And now I know how to take you out, he thought, studying the various images etched into the band. Yet, before he could do anything, James' voice rang out next to him again.

"Okay, next test," he said. "Your brand is temporary, too, right? Three days?"

Isaac shook his head. "Temporary, yes, but I've got seven days."

"Mine's only good for one," Elaine added.

"Huh… So there is a difference despite the same reward tiers," James muttered. "Nice!"

Isaac caught Elaine rolling her eyes and stifled a snort.

"Can we save the comparisons until we actually check the rest of our rewards?" she grumbled. "We will be here all day otherwise."

James grinned. "Someone's a sore loser."

Elaine huffed and walked away from them. "Whatever."

"Hmm. She ain't mad at me, right?"

Isaac snorted. "Nope. Definitely not. You would know if she was. That said, she's right. Check your stuff. Then we can talk."

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James nodded without a word and looked down at his wrist. Isaac, meanwhile, used this moment to also walk a couple of feet away. Same reason as before—when it came to the Overseer or the Interface, surprises were almost guaranteed, and not always in a good way.

You go first, he thought, pushing his Viron toward a vague image of some oval object.

Holy!

The instant his energy touched the Storage Band, a weak flash of light erupted before him. Acting on instinct, he reached out, snatching two objects just as they were about to pummel to the ground.

Oh, so that's what you are.

In both his hands, he now grasped very familiar Virality Gems. They were about the size of Normal-grade ones, but there were two obvious distinctions between that rarity and what he held here.

One, these two gems were flawless, almost like someone had spent hours polishing them. And two, the flowing mist within glowed unlike any other time before. His entire hands were bathed in a soft violet light.

[Superior Virality Gem | Grade: Superior]

For the most part, Isaac ignored the description. It was pretty much basically identical to the lower-grade versions. Instead, he reached out with his Viron and consumed both objects on the spot.

Congratulations, Host! Your Virus has now entered the maturity phase of its current stage. Soon, it might be ready to advance.

This message appeared right after the first gem vanished. Deep inside, Isaac hoped for the next one—about his Virus reaching its peak—to arrive once he consumed the next one, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. Still, he was probably close. Nothing a dozen or so of Inferior gems couldn't fix, or so he hoped.

All right, next.

His gaze fell on another image on his tattoo, one very similar to the one that represented the gems. It just had a bit more shape to it. And so, with another pull on his Viron, he released the object and snatched it after the brief flash.

This time, it was a lone item, one he recognized very well.

Inferior Ascension Fruit, Isaac read after rechecking with Analyze. This was good, very good. Not too hungry right now, but it doesn't matter.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the strawberry-like fruit by the stem and ate it in a few quick bites. Like last time, the sweet but dry taste filled his mouth, but he just swallowed it and enjoyed how the sudden surge of power washed over his body.

Agility and Insight have advanced a tier.

I will take that.

Ignoring the gasp he just heard from Elaine, Isaac moved on to the next item. The image of a boot. Now, either he was stupid and couldn't recognize the simplest shape, or he was about to get a new piece of armor.

A burst of Viron confirmed it was the latter.

Okay… this looks… nice? And normal?

Honestly, Isaac had expected something a bit more ancient-looking, especially given the nature of his previous rewards. However, instead of that, the Interface gave him a pair of dark brown shoes that looked a lot like combat boots.

Sure, the material felt oddly light and flexible, and the soles had some strange patterns etched into them, but overall, this was some good stuff.

Let's see.

[Adventurer's Boots | Grade: Superior] A comfortable pair of boots perfect for any adventure. They offer moderate protection against Low-ranked threats. Enchanted to always provide perfect grip, no matter the terrain. Additionally, unless critically damaged, they will slowly repair themselves. This item does not offer defense for Legacy forms.

After reading the description, Isaac didn't even waste a second switching his current footwear for the Adventurer's Boots. They fit him like a glove—snug, lightweight, and with a surprising amount of support. Curious, he tried to slide his foot across the ground.

Nothing. No matter how hard he pushed, the boots wouldn't budge.

Very nice indeed… Moving on.

At last, Isaac turned his attention to the final two images on his brand. One of them looked a bit like a feather, while the other? Well, he wasn't quite sure how to describe it. Which was why he chose it next.

The object again appeared in a flash, and to his surprise, it was a small, sealed glass vial that landed in his hand. Of course, it wasn't empty—though it was close.

Why?

Because inside the little vial, sat a tiny drop of blood. Not just any blood, no. The thing glowed, casting deep crimson shadows over his hands, his face, and even the nearby debris around him.

Isaac activated Analyze.

[Essence of Blood | Grade: Mystic] A low-grade Origin artifact. By drinking it, the Host's connection to Blood will temporarily increase. Additionally, it grants a minuscule chance at reawakening the Origin of Blood upon consumption. Can be used in crafting.

An artifact, he hummed, rolling the drop of blood within the vial. I thought those were just used to speed up skill evolution. Seems I was wrong.

That said, Isaac couldn't help but wonder what reawakening his Origin would accomplish. Was it just another level-up, or something else entirely? On instinct, he almost uncorked the vial to test that, but common sense stopped him.

The chance to reawaken was 'minuscule'. He couldn't waste the Essence just like that. The temporary boost to his connection to Origin was much more important. However, to maximize his use of it, he couldn't drink it when he wasn't planning to fight anything in the near future.

That would be a waste.

As such, Isaac pushed the vial back into the brand, smiling as it sank in without any resistance. He would definitely have to test that system more later. For now, though, he had one last item to check.

Come out.

With another nudge of Viron and a flash of light, a feather—and it definitely was a feather—landed in his hand. It was massive, easily the length of his arm, and the color of freshly spilled blood. It also gave off an aura of sorts that made the few surviving hairs on his hands stand.

[Blessed Feather of Bloodraven | Grade: Arcane] A feather plucked from a dying Alpha Bloodraven, blessed with its remaining power. This special item can be used by any Host with Crimson or Bloodraven Legacy to advance it to the next growth stage and guarantee the awakening of another Inheritance. Can be used only in Legacy form by absorbing the power within the feather. Granted to Isaac Walker as the 1# contributor during the Contamination Task.

Isaac's eyes flew wide open. Now, this was something he definitely hadn't expected to receive. Hell, he hadn't even known items like this existed. And yet, here it was, lying right in his hand.

No way I would've gotten this if I wasn't first, he thought, his gaze landing on the last line of the description. Once they reached another Contamination Zone, or Safe Zone as they were now called, he really needed to compare notes with someone who also ranked first.

Then again, by the time he found somebody like him, he probably would have forgotten all about this. The rewards might be great, but in the end, with how fast the world was changing, they might not mean much a week or month from now.

Today's treasure could be tomorrow's scrap.

Yeah…

With a quiet sigh, Isaac slid the feather back into the brand. It vanished with no resistance.

A glance around told him that James and Elaine had finished checking their own loot. Perfect. He might as well check up with them first. After all, he was curious too.

"So," he said, approaching. "How's it looking?"

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