My D Rank Skill is Actually SSS-Rank

Chapter 10: The Mage's Ultimatum and the Shadowy Rendezvous

Alaric groaned. I am so doomed. Master Elara stood there, robes slightly askew, eyes narrowed, her face a storm of conflicting emotions: fury, confusion, and that unsettling hint of amusement she couldn't quite hide. And the transparent slime, the little traitor, was jiggling happily at her feet, practically purring its confession.

"My accomplice in perverted optimization?" Alaric stammered, trying to sound offended, but his voice cracked. "Master Elara, that's a ludicrous accusation! This... this is just a perfectly refined stress ball! For optimal hand-eye coordination!" He shot a furious glare at the slime. You better not have a 'Telepathic Link to Grumpy Mages' hidden condition, you bouncy little spy!

The slime jiggled again, a series of perfectly pitched giggles emanating from its transparent form. It then slowly, deliberately, bounced directly onto Master Elara's foot, settling there like a very pleased, very clear, very heavy pet.

Master Elara looked down at the slime, then back at Alaric, her expression hardening. "It giggles, Alaric. And it seems rather fond of me. And you just called it a 'stress ball' after your... comments about my robes. Are you suggesting you wish to 'optimize' me for 'flexibility' too?!" Her voice rose, echoing in the dusty warehouse.

Oh, crap. She's going for the direct hit. No plausible deniability left. Alaric's mind raced. He had the 'Droplet of Absolute Persuasion' in his pocket, but using it on an A-Rank mage felt like a terrible idea. Too risky. Too much collateral damage. And what if the side effect made her sing about his pervy thoughts? The horror!

"Master Elara, please! It's purely scientific! For material research! The properties of different fabrics under various... stresses!" Alaric tried to sound academic, but his voice was still too high-pitched.

"Scientific?!" she shrieked. "You think I'm a test subject for your D-Rank perversions?! I, Master Elara, Arcane Analyst, will not stand for this!" She raised her hand, a faint crackle of mana forming at her fingertips. Oh, great. Here comes the lightning bolt. Or maybe a highly organized, bureaucratic mana-binding spell.

"Wait, wait!" Alaric yelled, throwing his hands up. "Okay, fine! It's... it's just a joke! A very, very bad joke! I swear! I'm not a pervert! Well, not that kind of pervert! I mean, I am, but not in a harmful way! It's all internal! Mostly!"

Master Elara paused, the mana crackling around her hand. She stared at him, then at the slime, which was now affectionately rubbing against her ankle. Her expression softened, just a fraction. "Internal? Mostly? You admit to being a pervert, but a mostly internal one?" She lowered her hand, the mana dissipating. "This is... confusing. And highly unprofessional."

Alaric breathed a sigh of relief. Crisis averted. For now. She's still a grumpy mage, but at least she's not electrocuting me.

"Look, Master Elara," Alaric said, trying a different tack. "I just got here. I don't know the rules. I'm just trying to figure out this 'System' thing. And my skill... it's a bit unpredictable." He gestured vaguely at the gleaming sections of the warehouse floor. "I mean, who knew 'Basic Material Refinement' could do that?"

Master Elara's gaze drifted to the perfectly clean, gleaming sections of the wooden beams and floor. Her eyes widened again. Her "Mana Sense" skill flared, confirming the impossible purity. "This... this is truly your D-Rank skill? It defies all known magical principles. The Guild Master was right... you are a phenomenon." She then looked at him, a new, calculating glint in her eyes. "Very well, Alaric. I will not report your... unconventional thoughts. For now. But you will come with me. You will explain exactly how your skill works. And you will apply it to something truly important. Something that benefits the Guild. Not just... personal projects." She gave him a pointed look, then glanced at the transparent slime.

Alaric groaned internally. Another forced task. And she's still suspicious. This is going to be a long, long mentorship. And probably no bathhouses in my immediate future. "Fine," he grumbled. "What 'important' task do you have in mind, Master Elara? More polishing? More rat relocation?"

"No," Master Elara said, a rare, almost mischievous smile playing on her lips. "The Guild's arcane library. It's filled with ancient, decaying scrolls and books. Many are crumbling, their knowledge lost to time and dust. They are D-Rank materials, Alaric. Can your 'Basic Material Refinement' truly... restore them?"

Alaric's eyes widened. Ancient scrolls? Decaying books? D-Rank materials? Oh, this is a goldmine! Not just for refining, but for information! Lost knowledge! Hidden skills! Maybe even a secret map to a legendary dungeon with SSS-tier loot! And perhaps, just perhaps, some illustrations of 'optimal' armor designs.

