Save Scumming Chapter Forty-Eight - File 284-A

Chapter Forty-Eight - File 284-A

The assessnt took three hours and ended up requiring so help from another mber of the guild. I was getting looks. It turned out that it wasn't so much the items though, as the money I was throwing around.

Oops?

Oh well, it wasn't like I was going to pay, or keep this loop.

Tellen eventually produced two papers of assessnt, all official and stamped and worth a fair bit on their own. Like a certificate of authenticity next to a signature, basically.

Item Assessnt – File 284-A

Object: Untranslated Grimoire (Black Leather Binding)

Recovered From: Uncatalogued D-Rank portal

Examiner: Assessor R. Tellen, Guild of Applied Thaumaturgy

Summary:

The object is a compact grimoire, bound in black leather with no exterior titling. Initial inspection reveals a faint latent enchantnt tied to preservation. The pages remain supple and untarnished despite clear signs of age. The contents are penned in an unknown language with structural similarities to classical Latin, though preliminary ciphering efforts have produced inconsistent phonetic equivalences.

Contained within are three full arcane constructs, each accompanied by complex glyphwork and sigil diagrams consistent with modern spell-carving theory. While the exact effects are unknown, power tracing suggests they are D-rank in magnitude. Possibly minor but complete spells, likely utility or support class in function. Likely along the Dark-Void spoke.

No imdiate dangers were identified during containnt or examination, though ambient arcane residue implies prior usage. Item safe to handle.

Recomndations:

Translation should be prioritized. Even low-ranked spells of unknown provenance may reveal lost techniques or culturally unique taphysics. If spell effects prove replicable, this volu could serve as a teaching artifact or blueprint for new spells.

Estimated Item Value: $28,000–$35,000 USD (untranslated); potential increase pending successful decoding or replication of spells.

Spell valuation impossible at this ti.

Signed,

R. Tellen

Assessnt Division, Guild of Applied Thaumaturgy

I read that over twice, putting what I could to mory. The price stuck out to . That was... not chump change. Not insane, but like... hiring a team of D-rankers to clear a D-rank dungeon probably cost about that much, less, maybe. So this book alone would return a profit.

And after talking to the expert in spell crafting that Tellen brought in, I discovered that spells were copyrighted and licensed. That database of cantrips probably cost Luna Corp a small fortune.

Each one of Terry's copied spells probably cost as much as a top-shelf firearm, and that was for the first level ones. Higher level spells were more. Though so had beco so popular that the cost went down and so spells had 'leaked' so anyone could learn them.

New, novel spells were sotis worth a lot, but selling them was a nightmare. The guild here did that, though, and they'd be interested in helping translate the new spells... for a certain percentage of the royalties.

Like, a big percentage.

Like... most.

Still, 5% was... sothing?

Whatever, if I was ever broke it was an option. Though not a quick one. The guild had other things they were working on, and it would be a low priority. Low enough that I might not see results this year.

Next, the assessnt on the sword, the thing I really cared about.

Item Assessnt – File 284-B

Object: Enchanted European Smallsword, c.1600

Recovered From: Uncatalogued D-Rank portal

Examiner: Assessor R. Tellen, Guild of Applied Thaumaturgy

Summary:

This is a well-preserved European smallsword with a design reminiscent of those dated to the early 17th to mid 18th century. It features a double-edged blade, full knuckle guard, and a blackened nut-wood grip, likely walnut, covered in blue leather. The accompanying sheath bears a minor preservation enchantnt. More significant are the enchantnts bound to the blade itself, several of which remain functionally active.

Primary magical effects include:

Leeching Cut – Cantrip. On contact, the blade draws a minor quantity of physical stamina or magical energy from the target. The effect is minimal.

Pain Muddling – Cantrip. Strikes delivered with the blade partially dull the target's pain response.

Loathing Attunent – Cantrip. Secondary enchantnts embedded within the hilt strengthen when wielded in a state where they are actively empowered by Disgust or Loathing. Emotional linkage appears to marginally increase sharpness and durability.

