SWNOVELXO Chapter 86: Upgrades!
Lucian absorbed the information, a slow smile spreading across his face. Level 17. His base stats had seen significant jumps from the level-ups, the floor clear bonus, and especially the cumulative effect of Blood Devour from dozens of kills. Combined with his Legendary gear, his effective combat stats were monstrous for his level. His Physique, boosted by the Wyrm Aegis and Guardian's Embrace, was particularly absurd, explaining his ability to withstand punishment that should have instantly killed him multiple times over. His mana pool was also massive now, thanks to the Heart of the Mana Spring.
He had also learned the [Shadow Pounce] skill from the Epic skillbook Kyra dropped. A teleportation strike skill – extremely useful for closing distance or escaping.
His gaze lingered on the Blood Legion skill. Upgrading it again cost 2000 EXP. Tempting, but he needed to save EXP for now. He looked at his Reroll count: 7 remaining.
Time to deal with the rest of the loot. He pulled out the items recovered from the assassins and Darius's corpse.
First, Gristle's Abattoir Cleaver (Epic). Heavy, brutal, stained.
"Reroll."
[Reroll Activated: 1 Use Consumed | Remaining Rerolls: 6]
[Target: Gristle's Abattoir Cleaver (Epic)]
[Rerolling...]
The die spun... 77x. Mediocre.
[Reroll Success! Item properties shifted!]
[New Item: Executioner's Final Word (Epic)]
[Properties: +60 Strength, +15% Critical Hit Damage, Passive: Execution (Attacks against targets below 20% HP deal significantly increased damage)]
Lucian shrugged. Slightly better synergy for finishing blows, but still just Epic. He tossed it into his inventory. Maybe one of the Titans could use it later.
Next, Silk Edge's Moonshadow Katana (Epic). Elegant, sharp.
"Reroll."
[Reroll Activated: 1 Use Consumed | Remaining Rerolls: 5]
[Target: Silk Edge's Moonshadow Katana (Epic)]
[Rerolling...]
The die flashed, numbers blurring... 1515x! A strong roll!
[Congratulations! 1515x Reroll triggered!]
[Silk Edge's Moonshadow Katana (Epic) has been upgraded to Blade of the Severing Void (Legendary)!]
The katana shimmered violently, the steel darkening until it seemed to absorb all light, leaving only a razor-thin edge that seemed to cut reality itself. A faint, chilling aura emanated from it.
⫷ Blade of the Severing Void ⫸
[Type] Katana
[Grade] Legendary
[Attack Power] +420% (Base Attack ×5.2)
[Durability] Very High (Resistant to magical/physical damage)
[Weight] 8 kg
[Requirement] Level 75+, Agility 250+, Perception 150+
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⫷ Weapon Skills & Effects ⫸
➤ 〔Void Cut〕 (Active)
⤷ A single, impossibly fast slash that ignores 60% of all defenses (physical and magical) and leaves behind a temporary rift that deals continuous shadow damage for 3 seconds. Cost: 1500 Mana. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
➤ 〔Phantom Step Strike〕 (Passive)
⤷ When dodging an attack, the wielder may instantly counter-attack with enhanced speed and a 25% chance to bypass defenses entirely.
➤ 〔Thousand Shadow Cuts〕 (Ultimate - Once per 8 hours)
⤷ Unleashes a blinding flurry of near-invisible cuts in a 10-meter radius, hitting all targets multiple times. Each cut deals 50% attack damage and has a high chance to inflict Bleed and Slow. Requires extreme focus and Agility. Cost: 6000 Mana.
➤ Effects:
+90 Agility
+50 Perception
Attacks have a chance to sever mana flow temporarily (Silence effect).
Enhanced critical hit chance in darkness/shadow.
Lucian's eyes widened. Another Legendary weapon, and one perfectly suited for an agility-based fighter. The requirements were steep, far beyond his current level, but the potential was immense. This would be perfect for... Baltzer? Or maybe even Kyra, if she favored speed. He stored it carefully.
Next, Viper's Twin Stilettos (Epic). Still shimmering faintly with poison.
"Reroll."
[Reroll Activated: 1 Use Consumed | Remaining Rerolls: 4]
[Target: Viper's Twin Stilettos (Pair) (Epic)]
[Rerolling...]
The die spun... 9x. Terrible.
[Reroll Failure! Item Regressed!]
[New Item: Bent Iron Needles (Trash)]
[Properties: May cause tetanus.]
Lucian sighed, vaporizing the useless needles with a flicker of mana. At least he didn't waste a good roll on them.
Finally, the Mythic Treasure Chest obtained from rerolling Kyra's Legendary chest. It materialized before him, pulsating with a faint, multi-hued light – gold, black, crimson, and something deeper, more primal. It felt ancient and powerful.
He hesitated for a moment. Mythic chests were incredibly rare. What could be inside?
He reached out and placed his hand on the lid. "Open."
The chest didn't unlock with a click. It seemed to dissolve into shimmering motes of light, revealing the contents within, floating gently in the air.
There were three items.
First, a book. Not a skillbook, but a bound tome. Its cover was made of a material that felt like hardened shadow, cool to the touch, inscribed with swirling patterns that seemed to shift and writhe when not looked at directly. The title was embossed in silver runes: "Whispers from the Veil: A Compendium of Shadow Arts".
[Item Acquired: Tome of Shadow Arts]
[Grade]: ⟨Mythic⟩
[Type]: Knowledge Tome / Technique Manual
[Description]: An ancient collection of forbidden knowledge regarding the manipulation of shadows, illusions, dimensional phasing, and soul-binding techniques, compiled by entities dwelling beyond the normal planes. Studying this tome grants access to unique shadow-based skills and potentially a new shadow technique path, but carries inherent risks to the user's sanity and soul.
[Requirement]: High Focus, Strong Willpower, Affinity with Shadow recommended.
[Effect]: Grants access to learn multiple unique Shadow Skills (S-Rank to Mythic-Rank) through study and practice. May unlock a unique Mythic Shadow Technique upon complete mastery. WARNING: Studying carries a risk of 'Shadow Corruption' debuff (gradual mental/physical alteration).
Lucian's breath hitched. A Mythic technique manual. The potential was staggering, but the warning was chilling. Shadow Corruption? He'd have to be careful.
Second, a single, perfect scale. It was roughly the size of his palm, shaped like a teardrop, and shimmered with all the colors of the void – deep purples, blues, blacks, studded with points of light like distant galaxies. It felt impossibly dense and emanated an aura of immense, ancient power.
[Item Acquired: Scale of the Primordial Void Wyrm]
[Grade]: ⟨Mythic⟩
[Type]: Unique Crafting Material / Catalyst
[Description]: A scale shed eons ago by one of the first beings to swim the chaotic void before creation solidified. Contains the essence of raw potential, spatial manipulation, and immense durability.
[Effects]:
▸ Ultimate Catalyst: Can be used to craft or upgrade equipment to Mythic tier, granting properties related to space, void, durability, or raw power. Guarantees a Mythic outcome when used correctly.
▸ Spatial Anchor: Possesses inherent spatial-stabilizing properties. Can be used to reinforce enchantments, create pocket dimensions (with sufficient skill/power), or disrupt teleportation effects in its vicinity.
▸ Void Attunement: Holding the scale grants temporary resistance to spatial distortion effects and enhances perception of dimensional anomalies.