"The arcane library?" Alaric repeated, a genuine, non-perverted excitement bubbling up. "Master Elara, you have no idea what you've just unleashed. Consider it done. I'll make those scrolls sing!"

Master Elara raised an eyebrow. "Sing? Don't tell me your skill has a 'Vocal Cord Optimization' side effect for parchment now."

Alaric just winked. "You never know. Optimal knowledge transfer can take many forms." He looked at the transparent slime, which was still happily jiggling at Master Elara's feet. You better not be telling her what I'm thinking about those ancient illustrations. Or I'll refine you into a perfectly clear, perfectly flat doormat. The slime merely jiggled, its hum now sounding like pure, unadulterated glee.

Before Alaric could be dragged off to the library, a faint shimmer appeared in the corner of the warehouse. The air grew cold, and a shadow detached itself from the deeper darkness. The Shadow Broker.

System Notification: Entity Detected: [Shadow Broker - ??? Rank]. Skills: Obfuscation (A), Silent Movement (B), Unknown Intent (???).

Master Elara immediately tensed, her Mana Sense flaring. "Who goes there?!" she demanded, a crackle of mana forming at her fingertips.

The Shadow Broker emerged fully, their cloaked and hooded figure radiating an aura of silent power. They ignored Master Elara, their hidden gaze fixed solely on Alaric.

"You have the items, young Alaric?" the low, gravelly voice whispered.

Alaric, caught between an angry A-Rank mage and a mysterious S-Rank quest giver, swallowed hard. "Uh, yeah. Right here." He quickly pulled out the 'Net of Unseen Capture', the 'Lens of Universal Perception', and the vial containing the 'Droplet of Absolute Persuasion'. He held them out.

The Shadow Broker's gloved hand reached out, taking each item with surprising gentleness. As they touched the 'Net of Unseen Capture', a faint, almost imperceptible ripple passed through it. When they held the 'Lens of Universal Perception', a single, tiny, golden spark flickered within its impossibly clear surface. And when they took the 'Droplet of Absolute Persuasion', a low, satisfied hum emanated from beneath their cloak.

"Excellent," the Shadow Broker whispered. "These are... precisely as we require. Your 'D-Rank' skill truly is... remarkable." Their hidden gaze seemed to linger on Alaric for a moment. "As promised, young Alaric. Resources. Protection. And a path to true, unconventional power."

System Notification: Quest Complete: [The Shadow Broker's Deal - S-Rank]. Reward: Access to Hidden Market, Advanced Material Schematics, Shadow Broker's Favor.

"Wait! Who are you?!" Master Elara demanded, her hand still crackling with mana. "What dealings are these?!"

The Shadow Broker finally turned their head slightly towards Master Elara. "Our dealings are... not for the uninitiated, Master Elara. Suffice to say, the Guild's 'optimization' efforts are merely scratching the surface of Aethelgard's true potential. And its true... secrets."

With that, the Shadow Broker melted back into the shadows, vanishing as silently as they appeared, leaving behind only a faint chill in the air and a bewildered Master Elara.

Master Elara stared at the spot where the Shadow Broker had been, then slowly turned her furious gaze back to Alaric. "Alaric! What was that?! Who was that?! And what 'secrets' are they talking about?!"

Alaric shrugged, affecting his most innocent, bored expression. "No idea, Master Elara. Just some random '??? Rank' NPC. Probably a side quest I accidentally triggered. You know how it is. Sometimes the System just throws random encounters at you. Nothing to worry about. Now, about that library? I'm ready to optimize some ancient knowledge. For optimal information flow, of course." He gave her a charming, if slightly perverted, smile.

Master Elara's eyes narrowed, but the fury in them was now mixed with a deep, unsettling suspicion. She looked from Alaric to the transparent slime (which was still jiggling happily on her foot), then back to Alaric. "You are a strange one, Alaric. A very strange one. Come. The library awaits. And I will be watching your every 'refinement'."

As Alaric followed Master Elara out of the warehouse, he couldn't help but grin. He had just completed his first S-Rank quest, acquired some truly broken artifacts, and now had access to a 'Hidden Market' and 'Advanced Material Schematics'. And he was about to dive into an ancient library. This was exactly the kind of chaotic, exploitable content he loved. Even if it meant dealing with a perpetually grumpy, occasionally singing mage and a very judgmental, transparent slime.

This is going to be a fun game. A very, very fun game.