Bimbleton was quick to unch his table like a projectile. But this time, things were different.

  Rob struck first. With a grunt, he threw Blorbo with all his might, even before Bimbleton could shout, “Extremely Extremely Almighty Push!”

  And Blorbo flew.

  Woah woah woah woah woah! I can’t see a thing!

  Blorbo’s legs fred out like wings, and his agility sent him bolting toward the cushion near the other end.

  “Go, Blorbo!” Lena shouted.

  But the obsidian table was about to get in the way. Blorbo’s speed was so much faster, but the other table was close enough to shield it first.

  The sheer force of the impact between the two would destroy Blorbo in an instant. It had a STR of 32! Four times more than Blorbo, and also eclipsed Blorbo’s END of 16.

  “You’re much too slow, cousin!” Bimbleton shouted.

  Blorbo’s flight path was dangerously close. Rob couldn’t stop it now. There was no turning back.

  In a fsh, Blorbo’s legs were within inches of the obsidian monstrosity, its edge sharp and deadly, just as the tables were about to csh.

  Even though his sight was blinded because of the speed, Blorbo knew he had to do something. I must lean! Less surface area, more speed!

  He leaned once. Then twice.

  It might just be enough.

  With a final twist, he nded on the side of the cushion.

  The cushion absorbed Blorbo’s momentum, then pushed it to the other side, and propelled it into the path of the obsidian table. The weight of the obsidian table collided with the cushion with devastating force, and in that crucial instant, the cushion redirected the obsidian table’s leg into the ground.

  The obsidian table’s leg smmed into the polished floor with a tremendous crash, sending the entire table flipping forward. It smashed into the ground with a force that shattered its legs. Then its top cannoned into the ground.

  A deafening sound erupted.

  The table crumpled in a heap of shattered obsidian shards.

  Blorbo, still on the cushion, skidded to a stop. He didn’t lose a single HP.

  It shattered just like that? But… how? It has Obsidian Toughness.

  He willed himself to click on Obsidian Toughness.

  [Grants resilience against cuts, sshes, and piercing damage, mimicking the properties of real obsidian—sharp, resistant to slicing, yet fragile under immense pressure.

  Damage taken from Slicing Damage: -300% after STR and END deduction.

  Damage taken from Blunt & Pressure Damage: +500% after STR and END deduction.]

  This completely nullified its Resilient Surface, and more! It’s such a garbage aura! But that comes with making things out of obsidian, I guess.

  Lena blinked in disbelief, her mouth falling open. “We… we did it?”

  “H-how…” Bimbleton also stood like a statue. The side of his face twitched non-stop.

  The butler, who had been standing motionless, now slowly approached the wreckage of Bimbleton’s table. His expression was one of awe, but soon turned into professional detachment.

  “I… I believe,” the butler began, “that this is the end of the duel.” He hesitated, gncing at the shattered pieces of the obsidian table. “The damage is quite clear. I’m afraid Master Bimbleton’s table is no longer in fighting condition.”

  Lena stepped forward, her heart pounding. “Then we’ve won?”

  The butler nodded. “It would appear so.”

  [QUEST COMPLETED—Table Duel – A Rematch of (Non) Legends]Reward: +4 EXP, +10 HP, +5 CP

  She jumped in joy, then hugged Rob tightly. “I knew it! I knew you have it in you!”

  “We did it, Lena.” He hugged her back. “We did it.”

  Hello? Where’s my hug? I nearly died for you three?! I’m the one who needs attention here; preferably medical attention! And my surface is still aching—ACK!

  [-1 HP]

  What? How did I lose 1 HP?

  [Health Point deducted for fatigue]

  How does that even make sense? Furniture can’t tire.

  The guards, who had been holding their breath through the entire ordeal, erupted into murmurs and whispers, only for Bimbleton to bombard them with barrages of shouts. “Which one of you daft knuckleheads didn’t remove that cushion? Which one of you, huh? If I ever see your faces again, I’ll make sure you aren’t stepping foot into Iakesi ever again!”

  Anders burst into ughter. “Ha! And that bastard said I’m the angry one!”

  The butler, after a long pause, stepped forward with a final decration, “Master Rob and Lena, your table is victorious. Congratutions. You are free to retrieve your table.”

  One guard dared to cp, and Bimbleton bonked him in the head.

  Anders jogged over to Bimbleton. The old man was now the one acting smug. “How is it now? Huh, huh? Where are my knives? Who took it? Who’s this Master Shifu? Spit it all out.”

