"Rrraaahh-rrr!"

  "Harrroooo!"

  "Khrrrrrrr!"

  "Grrrraaaak!"

  What... Was happening?

  Rumor looked around, still trying to understand the scen before hid eyes. He was sitting in front of a campfire. All around him, Tusken Raiders, wrapped up in their characteristic bandages, were throwing a feast.

  The inhuman sounds they made were definitely ones of exhilaration. They tore with gusto at the creatures they were roasting over the fires, and the women passed around cups of a fermented beverage which didn't taste half-bad.

  Rumor still had no idea how he had gotten into this situation.

  One moment he was at the plateu, surrounded by Tusken Raiders and sure he was going to die, and the next they were holding their weapons above their heads and cheering. Then he got dragged into one of their wooly mammoth-like rides, the Bantas, and, next thing he knew, they were throwing a party in his honor.

  Best he figured was that the Tusken Raiders had been watching his game of cat-and-mouse with the Krayt Dragon Gang for quite some time, waiting to jump in when a victor had been decided.

  But apparently his bravery and cunning impressed them, since it wasn't every day someone managed to get the best over 18 opponents.

  His guess was substantiated by the system menu in front of him, invisible to all others.

  [ Your relationship with Tusken Raiders (Abu'Arem Tribe) has been raised to Liked. ]

  [ Your reputation with the Tusken Raiders (Abu'Arem Tribe) has been raised to Well-Known (348/5.000). ]

  That was already the third reputation tier, and he had done nothing. Moreover, it was still raising, although at a much slower rate. Just one point here and there each time someone gesticulated wildly and everyone cheered.

  They were telling his story, he realized. That was the source of the reputation points. In a tribe as small as theirs, which only seemed to have a couple hundred individuals, word-of-mouth traveled fast. No wonder he was considered Well-Known.

  Well, he sure wasn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth. If they wanted to host him instead of roast him, all the better.

  [ Desert Predator (4/5) - Blood Ant, Anooba, Dragonet, Faybo ]

  And there were a few side benefits apart from being alive. The chunk of meat Rumor was currently indulging into was from a rat-like creature called Faybo. One of the Tusken Raiders had give him the squeaking creature and showed him how to skewer it and cook it - all the while the poor animal was still alive.

  It tasted good, though.

  "Hhhrrrrraag!"

  One of the Tusken Raiders sitting to his left growled and made that weird noise again, poking him in the ribs.

  Rumor shoved him away. He had already figured that the Tusken Raiders were a very physical people. Letting someone touch you without doing anything back was a sign of submission.

  The Tusken Raider in question snarled, but nodded his head in slight acknowledgment. This time he just pointed at Rumor's waist instead of poking him.

  Rumor looked down and immediately shook his head.

  "You want my gun? No way."

  "Gwwaaauuurr!"

  The raider kept insisting, and Rumor kept denying him. It went like that for a while.

  "Huuuaag!"

  When the Tusken Raider got up, Rumor thought he had given up. He didn't expect it to come back dragging a stout, four-legged creature.

  "Aagggguurr!"

  The Tusken Raider pointed at Rumor's [ C-21 Scout Saboteur (Damaged) ] then at the animal. Then at the blaster again, and back to the creature.

  "A trade? You want to give me this for my weapon?"

  "Huuuaag!"

  An affirmative grunt. Rumor almost just denied it - the blaster had served him well, and he would still see much use for it - but then he thought of something and hesitated.

  Would it really see that much use? The weapon was already damaged, and the many fights Rumor had gotten into, plus his less-than-optimal care for it, hadn't exactly help. The durability, initially 7, had now fallen to 4. Odds were, the blaster would fall apart before he left this incursion anyway.

  Still, was the creature worth it? Rumor had seen many of them tied around the camp, acting like guard dogs.

  [ Massiff ]

  [ Gender: Male ]

  [ Age: 2 ]

  [ Strength: 9 ]

  [ Dexterity: 13 ]

  [ Vitality: 10 ]

  [ Temperance: 1 ]

  [ Spirit: 1 ]

  [ Appeal: 1 ]

  [ Skills: Bloody Lunge ]

  [ Description: A common creature in Tatooine, Massiffs are largely used as guards. Aggressive by nature, these creatures can be tamed, but don't expect them to stay loyal. ]

  [ Bloody Lunge: Active. Lunge at the target and clamp your fangs on their throat. This skill does 'attack + strength (x2)' damage to the target. ]

  "Hmm..."

  Rumor hummed thoughtfully. Not the best, but also not the worst. It might be worth it, especially as he now had enough money to buy a new blaster once he went back to Mos Espa.

  'But... System, can I even make this trade?'

  As if waiting for his mental inquiry, a message popped up in front of him.

  [ Tusken Raider would like to initiate a trade. Trade contents: 1-Star Summoning Contract (Massiff) <--> C-21 Scout Saboteur (Damaged). Do you accept? ]

  Summoning contract? Rumor clicked 'yes', if nothing else because the info-broker inside of him needed to know the details.

