Leo scrolled through the rare section of the System Shop interface, skipping over heavy battleaxes and massive greatswords. Heavy weapons required high Strength attributes he simply did not possess.
He needed gear that prioritized Agility, defense, and quick lethal strikes.
He filtered by weapons under 1kg and found a weapon that immediately grabbed his attention.
Viper Steel Stiletto. Rare Tier. Price: 300 Credits.
Effect: Plus 8 Physical Damage, Plus 3 Agility.
Special Effect: Venom Edge. Applies a slow-acting paralytic toxin upon piercing organic hide.
Weight: 0.3kg.
A dagger that boosted his Agility by 3 and applied paralytic venom for 300 credits.
Leo didn't have 300 credits in his balance right now, but he had five Low-Grade Energy Crystals waiting back in his alcove. Five crystals sold for 250 credits. Combined with his remaining 50 credits, he would have exactly 300 credits.
He walked back to his dark nook under the slate rock, collected the five duplicated crystals, and returned to the stone monolith.
Five Low-Grade Energy Crystals sold.
Gained 250 System Credits.
Current Credit Balance: 300 Credits.
Purchase Confirmed: Viper Steel Stiletto.
300 Credits deducted.
A long, slender dagger materialized on the pedestal in front of him. Its blade was forged from sleek, dark steel with a faint green sheen along the double-edged tip. The leather grip felt perfectly balanced in his right hand.
As soon as his fingers wrapped around the hilt, a warm sensation flowed up his arm.
Attribute Boost Applied: Agility increased from 11 to 14.
Leo moved his fingers, feeling the immediate increase in his reaction speed and body lightness. Combined with his 14 Intelligence, he was no longer a baseline human with trash stats.
Now came the real question: could he duplicate gear?
Leo brought the Viper Steel Stiletto up to eye level.
Item: Viper Steel Stiletto.
Classification: Rare Tier Equipment. Magic Infused weapon.
Leo tried to channel his skill toward the dagger.
Skill Execution Failed: Target is a magical object. Material Replication only applies to non-living, non-magical items.
Leo nodded to himself. The System's boundary was clear. Gear, enchanted items, and manufactured weapons with magic stats could not be copied directly. The duplication exploit was strictly reserved for unchanted raw materials, raw energy resources, and basic mundane tools.
"Fair enough," Leo murmured, sheathing the stiletto at his waist. "I don't need to duplicate weapons when I can duplicate the currency used to buy them."
He spent the next hour running another series of replication loops in his secluded cave nook.
With his max Mana sitting at 60, every manual cycle was smoother and faster. He duplicated ten more Low-Grade Energy Crystals, absorbed three to stay at peak energy, and stored seven in his inventory space.
He was sitting on a mountain of wealth while the rest of Sector 409-B was begging for scrap rations.
A loud commotion broke out near the center of the camp, shattering the quiet.
"Get out of the way!" a harsh voice barked.
Leo stepped out of his alcove and looked toward the crowd. Marcus and his squad of eight armed men were surrounding a young woman near the supply area. The woman was holding a glowing wooden chest—a rare drop from the First Wave that had not been opened yet.
"That chest dropped near our line," Marcus sneered, resting his heavy iron mace on his shoulder. "Hand it over, girl, or we open it over your corpse."
"I killed the beast that dropped it!" she yelled back, her voice shaking as she backed against a slate pillar. "I earned this!"
The crowd watched in silence, but nobody stepped forward to help. Panic and self-preservation had taken over. Marcus had built the largest squad in Sector 409-B, and his physical Strength stat was clearly higher than anyone else's.
Marcus took a step forward, raising his mace. "Wrong answer."
Leo watched from thirty yards away, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his new Viper Steel Stiletto.
He didn't care about playing hero, but Marcus was actively threatening the stability of the safe zone—and more importantly, Marcus was sitting on a squad full of loot and high-tier monster drops.
Time remaining until Second Wave: 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Leo's eyes narrowed as a cold calculation formed in his mind.
"I need a field test for this new dagger," Leo whispered, slipping into the shadows behind the slate pillars. "And Marcus just volunteered."