Chapter 34 – Harsh Realities
NAME: Seth
TRAIT(S): Weapon Mastery [+]
CORE: Novice — Level One
SATURATION: 0%
STATS—
Physique: 27.0 [+]
Spirit: 27.0 [+]
ITEMS—
Soul Weapon: Sword
SP: 493.7
"Huh…?"
Seth's jaw slackened, his eyes fixed on the screen in disbelief. This… couldn't be right.
When he had broken through, he'd felt his strength swell, nearly doubling in a single surge. His body had screamed with new power. But now, looking at the cold numbers on the panel, the increase was only two points.
Two measly points.
"Then… where did that strength come from?" he muttered.
Was the panel broken? No—that couldn't be. If anything, the system's ability was too strong, too broken to be wrong. And besides, he still couldn't even see its true name. In novels, that usually meant he was still too weak.
He clenched his fist feeling the strength it contained, it was almost addictive. forcing his thoughts into order. "Something else… there has to be something else."
Closing his eyes, Seth sent his consciousness inward again.
He explored the familiar landmarks of his body—his strengthened core, the dense muscle fibers that thrummed with power. Even the golden point of light lodged in his heart, the enigmatic existence he had come to think of as the system. It pulsed faintly, inscrutable, far beyond his understanding.
Though he instinctively knew it was not the cause.
But no matter how he searched, no answers came.
Frustration built in his chest. With a growl, he turned his focus back to the panel. If not the system itself, then maybe something else changed.
First was the trait tab. He remembered it had been restricted before. Had that loosened with his breakthrough?
A thought expanded the window:
TRAIT: Weapon Mastery (restricted)
Rank: Rare [+]
Description: Grants instinctive understanding and proficiency with all weapons. The body adapts to wield them at their peak potential, regardless of prior training.
Seth's expression darkened. "…Still restricted. That can't be the cause then."
Disappointing, but not unexpected. The second stage and the second rank were obviously different milestones. He let it go, though the bitter taste lingered.
Next was the soul weapon.
Soul Weapon: One Sword
Rank: Novice
Description: A soul-bound weapon that grows alongside its wielder. It cannot be broken or stolen and can be stored within the wielder's soul.
Skills:
Sever — Imbues the blade with absolute sharpness, capable of cutting through defenses up to three ranks higher than the wielder.
Magnify — The sword can change its dimensions at will, extending or expanding its edge in defiance of weight or balance, always remaining perfectly attuned to the wielder's strength.
?????? (Locked)
?????? (Locked)
Every thing was just as he remembered—except for the rank. The sword had climbed with him, evolving as promised. That much, at least, made him nod in satisfaction.
"All right. Let's allocate the stat points and—"
His words cut off.
PHYSIQUE: 27.0 [+]
Conversion Rate: 100SP — 1 STAT
Seth froze. The conversion rate, once a simple ten to one, had skyrocketed tenfold.
"…What?"
The realization struck like a hammer. A hundred SP. For a single stat point.
His face drained of color. "You've got to be kidding me…"
It had taken five days of constant hunting to gather just over five hundred SP. And now—now what was left wasn't even enough for a full five points.
With stiff fingers, he checked Spirit.
SPIRIT: 27.0 [+]
Conversion Rate: 100SP — 1 STAT
The same.
Despair pressed down on him, heavy and suffocating. His bones felt soft, his chest hollow.
"First with the limit thing, now this? Why is nothing going well today?" he muttered bitterly, closing the screen with a snap of will.
The last rays of the sun lit the ruined streets in a wash of orange as Seth rose to his feet, his mood dark. He needed to vent.
He found his outlet soon enough.
A shadow uncoiled from beneath a rusted car, scales glinting black in the fading light—a massive snake, thick enough to crush steel, long enough to wrap around a vehicle twice over.
Seth didn't even bother to summon his sword. He caught the serpent in one hand, its weight seemingly nothing and began snapping its bones methodically, starting at the tail.
Crack.
The snake writhed violently, hissing, its body lashing like a whip. It struck at him again and again, its fangs clamping down on the shimmering barrier of energy he instinctively summoned around his body.
Each time, its teeth splintered against the glow. Blood welled from its ruined gums, dripping black and foul. The droplets slid harmlessly off the barrier, trickling down Seth's frame before splattering onto the dirt.
At first, he ignored it, lost in his quiet brutality. But then his eyes narrowed.
The blood… it hadn't touched him. It slid away. Rejected.
"…Huh," Seth murmured, pausing mid-motion. "So it can be used like that."
A slow, sharp grin pulled at his lips at the thought of not having to worry about blood on his body.
He lifted the snake again, letting its blood smear across his barrier. Each time, it flowed off without staining him, sliding down like water on glass.
Nodding in satisfaction, he tightened his grip. "For giving me such valuable info… I'll grant you a swift death."
With a sharp twist, he broke the serpent's neck. Its thrashing ceased instantly, the heavy body going limp in his grasp.
A faint glow drifted into his chest as the system announced the absorption of a level eight initiate creature.
Seth stood motionless, staring into the distance. His mind wandered, lingering on what he had learned. The bitterness in his chest dulled to something quieter, steadier.
At last, he chuckled faintly, though it held no real mirth. "I thought I was rich."
His jaw tightened. His eyes sharpened. "Shit. Guess I'll just have to hunt more."
He steadied his emotions, dropped the corpse, and stepped back into the shadows of the ruined town.
The hunt was far from over.