  "Deal. Here you go."

  He readily handed over his blaster to the Tusken Raider. At the same time, the Massiff became a ball of light that shot inside Rumor's chest.

  [ You have acquired: 1-Star Summoning Contract (Massiff). ]

  [ 1-Star Summoning Contract (Massiff) ]

  [ Rarity: 1-Star ]

  [ Effect: Summon a 1-Star Massiff from the Star Wars Universe. Each summoning lasts 1 hour. ]

  [ Cooldown: 8 hours ]

  [ Restrictions: If the summoned creature dies, the contract is automatically discarded. ]

  [ Description: A summoning contract used to bring summoned creatures from different universes to your aid. The summoned creature is loyal to the summoner. Due to the low level of this contract, the summoned creatures are limited in scope and intelligence. ]

  [ Observation: Can be brought out of this world. ]

  Not bad at all. While the Massiff wasn't particularly strong, it had many uses, such as guarding him or tracking enemies. And the thing he was happiest about was that it didn't have a limit of uses, so as long as he kept the Massiff alive, he could summon it again.

  "Gwwaaaahhhuaag!"

  The Tusken Raider, after taking Rumor's blaster, raised it high to show off to the rest of the tribe, inciting frantic howling. Out of the corner of his vision, Rumor saw his reputation with the Abe'Arem Tribe increase by nearly 100 points at once.

  Some groups were certainly easier to befriend and raise his reputation than others. Rumor's conjecture was that it was influenced by the customs and size of the targeted group, but also mainly by their importance to the plot and the universe they were in. The more relevant, the harder it would be.

  For a single tribe out of all the Tusken Raiders, spreading his reputation as easy. Depending on how long he stayed here, he might even be able to complete the [ Tusken Raider ] achievement, which required him to get a reputation of Reputable with a Tusken Raider tribe - that was the next tier after Well-known.

  Not too long after, Rumor excused himself from the party. Even if it was in his honor, being in the midst of all the Tusken Raiders wasn't exactly comforting.

  More importantly, he hadn't yet had a chance to check his gains from the fight against Alo'Reme and the Krayt Dragon Gang.

  [ Your relationship with Krayt Dragon Gang has fallen from Hostile to Nemesis. ]

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  [ Your reputation with the Hutt Cartel (Mos Espa) has grown to Familiar (2.500/3.000). ]

  [ Your reputation with the Hutt Cartel has grown to Unknown (300/1.000). ]

  [ Your reputation in Tatooine has grown to Unknown (35/1.000). ]

  His relationship with the Krayt Dragon Gang had fallen to Nemesis, the lowest tier. Not exactly a surprise. But his reputation had seen a sharp increase all around.

  Previously, killing a single low-level thug of the Krayt Dragon Gang had only gained him 100 reputation with the Hutt faction of the Mos Espa branch, 10 with the cartel as a whole, and a measly 1 point in the Tatooine reputation board.

  Going by that metric, he should have gained only 1.800, 180 and 18 reputation respectively. Even if Alo'Reme, a mid-level enforcer, was worth more, say 500, 50 and 5, that still left 1.000 and 100 points with the Hutts and 10 in the whole Tatooine unaccounted for.

  It wasn't hard to surmise where they came from, however. He hadn't simply killed 18 Krayt Dragon Gang members individually, but all at once. To the people of Mos Espa, it probably looked like Alo'Reme and his men had gone into the Dune Sea to hunt one human, and none came back. That justified the jump.

  Rumor wasn't going to complain. He wasn't certain as of yet what the benefits of a high reputation were, but since it, unlike relationships, couldn't fall, only go up, it probably was a good thing.

  Next then, to the material rewards.

  [ You have acquired: 25.000 wupiupis, Delicious Unknown Fruit (x4), Decent Quality Military Bandages (x7), High-Powered Slugthrower, Slugthrower Magazine (x2), 1-Star Random Skill Scroll, World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll. ]

  The fruits and bandages he already was familiar with, but it was a good haul nonetheless. The [ Delicious Unknown Fruit ] recovered his HP immediately, while the [ Decent Quality Military Bandages ] did it overtime, but both were useful. More than that, they didn't overlap, which meant he could use both at the same time, giving him a safety net in the future, so that he wouldn't fall into duch a desperate situation as when he was run off Mos Espa again.

  Next, the [ High-Powered Slugthrower ] and [ Slugthrower Magazines ]. He would admit, after their performance on Alo'Reme's hands, he was excited for those.

  [ High-Powered Slugthrower ]

  [ Rarity: 2-Stars ]

  [ Requirements: Strength - 10, Vitality - 15 ]

  [ Attack: 38 ]

  [ Attack speed: 2 ]

  [ Range: 275 meters ]

  [ Durability: 28/30 ]

  [ Effect: High Velocity Projectile - The bullets leave the barrel at insanely high speeds. Added penetration bonus, 50% chance of triggering bleeding on the target. ]

  [ Description: A rarity in the Star Wars universe, the slugthrower shots material rounds, which are underestimated by many. Cherished by its previous owner, this weapon is in nearly perfect condition. ]

  [ Observation: Can be brought out of this world. ]

  ...