The blade is in pristine condition and exhibits no signs of corrosion. Edge enchantnt is active but subtle, likely passive sharpening or structural reinforcent. The magical craftsmanship is consistent with upper E and lower D-tier items.

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Recomndations:

Recomnded for field deploynt with compatible wielders or further study.

Estimated Item Value: $12,000–$15,000 USD.

Signed,

R. Tellen

Assessnt Division, Guild of Applied Thaumaturgy

As it turned out, the sword wasn't all that impressive. Not to the guild, at least.

I was plenty impressed. Three enchantnts on one weapon was pretty rare. The fact that all three were 'cantrip' level removed so of the lustre, but I didn't mind. If I wanted a normal sword to be as good as this one, I'd need to learn, carve, and cast three cantrips simultaneously to make it work, and there was no guarantee that they'd be as strong.

So yeah, I was happy with it.

The loathing attunent thing was a little strange, but I already had to focus a bit on getting an emotion in that ballpark for See Darkness. Well... no, for that spell, I needed 'boredom' which I think was an emotion that just ca naturally to . The sword required disgust, but that was just a skip away.

Anyway, I had a cool magic sword, it wasn't cursed, and it wasn't worth so much that I'd be plagued by the temptation to sell it for a heap of cash. Ten-plus grand was great money, but I could live without.

I Reloaded then... just went to work normally.

Today was another training day, which was nice. I got to work a few minutes early, chatted with Dharti for a while about my progress with Soothe Minor Pain, then we joined the others in the gym.

Natalie was there, and she seed happy to see , which was always reciprocated. Lady had guns and permission to throw onto the floor and pin there.

D-ranked training sessions went on for longer and were a bit more extre than those we had as E-rankers. There was a lot more hands-on sparring, and Dharti could heal anything that broke or bled, though she'd pull out the 'disappointed mom' routine if she needed to use her magic to heal any boo-boos.

Not that it was that wild. The training was still formal, with Natalie watching over the sparring and giving pointers.

There wasn't a specific school of martial arts that was taught, instead we started with sothing like boxing in a ring where I discovered that literally everyone in Squad B was faster than and could punch harder, and then we did Jiu-jitsu and so grappling, where I spent most of my ti getting my face rubbed into the mat.

It was... good training, actually.

Near the end, Natalie told us to hit the machines, lift so weights, and do so cardio, but she also remained for anyone who wanted so one-on-one. I did, a lot. I asked her for so guidance in sword-fighting, and she obliged, getting out so practice blades and showing so basic stances and movents.

I Reloaded the entire day and ran it through twice more. I... wasn't sure if I was much better the third ti around. Maybe I spent less ti on the ground, but a bit of experience could only go so far to make up for the difference in musculature and years of training.

Probably got a lot more out of that one day's looped training than a week's worth of self-guided practice, though, so I wouldn't complain.

The training in the final loop, the one I intended to keep, ended with so stretches and small talk. That's when Eldur dropped a cool tid-bit. We were hitting up a portal tomorrow. Another E-rank, this one yet another repeat portal.

The others groaned on learning about it, but all I discovered was that I'd need to be wearing a respirator for this one.

That wasn't a good sign, but the grumbling wasn't horror, just good-natured complaining, so I took it in stride.

I rode the bus ho, happy that they had showers at work because I felt physically and ntally drained. I didn't even loop once I got ho. I just watched cat videos online, played with Mister Couchtop, ate sothing that was microwavable, then crashed for the night.

I was entirely unable to sleep, because why would life be so easy? So, instead, I lay in bed and watched more crap. The Punk Pop Lady Killers, one of my favourite all-female punk bands, were in Fortress ENE for a tour and most of the tickets were sold out already.

Bloody Violet was here, and that caused a stir with the paparazzi, and that one CEO who died was in the news too, so calling it an assassination attempt while others said it was just bad luck.

I'd have to figure that all out eventually, but for now, I needed sleep. Maybe I could learn a 'go the fuck to sleep' cantrip?

One more day gone, but it wasn't a day without any progress. I was getting stronger, slowly but surely, and tomorrow would be one more portal closer to a level where I could force so change.

***