Shovels In Spades

"Well, first things first, I don't want to create a business deal with you purely because of your father, so please don't be offended by that. That is a part of the reason, but only a part," Big Bo explained as another banana found its way into his mouth.

Daz was intrigued. "Okay, then what's the other part?"

"A lot of the idiots clamouring over your father - the ones who signed a deal with him included - they don't know that something more substantial than interfering with the system has happened. In your very base, to boot." Big Bo had a very pleased grin strewn across his face.

Daz frowned lightly. "Stop tip-toeing around the subject. What are you getting at?"

"Patience, Daz, patience." Another bunch of enormous bananas appeared after Big Bo waved his hand. He grabbed one and began carefully peeling it. "Are you sure you don't want one? I can guarantee their flavour is out of this, or at very least, out of your world."

'Just how is he summoning these bananas? Magic? A skill? I bet he has some sort of inventory like what Fort Skip had before it became a castle-type base.' Big Bo took Daz's silence as denial.

"Well then, anyway, to answer your question," Big Bo said, regaining the reaper's attention. "No one else noticed it, but I did. The system sure did want to keep it hidden, but despite its power and grandness, my branch is still in your base. I'm lucky I was looking at Fort Skip when I was, to be completely honest."

Big Bo reached into one of the desk's many drawers and took out two sheets of paper. Looking at them, Daz got a distinct feeling that they were... alive.

"Can you tell me what these are, Daz?" Big Bo asked as he laid the pieces of paper out on the desk.

"Charts of some sort? Although, one had no data on it," Daz answered honestly.

Big Bo smiled. "Close. They are charts, but this one does have some data on it. That is if you know where to look. I doubt you can see it with your eyes, but it can't escape mine."

Big Bo then pointed at the chart that had some visible information on it. "This tracks all of the times from when the system first made contact with sentient species, and it shows how many times a person has, or has come close to, interfering with the system in any way, shape, or form."

Daz was shocked. There were thousands of blips in this chart showing that - assuming Big Bo's words were true - what his father had done wasn't as special as he had first suspected it was.

"Don't be fooled, Daz. This is a very small number." Big Bo saw the doubt on Daz's face, so he continued to elaborate. "Think about how old the system is. You must have at least a small idea by now considering the skill and item descriptions, all of the powerful beings under the system's control that you've encountered so far as well as the sheer scope of the system. No one quite knows how old the system is, but it's been around for far longer than any known civilisation has, that's for sure."

Daz was beginning to understand. "So basically, in all of that time, only a few thousand people have managed to interfere or almost interfere with the system?"

"Exactly! I'm glad you understand. That's why your father is the hottest topic no matter where I look nowadays. If only they knew..." Big Bo was just oozing a sense of schadenfreude.

"If only they knew what?" Daz asked.

Big Bo calmed down his excited emotions and coughed lightly. "Well... I'm going to tell you because I like you, so don't tell anyone else, okay? At least not until we've come to an agreement of some sort. I can guarantee that no one else can provide you with a better deal than I can, especially since not many people will even believe you. The system is far too good at hiding its tracks, you see."

Daz raised a cautious eyebrow. "So I can say no to your deal and still hear what you've been going on about? All so long as I don't blab to anyone? No strings?"

Big Bo nodded. "No strings. Goodwill is needed badly in this business, you'll see."

"Okay then, I'm all ears." Daz hardly had a choice.

Big Bo grinned from ear-to-ear. He pointed one of his sausage-like red fingers to the seemingly empty chart. "This, Daz, this is a chart showing all of the times that the system has shown interest in a person. It's something of an antique nowadays since there's never been anyone like that. The system has, as you can see, never once taken a particular liking to someone before... until now, at least."

"Okay, you're talking about me. I get it, but then why is the chart still empty? Does it have anything to do with the system 'covering its tracks' like you mentioned earlier?" Daz asked as he stroked his light stubble. It felt scratchy. He made a note to shave after this meeting. That would serve as a half-decent distraction to go off of after this.

"Exactly!" Big Bo found himself needing to eat another green-skinned fruit to calm his enthusiasm. "The system hid you very well. I suspect that it didn't want anyone to mess around with its plans for you since it's taken a fancy to you. Trust me, if I wasn't the only person to know, millions, if not billions of people just like myself would be hounding you day-in and day-out."

"Is getting the attention of the system really that... special?" Daz asked. He had his doubts about this whole situation.

"That's the point! Nobody knows! Is it special, or is it just the start of a new experiment that will become the norm in a few eras? We as a collective understand the system no more than our ancestors did." In his fervour, Big Bo had stood up and squashed Daz between the desk and his chair.

Coughing lightly, Big Bo adjusted his chair with one hand and the table with the other. "My apologies, Daz. As a Gritten, my emotions can often get the best of me if I'm not careful."

Daz straightened out his clothes and just lightly sighed. "It's fine. Anyway, what's your offer? I want to hear it now."

"Of course." Big Bo reached into another drawer of the desk and took out a stack of papers. "I'll summarise it for you now, but we will be going over this in detail shortly. In essence, I want exclusive rights to deal with you and your planet if you end up succeeding in the system's test. I can't say anything more on this subject due to system-set limitations. I'm sure you understand."

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"Yeah. It happened to Altros too, so don't sweat it," Daz replied.

"Oh? Altros is involved in your test as well? He is such a whimsical man. I can't talk about him either, I'm afraid. Anyway, on to your benefits. I can upgrade your version of my branch of the bank to give you a daily interest rate of-... Hmm. You know what? It would probably be easier if I handled this through the system. It already knows that I'm aware of its link to you, so it's actually monitoring this conversation fairly heavily. Best to just be safe and let the system know I'm not trying to con you." Big Bo had an unfocused look in his eyes as if he was reading a system message.

"That was an option? Sure. Do that." Daz was immediately on board with the idea. The system had a tendency to simplify things a lot and answer any concerns he had, so with this, the young reaper could be sure that he wasn't getting the short end of the straw in this arrangement.

It was at that moment, that the system sent Daz a challenge in the form of a quest.