Enrico was putting the fragments together, fitting them into one another. Once complete, it glowed and a red bat formed with black lines, about the size of his hand. There were two ways to use the artifacts: combining them or one at a time, and he would use them separately for two reasons.
First, that villain would begin searching for these objects in about three weeks with an item made specifically to locate them, and that was why he had so easily agreed to this week of rest. In truth, he was already going to ask for some time since, now that he was in Class A, he could request a break once every four months.
The second reason was that he couldn't risk someone stealing or breaking them, as neither the system nor he himself had a safe place to store them, which could cause problems hiding them.
Now the only problem was that using them separately wouldn't improve the blood by one hundred percent—it would be about ninety-five—but he had a way to deal with that.
"First, I make an alchemy circle like this and then..."
Enrico had seen this many times when the alchemy mage made this circle to enhance Kai's items in the future. It only lasts for an hour and always grants a ten percent improvement, initially only usable on consumable items, but in the future, it could improve other types of objects.
"Done."
The circle had two rings—one larger and one smaller—connected by a cross in the center. Enrico made a gesture of thanks, placing his hands together.
"Sorry for using your secret technique, Ilrvaria, but I need it."
Enrico used fire magic to activate the circle, and the bat in the center seemed to visually improve.
[Red Night Bat 110%]
Since Enrico used fire magic, this magic would never reach Ilrvaria's level, which improved much more over time. So he sent her a hint through a secret letter that week, managing to speed up and create the magic faster. Well, she surely picked up the idea quickly and was probably already halfway through.
Enrico took the Red Night Bat and pressed its fangs into his wrist. Blood spilled, and it felt like it was beginning to boil. He flinched slightly.
In the original story, these items enhanced the blood for vampires based on the user's magic. That villain's blood had a bitter and delicious taste to vampires. Since Enrico had fire magic, his blood would likely taste hot, warm, or like a well-prepared meal on a plate.
The red glow of the item faded, and Enrico removed it from his wrist and wrapped it in a cloth.
"The Red Night Bat will regain its effect in a week, but it can't be used on the same user again, so..."
Enrico threw it to the ground and stomped on it, the item breaking apart after a while.
"Just like him, I'll destroy it so only one exists with this pure blood."
He grabbed his bag and began leaving the cave. His blood should now be above average for vampires, and he also felt a physical improvement as a side effect of the item, meaning he could train harder.
"I have to get the other two objects before he starts looking for them, but I'll need help."
The villain in the original story, even after acquiring all this, still took a while to send the vampires to attack his enemies because he wanted to be prepared—but even so, he lost.
[I'm back, what did I miss?]
"Just me using the item."
[You did it without me? You should've waited, bastard.]
Enrico shrugged, which irritated the system, making it stop talking to him for a while.
As he left the dungeon's region, he started running, already returning to training.
"Good, there really was an improvement in my body."
[Are you going after that villainess? I saw she wasn't that strong, and her family will be a tough one too.]
Enrico ran faster and began jumping over the treetops.
"I know, but I'll heal that family's grandfather and help them reclaim their stolen territory."
[I get it, and I also understand why you want her, even if she's weak. Thanks to her family's ability, her circle will reach you quickly—that ability is really good for them, even with that limitation.]
Enrico smiled, looking ahead. The city he was heading to represented feudal-era Japan. Its name was Tsuyokuni.
Hours later, as night began to fall, Enrico pulled a cloth tied to his waist, wiping his hands while looking at the boar lying at his feet.
"You gave me some trouble, huh?"
Enrico carried it a few meters to the campfire he had made and began cutting the best parts of the boar meat.
With his dagger, he carefully cleaned and separated parts into different spots, like the loin, shoulder, and others.
"Now comes the most important part... not dying from poisoning."
Carefully, he opened the small side pouch where he carried herbs and ingredients collected that day. He picked three green leaves with slightly serrated edges and a citrus aroma when rubbed between his fingers.
"Ryemil Leaf... calms the strong taste of the meat. Urvan Root... but only a little—too much, and it locks the throat. And a pinch of ash salt... perfect for grilling over the fire."
He rubbed a bit of the herbs between his fingers, smelled them, and checked the color. Confirming they were safe, he nodded to himself.
"Alright. Time to season."
He rubbed the seasoning firmly into the meat until the aroma began to stir his appetite. He skewered the pieces on straight, peeled sticks and set them over the fire, supported by two stones.
The smell quickly spread—dense and hot—filling the air around the forest. The meat browned slowly, dripping fat onto the fire.
"It's been a while since I cooked for myself... Heh... This smells better than anything from the Astrong cafeteria."
[It's amazing that you can cook... and worse, it actually smells good.]
'Well, since childhood I cooked for myself... I started cooking properly at sixteen so I wouldn't depend on anyone.'
Enrico sat cross-legged, eyes focused on the meat. He turned the skewers slowly, like a true master. As he watched the meat rotate, he felt something familiar.
A gentle breeze passed through the trees, carrying the scent of roasted meat and making Enrico close his eyes for a moment.
'If it were Saul at sixteen... he would've cried from joy seeing this improvement in cooking...'
The crackle of the fat breaking the silence. Enrico took the first ready piece and bit into it. The flavor was strong but well-seasoned—the boar meat was perfectly done, juicy, with a slightly toasted crust.
"It's been months since I stopped eating academy food and prepared a dish myself, always busy with training... Hah, I thought I'd gotten worse…"
He didn't smile. But he took a deep breath, satisfied.
[I want some. Can you send me one?]
"How would I even do that?"
[I'll ask my boss for permission.]
After a short argument and sending the rest to the system, which simply made the food vanish out of nowhere, he lay down, gazed at the stars, and began to sleep.