NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77: Awesome Rewards
In the morning...
"M-mmm..." Merlin groaned softly as he slowly opened his heavy eyelids.
What greeted him was the beautiful, soothing morning light.
"What an amazing day," he murmured with a faint smile.
He got up, stretching his stiff body, then walked toward the bathroom to wash up.
Ten minutes later, he came out looking refreshed and energized.
Stepping toward the sofa, he sat down and crossed his legs like a young boss enjoying life.
"Good morning, system," he greeted playfully.
"[Ding! Good morning, Master! You seem happier this morning. Are you looking forward to checking your rewards?]"
"Tsk! You know me best. Well, without further ado, take out all my rewards!" Merlin snapped his fingers.
"[Ding! The rewards for increasing the heroine Margaret's affection to the fullest are issued! Rewards: 1x Ring of the King's Crown (Legendary) and 30,000 System Points have been given!]"
"[Ding! Since this is the first time Master has conquered a heroine, the rewards are doubled! Congratulations on earning 1x Unbreakable Rope (???) and 30,000 System Points!]"
"[Ding! The rewards for increasing the heroine Catrine's affection to the fullest are issued! Rewards: Hypnotizing Ability (Myth) and 40,000 System Points!]"
"[Ding! The reward for raising heroine Catrine's affection to 90 points is issued! Reward: 1x S-Level Healing Potion!]"
Listening to the endless system notifications, Merlin couldn't help but smile. For some reason, they sounded like the whispers of goddesses in his ears.
Once everything was done, he began checking his rewards one by one.
"The Ring of the King's Crown, huh?" Merlin rubbed his chin as he carefully examined the silver ring.
It was exquisite—far beyond any ring he had ever seen. Even the rings from Celestia's Jewelry Store were slightly inferior. Faint gold engravings surrounded the band, and a small crown-shaped golden crystal sat on top.
He pressed it, and a description panel instantly appeared in front of him.
"[King's Crown Ring (Legendary): An extremely powerful legendary item. The user will gain the King's Blessing, where the power of authority and command can make anyone submit to them. The user can also release the King's Aura to suppress their enemies. Another ability is three-time protection from first-level spirit core attacks.
Notes: The effects of this ring only apply to people below the user or a maximum of two levels above them. Once all three protections are used, it takes three months to recover one protection.]"
As soon as Merlin finished reading, his eyes widened.
"Damn it! Isn't this too much?" he exclaimed, holding his breath.
Although it wasn't an offensive artifact, the ring was still extremely powerful.
Suppressing enemies with aura was an ability normally possessed only by those who had reached the Fifth Spirit Core stage and above. But the ring's ability didn't stop there.
It could make weaker people obey its commands completely, and even those up to two levels above could still be influenced.
While the effect is weaker on higher-level targets, it doesn't lessen its power or value.
The last was the three-time protection from First Spirit Core attacks. Compared to the other two abilities, this one was definitely the most valuable.
Only those with special powers truly understood how terrifying the First Spirit Core was. Their power was godlike—capable of splitting mountains in half and destroying large cities with ease.
Enduring his racing heartbeat, Merlin gently slipped the ring onto his right ring finger.
In an instant, a strange sensation washed over him—as if he had been a mighty king for decades.
After that, he moved on to inspect the next reward—the Unbreakable Rope.
At first glance, the rope looked ordinary. It was golden and slightly shiny, but Merlin didn't sense anything special from it.
Without hesitation, he swiped it, and a description panel appeared before him.
"[The Unbreakable Rope (????): An artifact of unknown level. It is said to originate from a very ancient era. Its abilities remain mostly mysterious, but some have been revealed: it can bind opponents with overwhelming strength. Those below the user's level or up to four levels above will be unable to break free from its bonds.
Notes: For targets two levels above the user, the bond will naturally weaken and only last for one hour.]"
"Hiss! This is just as amazing as the King's Crown Ring!" Merlin exclaimed in admiration.
Although it wasn't an offensive artifact, it could be used effectively for defense in various situations. If the opponent was at the Sixth Spirit Core stage, he could still hold them off for an hour.
It sounded short, but in an actual battle, it was more than enough time.
Having regained his composure, he turned to the last reward—the myth-level skill.
The skill was already in his mind, so he didn't need the system to display it.
In short, it allowed him to hypnotize people weaker than him and even those one level above. At first glance, it seemed weak—but that was only because it wasn't fully unlocked yet.
He would need to train to strengthen it, and only then could he master it completely.
"System, these rewards are amazing! If every day was like this, I wouldn't even need to train! Hahaha!" Merlin laughed joyfully.
The system: "[Your expectations are too high, Master! (ᓀ‸ᓂ)]"
"Pfft! Don't get mad; I'm just joking," Merlin chuckled, waving his hand. "I know these rewards are just external powers, not coming from my own body. If they all vanished, I'd be worthless. So, I still have to train to become strong."
He clenched his right palm, smiling broadly.
The system breathed a sigh of relief.
Honestly, it had feared that its master would grow lazy with all these rewards—but its worries were unfounded.
Its master was still as determined as ever.
"Alright, time to deal with the last problem," Merlin said, holding the potion in a golden bottle. The lid was crafted from exquisite, triangular-shaped glass.
This was the S-level potion that would lift his curse.
"This day has finally come," he muttered, taking a deep breath.
Although he hadn't felt his curse activate again since taking Merlin's body, he didn't dare take any chances.
As the old saying goes, "Living under threat is like standing on a hanging knife."
So, he had to end it now.
Swiftly, he opened the lid and drank it in one gulp.
It tasted slightly sour, yet sweet. He settled into a cross-legged position and closed his eyes.
"Now, let's wait for the effect…"