Free Web NovelChapter 303: Richard (4)
[Rel’s POV]
[Central Fortress - Treasure Room]
The door wasn’t even locked.
I pushed it open and stepped into Richard’s treasure room.
A small, reinforced vault tucked behind the fabrication centre. No traps. No guards. He’d probably assumed the demonic serum and future sight would be enough to defeat Jan.
How unfortunate.
Looking around the room the shelves were oddly sparse.
Most of it was junk filled with gold, documents, and deactivated tech.
Richard had taste but no sense of real value.
I scanned the room twice before my eyes landed on three items grouped together on a central pedestal.
"Holy shit..." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
System can you analyze these items for me please?
FWANG!
[Of course! Let’s see what we’re looking at here.]
[Analyzing the following items:]
[Flower Of Naomi (Grade:???)] - [Tablets Of Enhancement (Grade:???)] - [Demonic Serum DS-235UT (Grade:???)]
[Analyzing complete!]
[Flower of Naomi — Grade: Supreme]
[Tablets of Enhancement — Grade: Grade 1]
[Demonic Serum DS-235UT — Grade: Grade 1]
[Would you like individual breakdowns, or are you just going to stare at them?]
Individual. Obviously.
[You’re no fun.]
The first window expanded.
[Item Name: Flowers of Naomi]
[Grade: Supreme]
[Item Description: Blossoms said to have bloomed from the tears of Naomi, the goddess of creation. Their petals hold a fragment of divine will, long sealed away from the mortal world. A single petal can enhance the user’s aura.]
[Item Condition: Perfect — The flowers have never wilted and never will.]
[Item Effects: Permanently awakens or enhances Dominance Aura. Upon consumption, the user’s Aura level will jump a level or two depending on how it’s consumed. Effects are permanent and irreversible.]
[Analysis: This is a genuine Supreme Grade item. One of a kind. If you sold this, you could probably buy a small country. If you eat it, you might not need to.]
I stared at the faint white-gold glow of the flower in my hand, knowing I should save it for next time.
"Next."
[Item Name: Tablets of Enhancement]
[Grade: Grade 1]
[Item Description: Compressed enhancement compounds. Standard issue among mid-tier guild operatives. Reliable. Fast-acting.]
[Item Condition: Sealed and stable. Three-year shelf life.]
[Item Effects: Permanently raises all physical stats by a fixed increment over 24 hours. Side effects include mild fever and heightened aggression.]
[Analysis: Low risk. Decent reward. You’ll feel like garbage for a day, then you’ll be stronger forever. Boring but effective.]
Next.
The final item sat in a cooling case. I opened it. Cold air and the smell of iron.
[Item Name: Demonic Serum — DS-235UT]
[Grade: Grade 1 — Final Version]
[Item Description: The culmination of 235 failed iterations. The only version that did not kill its host. Also the last.]
[Item Condition: Unstable at room temperature. Faint crystallisation along the inner wall.]
[Item Effects: Infuses the user’s blood with trace demonic essence. Enhanced regeneration. Fear resistance. Personality drift over time. Long-term effects on the soul unknown. Irreversible.]
[Analysis: Useful. Dangerous. Not for right now.]
"Agreed."
I sealed the case and straightened up. Three items. All valuable. All worth taking.
I reached inward toward the space behind my thoughts where the Pocket Realm sat waiting.
HWAMM!
A distortion appeared through my hands and the items vanished into to the pocket realm.
FWANG!
[Pocket Realm: 5/5 slots occupied.]
With all of that done I should probably head back-
[The Item You Have Consumed Has Finally Been Processed!]
Before I could turn my back the system decided to give me one more heart attack.
SHHK...
My body locked.
Heat erupted from my chest and it wasn’t the warmth from before, but more like being burnt alive in a hot oven.
"Fuck... I can’t move..."
The ember ignited. I felt it spread through my ribs, my spine, my bloodstream. Every nerve lit up at once.
And my knees buckled.
I caught myself on the pedestal. The stone cracked under my grip.
[Warning: Physical reconfiguration in progress. Do not move.]
"Wasn’t planning to."
My voice came out strained. The heat built and my skin was hot to the touch.
Sweat evaporated before it could form. The pain wasn’t sharp—it was pressure. Like my body was being forged from the inside out.
Then, as fast as it started, it stopped.
I stayed there for a moment, breathing hard, one hand still gripping the cracked pedestal.
"...Okay."
[Processing complete. Displaying results.]
[Item Name: Ember of the Forge]
[Item Description: The soul of the Forger. This ember carries the ignition of the Iron Forge. A fragment of the primordial flame that crafted weapons capable of slaying gods.]
[Item Effects: +25 to all standard stats. +4 upgrade to Swordsmanship.]
[Stats Updated:]
[Health: 135 → 160 (+25)]
[Strength: 116 → 141 (+25)]
[Stamina: 108 → 133 (+25)]
[Speed: 79 → 104 (+25)]
[Swordsmanship: Grade 10 → Grade 6]
[Level: Intermediate Advanced]
[Mastery Until Next Tier: 0.00%]
I stared at the numbers.
Twenty-five across the board. Four full grades in swordsmanship. That wasn’t a boost. That was a gigantic leap.
This item itself was just a concept, that’s how I remembered writing it.
All I could recall from when I wrote it was a fragment of an idea I’d scribbled into the margins of the manuscript and never revisited.
It was basically a reward for a side quest that didn’t exist.
Which is why I never included it in the final draft.
But A.T. had.
The system the one that governed this world, the one that had turned my novel into a living, breathing nightmare had dug up a concept I’d abandoned and made it real.
Looks like they made it work. And now it was inside me.
That changes things.
I straightened up and my body felt more different than before.
It wasn’t just stronger it felt more balanced. Like every movement was calibrated to a finer degree.
The sword on my hip felt lighter. My own heartbeat felt more deliberate.
I was growing. Fast. Faster than I’d planned.
It wasn’t crazy to say I could reach Jan’s level soon.
The one I’d written to be untouchable. And now I was closing the gap.
The thought should have felt like progress. It did. But it also felt like a warning.
Because the stronger I got, the more dangerous the things I’d have to face.
I didn’t know what was waiting for me in the near future of that tower and I didn’t know what came after.
My story had gone off the rails long ago.
I wasn’t in control. Though I never had been. But I could manage the only way I knew how.
I think doing just that is enough.
I let that sit for a moment. Then I exhaled and rolled my shoulders.
"System. Anything else?" ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
[You’ve also just undergone a full-body reforge. You might want to take a moment before you pretend to be fine.]
"I’ll take it while I walk."
