Chapter 72: The First Enchantment

[14th Everdusk 2103], Verdant Hollow, CGA Branch of Dyna Crest

The dungeon air was thick with the scent of mana-rich moisture, and the ground squelched beneath Evan's boots as he stood among the scattered remains of slain slimes.

The seventh slime collapsed, its gooey body dissolving into a puddle of faintly glowing fluid.

"Okay, that's the seventh and final slime needed," I muttered, watching the goo sizzle away.

Time to enchant my sword.

Before I could activate my talent to plunder their stats, a cascade of notifications filled my screen:

{You've killed 3 Slime Lv.2, 4 Slime Lv.1.}

{You have gained +70 Experience points.}[95/100 Exp]

[MP: 9/110]

[You have obtained 10 Evo-Enchant Points from the hunt.]

"Two points from the Level 2 slimes, and one from the Level 1s... Not bad. I might be able to enchant three options now," I said, stepping toward the dissolved remains.

"Plunder."

The air shimmered with my command. A familiar, eerie energy emerged and hovered over the puddles.

[Talent has detected multiple identical targets. Please specify actions for the body hosts.]

"Wait, are you going to consume their bodies or something?" I asked, raising a brow.

[Talent can perform multiple actions with the carcasses of the monster named Slime, including plundering, dismantling, and storing them in the provided storage.]

That caught me off guard. "These abilities... Did you always have them?"

[These actions require supporting skills like <Butchering > and <Collecting >. Acquisition of such skills will unlock full functionality.]

"So it's like a locked feature... I see. That would've been easy to miss. Good thing I asked."

I selected Plunder, and the energy surged. One by one, their faint remnants dissolved completely, merging with the glow before flowing into me.

[You have plundered seven bodies, gaining:+2 STR,+1 AGL,+1 VIT,+1 END]

[You have maxed out the stat points that can be plundered from lower-level slimes. Please target other monster types or higher-level monsters.]

I blinked.

"Huh… that explains the low stats. So, stronger monsters only from now on. Fine by me."

My mind drifted to the forest monkeys I'd seen deeper inside. Perfect targets.

"Alright, let's go, skeleton. Time to show those monkeys—"

My sentence trailed off. All that remained of my summon was a pile of white dust.

"...Oh."

I silently stepped closer and placed a stick into the ground, marking the spot.

'Skeleton, you will be missed...' I thought, brushing away a nonexistent tear.

"I vow to conquer this dungeon—for both of us."

With that, I turned and pressed on. My mana bar blinked at a disappointing [14/110]. Not ideal for a mage.

I thought of Lyre. With her potions and powerful support items, she was probably halfway through the second dungeon layer by now.

Meanwhile, I was still five experience points away from leveling up.

"Let's check the points," I muttered, pulling up the talent interface.

Evo-Enchant Points: 13

"Perfect. Time to upgrade this sword."

The familiar translucent screen shimmered before me.

[Target detected: Basic Iron Sword. Please choose the aspect you wish to enhance:]

[Sharpness and Attack Power] – 1 Point

[Durability of the Sword] – 3 Points

[Grade of the Weapon] – 25 Points (+ Requirements)

[Add Another Effect] – 8 Points (+ Desired Effect)

"I choose options 1, 2, and 4. Begin the enchantment."

As the process started, my blade began to glow—a swirl of silver and violet energy coating its surface.

[Please cast the desired effect to attach to the item and initiate the fourth process.]

For this final step, I had just the thing.

It was time to use the one ability I'd been holding back on until now.

<Ability: Elemental Manipulation (SSS Rank)>

Description: The ultimate elemental control. Mastery over Fire, Earth, Lightning, and Ice, allowing the user to summon, shape, and combine them for overwhelming effects. Grants superior offensive, defensive, and environmental manipulation.

Mastery Levels

Fire – F (0%)

Earth – F (0%)

Lightning – F (0%)

Ice – F (0%)

{A/N: SSS Rank is currently the pinnacle per Nexus Prime standards—subject to future revelations.}

Elemental Manipulation was perfect for low-cost elemental channeling—especially at the basic level.

It wasn't easy to use at first. I struggled, mana flickering from my palm like a stubborn lighter. But drawing from my past life's instincts, I finally coaxed a tiny flame into existence.

With growing control, I expanded it to the size of a thumb.

Carefully, I pressed it against the sword.

The flame was absorbed into the silver-purple hue.

[The required effect item, a portion of the flames created in nature, has been added to the blade's effects. Please wait a few minutes for the process to complete.]

Exhausted, I collapsed back onto the mossy ground. I'd pushed myself a little too far.

"Skills are so much easier... they practically cast themselves."

I checked the progress:

Fire: F (1.23%)

A small increase, but a start. Mastery progression would only get slower from here.

My mana, which had dropped from the manipulation, was now regenerating slowly.

[MP: 46/110]

As the final glimmers faded, my sword returned to its standard form—yet it shimmered with an edge far sharper than before. Flames flickered subtly along the hilt, embedded like gems.

"Flashy," I said, smirking. "But I can live with it."

Opening the weapon's status, I felt a grin stretch across my face.

"These effects... this is wild."

If this talent ever fell into the wrong hands...

"I could tear through this whole dungeon with just this."

And I would.

To be continued...