"Solid work," Ryan said, eyeing thecollection. "I'll take it all."
Lament of the Dead grew stronger with every weapon fused into it. More forms meant more power.
With millions in his account, money was no object.
"All of it?" The owner blinked. "These are hand-forged. Prices start at a thousand dollars per piece."
Ryan did a quick mental tally. Even with the armor and shield, the total wouldn't exceed $100,000.
"Just swipe the card."
The owner's jaw dropped. After confirming that Ryan wasn't joking, the owner nearly tripped over himself packing the order.
"Here's my card! Call anytime for custom jobs!"
The name on the card read: Doug.
Dog Brother? Ryan smirked. Fitting.
Back home, he summoned Lament of the Dead—the ice-blue greatsword—and pressed it against the replicas.
Like liquid, the sword absorbed them, its form shifting to match each weapon's design.
Half an hour later, every piece had been assimilated.
"Still missing something..."
Ryan fused the sword with his holy cross necklace, and instantly, it morphed into a pendant radiating divine light and soul-chilling frost.
Its potential was staggering.
Lament could:
- Inherit all traits of absorbed items.
- Stack effects across forms (e.g., holy and frost damage on any weapon).
- Grow infinitely—if its structure held.
The alchemist who crafted this was a monster. Ryan almost sacrificed it just to glimpse their knowledge, but hesitated.
It was too valuable to risk.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Ryan frowned. "Who now?" Emma?"
She'd been thoroughly dealt with yesterday. Surely she needed time to recover.
Peering through the peephole, he froze.
Vanessa.
She was flustered and breathless, and she had her daughter with her.
What the hell?
Ryan opened the door.
Two figures, one large and one small, appeared before him.
"Um, can I stay at your place for one night?"
Vanessa held her daughter's hand, constantly glancing behind her. Her eyes were filled with indescribable tension.
It was as if something terrifying was following them.
Ryan's initially indifferent gaze sharpened when he noticed the faint black aura emanating from the mother and daughter.
The power of an evil spirit!
He turned his gaze toward the villa and immediately saw a translucent shadow flicker past the second floor.
Whether or not it was an illusion, Ryan sensed that the evil aura emanating from the villa had grown much stronger.
"Have you encountered anything strange?" Ryan asked casually.
Vanessa pursed her lips and slowly opened her palm.
A handful of black ash scattered in the wind.
"A protective charm,"
Ryan murmured softly.
If the charm had reacted, then these two had undoubtedly been approached and attacked by an evil spirit.
Though ordinary people can't see hidden spirits, they can still perceive their presence with their sixth sense.
This woman was clever.
If she had hesitated even slightly when the evil spirit attacked, she likely wouldn't have escaped the gradually awakening haunted house.
Vanessa stared nervously at Ryan. She didn't know why her first instinct after leaving the villa was to come here.
Maybe it was because Ryan had made such a deep impression on her, giving her a sense of security.
Or maybe it was because the protective charm he had given her worked.
Subconsciously, she felt that this was the safest place.
In any case, the moment she saw Ryan, her tense emotions began to ease.
How strange!