  Bimbleton stood there, frozen for a moment. The twitching on his face was now uncontrolble. “Ugh… Fine. Fine!” he barked. “Get out of this room! Get out! I’ll show you the way.”

  He walked first, then everyone else followed. Lena and Rob, of course, didn’t forget to bring Blorbo along. Bimbleton opened the door and started walking down the hall, grumbling the whole way. “This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. I should have won, I should have. I even…” His voice trailed off as he fumed.

  Eventually, they arrived at a door at the end of a long corridor. Bimbleton opened it with a huff and waved them in. “Come in,” he muttered as they stepped into a extravagantly decorated guest room.

  Rob and Lena sat down on a pair of armchairs, and Blorbo was gently set down onto a plush rug.

  So soft! This is where I belong. Only the finest of duelists get to dip their toes on such vish rugs!

  Only then did he have time to check the fruits of his suffering. The stats gains have been good, but now he understood why the stat rewards had not been perfectly symmetrical.

  He had 49 EXP out of the 50 needed for levelling up. FORTY-NINE! Blorbo knew now. Not only did the system make the quest reward purposefully non-symmetrical, it had done so for the sole purpose of NOT letting Blorbo level up. That was just next level pettiness.

  Bimbleton walked over to his desk, where a rge wooden chest sat nearby. “You want information? You’ll get it, though I don’t know why you’re bothering. My table’s destroyed and my day’s ruined.” He opened the chest and pulled out a rge, leather-bound book. “Now, what was it you wanted to know?” he asked, flipping through the pages.

  “Do you have the memory of a goldfish?” Anders growled. “I said Master Shifu!”

  “You should have said so before I opened this book!” He closed the book, then reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment, unsealing it with a loud snap. He scanned it for a moment, his fingers trailing over the elegant script.

  Bimbleton then spoke, “He was one of my past trade partners. We worked together years ago, selling silk and fine china to the lords and barons across the nd. He supplied me with some of the finest goods, rare items from distant nds that fetched a high price in court. But I haven’t heard from him in years.” He paused, his gaze flicking up to Rob. “He’s a mysterious one. Always very secretive, but I never had any reason to question him. He made his money and disappeared.”

  “He was secretive because he stole all the bloody goods he supplied you with! That bastard!” Anders threw his hands in the air.

  “I do not believe there is a thing in your residence worth stealing, Mr. Woodywise.” Bimbleton clicked his tongue. “But that will be all you get from me. I haven’t heard from him since.”

  “Nonsense!” Anders rebut. “A filthy capitalist such as yourself must at least know who that scoundrel did business with after that.”

  “Ah, yes. But you didn’t ask for that,” Bimbleton replied.

  “Then I’m asking now!”

  “Alright, alright,” he grumbled, flipping through the pages of his book for a moment before smming it shut. “You really don’t know when to give up, do you?”

  Anders was still standing, seething with frustration. “You’ve been talking all this time, but you haven’t given us any real answers!”

  Bimbleton looked up at Anders with a sneer. “What more do you want, Woodywise? I’ve told you what I know. But fine, if you insist.” He rubbed his temples and muttered something under his breath, before retrieving a small scroll from his drawer. He unrolled it with a dramatic flourish, his fingers delicately tracing over the parchment as he scanned it. “Adrien Silverleaf. That’s his st trading partner. He resides in the Township of Nokia. Now get out!” He pointed toward the door.

  What? So early? Let me recuperate first! I’ve stared at Death in the face today! At least let me stay on this rug some more!

  “Out!” Bimbleton repeated.

  Can you at least allow me to cut up pieces of this rug to bring home? I promise I’ll only cut four holes the size of my leg out of the rug.

  Lena put a hand on Rob’s arm, and another on Anders’. “Let’s just go. We’ve got what we need.”

  With that, Bimbleton turned toward the door, waving them off. “Goodbye, then. And good luck finding Silverleaf. I’m sure you’ll need it.”

  The door to the guest room opened, and the guards stepped aside, allowing them to leave.

  NameBlorboRaceAnimated Furniture (Table)CssNoneLevel2EXP49/50HP14/30MP2CP11STR11END16AGI23PER15SkillsAppraisal (Level 1)

  Adjustable Angle (2 Degrees)

  Opportunity Sense (Level 1)

  Surface Agitation (Level 1)

  Synchronized Sitting (Level 1)

  Forked Tongue (Level 1)

  Massive Leap Under Duress (Conditional)

  Retribution Counter (Level 1)

  AuraUseless Gloved Fool (Permanent)

  InventoryA Pair of Wooden-Colored Socks