Chapter 14: Elemental affinity, Registered as an Adventurer

With the increase in the rank of my attribute, my strength had almost doubled, and the raw power I could now exert was even greater.

If I were to exert every ounce of power, I felt capable of battling evenly with 'Transcendent' ranked warriors, although they must be the weakest among their ranks, having just been promoted and obtaining their class.

"I'm not foolish enough to engage in battles with those warriors in the first place."

Now, I had hope and a sense of purpose in my life, unlike the time I spent hunting people in 'Lumia.'

I wanted to explore the depths of this legacy and uncover what it truly held for the future, its purpose in choosing me, someone who had almost lost their sense of purpose in life.

Therefore, I decided to only engage in battles where I felt confident, either defeating my enemies or retreating when necessary.

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Back at home,

I had returned to my place and started cooking some monster meat in the kitchen. It was going to be spicy monster curry served with white rice. 

This dish was one of my favorites, my go-to comfort food. I could eat curry with rice anytime and anywhere. It was also the food that inspired me to learn cooking because I enjoyed it so much that I would have eaten anything made with it.

I lay on my bed, gazing up at the sky dotted with millions of stars, with two moons shining brightly in the center. In my mind, I searched for the last moon, the one that still eluded me, creating a magical sky adorned with three mystical pearls.

As I relaxed, a sense of tranquility washed over me, filled with determination to one day step into the realm of my dreams and witness the enchanting sight for real, I drifted into the world filled with dreams.

It was a peaceful night, one that filled me with hope and wonder.

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At the Adventurers Hall in the Adventurers Guild...

"What? You awakened," the beautiful lady exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she stared at me with exaggerated shock on her face.

I couldn't help but feel a slight twitch in my own face looking at her reaction.

"Yes, is there a problem?" I replied with a slight smile and a hint of irritation plastered on my face.

"No... No, I didn't mean that. You... How did you awaken?" She asked, seeming to ignore the slight irritation plastered on my face.

"No idea," I replied nonchalantly, raising my hand in the air with a shrug.

"Ah, yes. Congratulations on your awakening," she said, returning to her professional smile.

"Are you here to register yourself as an adventurer now that you have awakened?" Her demeanor shifted seamlessly back to business. Even I was amazed by her professionalism.

"Yes, I was intending to get myself registered in the guild," I nodded at her.

" Yosh. Fill out this form and get your mana imprint recorded in this machine." She handed me the form while pointing at the small crystal-shaped machine before going back to her business, handling the awakeners behind me.

She displayed the same exaggerated surprise to anyone who had recently awakened and was here to register themselves. I felt a sense of betrayal, thinking she was genuinely surprised for me. However, observing her repeated reactions to every new awakener left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

The form required me to input my name, background, and other basic information. It seemed like a mere procedural step with little significance. I could easily fabricate a fake alias, or background, or even conjure up answers to the questions on the spot.

The crystal-shaped machine took the spotlight as it validated my awakening status. It also aided in determining the elemental affinity I had awakened during the process.

Surprisingly, my affinity was poison according to the crystal, which was unusual compared to the typical elemental affinities. However, it wasn't rare enough to make me stand out among others. Moreover, it wasn't even my true affinity; rather, it was the same as 'Nightmare's' affinity, as the machine couldn't identify my unique elemental affinity. I possessed a 'runic affinity,' an element beyond the capabilities of this basic equipment.

(Basic elemental affinity: Fire, Water, Air, and Water.)

The trait 'Soulbound' was incredibly overpowered; not only did it allow me to share the same elemental affinity as "Nightmare', but it also left me in awe of the potential offered by the Legacy I had acquired. The idea of becoming the master of elements, with nearly all the elemental forces under my control, seemed like a tangible reality with the addition of sufficient elemental runes into the equation.

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Outside the territory of the Guild.....

