Name: Seltia's Royal Blood
Quality: Undetermined
Description: The most precious royal blood of the Elven King's Saintess, Seltia. After consumption, it strengthens one's magical aptitude and carries a certain probability of awakening a special skill.
When Roy saw the panel description, his eyes lit up. At long last, he had managed to get his hands on something worthwhile.
A broken sword and a single drop of blood—that was the sum total of this journey's gains. Life really wasn't easy. Roy let out a sigh.
Without hesitation, he wiped the ashes off the blood-red crystal and casually tossed it into his mouth. Like a perfectly ripe peach, it melted instantly upon contact, sliding smoothly down his throat.
Though it was said to be crystallized blood, Roy sensed no metallic taste at all—only a faint sweetness.
And the reaction came quickly.
A violent surge of heat erupted from his lower abdomen and spread throughout his entire body. Roy felt himself growing hotter and hotter, his body temperature rapidly soaring past fifty degrees Celsius.
An ordinary person would have passed out from the heat on the spot—only an adventurer's physique could endure this.
"Huff… huff…!"
The temperature continued to rise. Even the breath Roy exhaled carried a trace of flame. His eyes widened—this was bad. No one had mentioned a reaction like this.
Even his Development Ability: Adventurer had activated.
Roy hurried over to the blue flames, enduring their bone-chilling cold. The overheated body on the verge of exploding was forcibly suppressed, ice and fire clashing within him.
"ROAR!!"
Roy's eyes turned bloodshot as a beast-like roar tore from his throat. An eerie red glow flickered beneath his skin as earth-shaking changes took place within his body.
[Endurance: 521 → 712 (B)]
[Agility: 689 → 755 (B)]
[Magic: 415 → 901 (S)]
Aside from Dexterity and Strength, all of his parameters rose to varying degrees. The most terrifying increase was his Magic, which had leaped straight to Rank S.
Roughly two hours later, Roy's consciousness gradually returned.
It seemed… he had survived.
Bzz! Bzz!
The first thing Roy did was activate his magic.
Golden lightning surged into his palm, but upon closer inspection, it was slightly different from before—streaks of blood-red lightning were mixed in, its destructive power clearly increased.
The strength of his lightning magic lay in its speed and versatility. As a chantless spell, however, its raw power had always been somewhat inferior to other magic.
That weakness had now been completely compensated for.
If he were to return to that battle now, Roy was confident he could directly clash with Hyakinthos's Lv.3 magic head-on, instead of relying on tricks to lull his opponent into carelessness.
[Skill Awakened: Elf King Authority!]
[Elf King Authority: Allows the user to learn all magic possessed by elves. When fighting elves, suppresses the enemy's body and soul. Elven royalty are immune.]
[Note: Magic must be willingly taught by elves.]
[Note: Wanton slaughter of elves or the destruction of elven homelands will cause this skill to become invalid!]
Roy had just withdrawn his magic when another panel appeared before his eyes. Skimming through it at a glance, even someone as steady as him couldn't help but be shocked.
The heavens had finally taken pity on a perpetually unlucky gacha player like him—a special skill awakened through Royal Blood.
Able to learn all elven magic. Able to forcibly suppress both the body and soul of elves.
This skill was nothing short of an elven nemesis.
Before Roy could even recover from the shock of Elf King Authority, the broken sword in his hand suddenly burst forth with dazzling light. All the rust peeled away, as if it had been activated, revealing a slender, silver-white blade as mysterious runes spread across its surface.
Another panel appeared before Roy's eyes.
Name: Elven Holy Sword
Quality: Legendary
Description: A weapon forged by Seltia together with the Flame Spirits, using countless precious materials.
Special Effect (Eternal): Possesses the "Indestructible" attribute. No durability limit. Even if forcibly damaged, it will gradually repair itself over time.
Special Effect (Heaven-Scorching): Instantly drains all magic within a radius of over ten kilometers, converting it into raging flames capable of destroying a small city.
Special Effect (Spiritization): Transforms the wielder into a Flame Spirit, granting high-speed chanting and the ability to release flame magic.
[Note: To wield this sword requires Elven Royal blood or a Flame Spirit. Minimum required Lv.3. At Lv.7, all of its power can be fully unleashed.]
[Note: This sword cannot harm Elven Royalty or Flame Spirits. Forcibly killing them will result in backlash.]
Seeing the panel for the Elven Holy Sword, Roy sucked in a sharp breath. The three special effects alone were enough to blind him—this was hardly the scrap metal it had seemed before.
No wonder nothing had happened when he touched it earlier.
This holy sword recognized its master. Only Elven Royalty or Flame Spirits could activate it.
By swallowing that blood crystal, Roy had effectively obtained the bloodline of Elven Royalty or a Flame Spirit.
It was similar to the Crozzo Family's Magic Sword Bloodline.
The ancestor of the Crozzo Family had once saved a spirit. To repay the favor, the spirit cut off a piece of its own flesh and fed it to him.
From then on, the Crozzo Family carried part of a spirit's bloodline, allowing them to forge magic swords of extraordinary power, helping the Kingdom of Rakia conquer numerous nations.
But those swords could not be used against elves or spirits.
The Crozzo Family itself was the best example. After aiding Rakia in wars and even burning down forests where elves and spirits lived, the enraged spirits cursed the family, stripping them of the ability to forge magic swords and casting them down from glory into ruin.
None of that concerned Roy now.
He gazed at the Elven Holy Sword with burning eyes—this was the first legendary-grade weapon he had ever obtained.
If this were a dungeon drop, it would require at least a Lv.7 dungeon to even have a chance of yielding a legendary item.
Though ancient heroes lacked the blessings of the gods, they had the aid of spirits. Their peak combat power was nothing to scoff at, so forging such a weapon was not particularly strange.
Sensing that Roy had yet to meet the requirements to wield it, the glow of the Elven Holy Sword gradually faded, returning to its previous unremarkable appearance.
Roy took off his coat, wrapped the sword in it, and slung it over his back. In its unactivated state, the Elven Holy Sword had no sharpness at all—the tip couldn't even pierce the fabric.
"Huff…"
Roy's breathing grew rapid. There was only one thought in his mind.
He had to reach Lv.3.
With Elf King Authority and the Elven Holy Sword, the rewards of this journey were already more than enough.
Roy began his return.
Now, when he looked again at the bamboo basket containing the honey cake, his eyes were filled with disdain. It had been completely useless. That goddess really had the nerve to scam him.
If he ever ran into her again—
Following the map's guidance, Roy skillfully passed through the passages. Unlike before, his steps were light and cheerful, his harvest plentiful.
But as he passed through several corridors and entered a bend, a bone-chilling sensation suddenly enveloped his entire body. His muscles twitched involuntarily.
In the previously empty open space stood a gigantic monster, shrouded in thick black mist that obscured its true form. Its shape resembled a hound, with three heads, and it radiated an overwhelmingly powerful presence.
"A monster of Lv.6… no, Lv.7 or higher?"