  [ Slugthrower Magazine ]

  [ Rarity: 1-Star ]

  [ Effect: Holds 7 bullets for a High-Powered Slugthrower. ]

  [ Description: Holds 7 bullets for a High-Powered Slugthrower. ]

  [ Observation: Can be brought out of this world. ]

  Even the magazines were 1-Star, while the [ High-Powered Slugthrower ] itself was Rumor's first 2-Stars item.

  A pity he couldn't use it. He had a pitiful 5 points each in strength and vitality. Although it was a powerful weapon, who knew how long it would be before he could use it?

  Hopefully the skills would make up for it. Without hesitating, Rumor tore open the [ 1-Star Random Skill Scroll ].

  [ You have used a 1-Star Random Skill Scroll. ]

  [ You have received the skill Firearm Mastery. ]

  [ Firearm Mastery lvl 1 ]

  [ Rarity: 1-Star ]

  [ Effect: 10% base increase to attack power when using firearms. Each level in this skill grants a further 2% increase to attack power when using firearms. Current increase: 12%. ]

  [ Cost: None ]

  [ Cooldown: None ]

  [ Description: Passive. A skill for a beginner in the handling of firearms. You still have much to learn if you wish to become a master of hot weaponry. ]

  A rush of knowledge filled Rumor's head and he blinked, befuddled. The skill was far more than just an increase in his attack power.

  It was like he had been training with firearms for years. How to reload, clean, dismantle, shoot them.

  Although, it was limited to light firearms. No mounted machine-gun or bazooka. But even if it was just pistols and rifles, it was already a huge boon to Rumor.

  Either way, it was an impressive upgrade to Rumor's combat power.

  It was also in line with the trend he noticed that skill scrolls seemed to contain skills related to the character he killed to receive them. [ Hunter Sense ] for the Miraluka he first defeated, and now Alo'Reme's [ Firearm Mastery ].

  Now he was really excited for his last reward. A [ World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll ], and it would be his first 2-Star skill.

  After a quick glance at the description, seeing that it was basically the same as the 1-Star scroll, only changing the rarity and switching 'basic skill' for 'world-specific', he eagerly tore it open.

  [ You have used a World-specific 2-Stars Skill Scroll. ]

  [ You have received the skill Grav-Leap Boost. ]

  [ Grav-Leap Boost lvl 1 ]

  [ Rarity: 2-Stars ]

  [ Effect: Increase movement speed by 12% for 60 seconds. Each level in this skill increases movement speed by a further 3%. Current increase: 15%. ]

  [ Cost: 20 MP ]

  [ Cooldown: 2 Minutes ]

  [ Description: Active. After training in the harsh environments of the Star Wars universe, you feel gravity has lost some of its hold on you. You are able to show incredible bursts of speed. ]

  That would have been nice to have before. Maybe then, he wouldn't have been in such a miserable state.

  Deep in thought about possible uses of his skills, Rumor didn't notice a figure approaching him until someone grabbed his shoulder.

  Reacting on pure instinct, Rumor threw an elbow behind him, striking someone's thigh. While less than effective in terms of damage, it startled his attacker enough that they let go of him, amd Rumor jumped away before turning around to face them.

  "Ah! P-Please don't hurt me!"

  Then Rumor blinked in surprise. Kneeling there, hands covering their face, wasn't a Tusken Raider or a Krayt Dragon Gang member.

  Rather, it was a young woman, dressed in rags and with a dirty face. Her pale blond hair was dark with matted blood, and there was a large scar on one of her cheeks.

  A heavy black leather collar was locked around her neck, a leash going back from it to one of the huts.

  "Who are you?"

  "S-Slaves. Please... Please help us!"

  The woman was begging, and even Rumor felt a tug at his heartstrings.

  Slavery... Maybe because Anakin seemed happy, he hadn't thought much about it before.

  But seeing the poor woman now, deathly afraid he would be like her owners and punish her, but still kneeling and asking for help, he felt angry.

  Not even the worse of the worse at The Quarter dabbled in slavery. Forced labor to repay debts, yes. But never full-on slavery. The one time Rumor saw someone trying to sell another human being, a prostitute the man claimed to 'own' and was tired of, he was beaten up and hung.

  "Us?"

  The woman had never said 'me'. It was always 'save us'.

  "Y-Yes. Me and my da-daughter."

  From behind the woman came a child who couldn't be more than 3, although with how malnourished the little girl was, she might be even younger.

  The little girl peeked over her mother's shoulder, holding tightly onto her clothes, and Rumor's heart burned sith anger when he saw that, like her mother, she also had a scar running down the length of her left cheek.

  A brand.

  "At least my daughter! Pl-Please! I don't know why these monsters let you in their camp unchained. But at least take my daughter away!"