I gazed at the small ring adorning my right hand, its 'N' engraving symbolizing my status as a novice adventurer within the guild. Each time I advanced in rank, completed missions, or utilized contribution points to elevate my adventurer title, this ring was upgraded into a better one, displaying my progress. It served as tangible proof of my guild registration and doubled as a storage treasure with a decent storage capacity.

The guild's generosity was evident in this display, showcasing the wealth and resources at their disposal. Spatial magic, a rare affinity acquired upon awakening, was utilized in the process of producing this ring to create a confined space. The cost of employing a space-affinity expert to craft such a space and the materials used were beyond the reach of ordinary organizations.

AND.....

Here I stood, a newly awakened guild member, bearing such valuable equipment as my emblem. Alongside this identity ring, I was also provided with standard enchanted equipment stored within the ring.

I asked for a long coat over the standard three-piece armor set as I was aiming to upgrade its rarity and efficiency. Wearing a single high-ranked piece seemed more advantageous than multiple lower-ranked ones. However, I was required to pay additional contribution points due to its craftsmanship and being made of rare materials. 

''It was worth extra contribution points." I thought as I looked at the equipment accentuating my body.

The long coat, crafted from the leather of a low-level yet challenging 'Shadow cat' monster known for its agility in darkness, was the equipment I chose as my equipment. The shadow cat. despite its low defense and vitality, it was a formidable beast to defeat because of its attunement toward shadows, making it a perfect assassin.

My selection of this particular long coat was strategic; I was aiming to manifest the 'Rune of Shadows' while elevating its rank. Although it required extra contribution points, the investment was worthwhile.

With the coat's stealth capabilities and my enhanced strength, a successful manifestation of the runes would transform me into a formidable warrior within the 'Awakened' rank, capable of challenging even 'Transcendent' ranked adversaries if necessary.

Moreover, the coat's aesthetic was impressive, featuring a golden lining that complemented its black hue perfectly. The blend of black and gold exuded nobility, making me appear like a seasoned warrior on a mission, radiating awe and valor with the longsword strapped across my back.

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While returning home wearing the striking long coat, I attracted the attention from nearly everyone in my neighborhood. I exchanged nods with familiar faces while disregarding the curious gazes of strangers.

Upon entering my room, my first action was to lock the door securely from inside. I closed the windows, isolating my room from prying eyes if any.

"Retrieve the reward to upgrade the equipment. Upgrade the equipment (long coat) in front of me," I commanded.

[Upgrading the 'Enchanted equipment']

[Time remaining: 5 minutes]

[Time remaining: 3 minutes]

[Time remaining: 3 seconds... 2 seconds.... 1 seconds...]

[' Enchanted equipment' successfully upgraded.]

[New 'Runic Equipment' (Uncommon) has been created.]

The long coat before me appeared unchanged in its physical appearance after the upgrade, yet the subtle elemental fluctuations it emitted hinted at the hidden specialty it now possessed.

I could even see the faint shadowy silhouette of a cat inscribed on the back of this coat, making it runic equipment.

"Success!"

I exclaimed with excitement. The result of upgrading this equipment was just as I had envisioned. Upgrading the equipment had successfully manifested the rune according to the affinity of the shadow cat, transforming it from a normal enchanted equipment to a piece of runic equipment.

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[ Runic equipment]

Equipment type: Long Coat

Rank: Uncommon

Rune Inscribed: [Rune of stealth(Uncommon)]

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[Rune of Stealth(Uncommon)]

Description: Grants its user with enhanced abilities in stealth, evasion, and concealment. 

Effects: Empowers the user with silent movement, camouflage mastery, enhanced concealment, evasion techniques, and stealth tactics, making them highly proficient in stealth operations and minimizing the risk of detection in various situations. When activated, it renders the user virtually invisible to enemies of the same rank, although its effectiveness decreases against stronger foes.

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Although the Rune it manifested was different than the one I was aiming the 'Rune of Stealth' was still worthy worthy of being an 'Uncommon' ranked rune. I was more than satisfied with the rune it was able to manifest.