The Glass Warrior [Weak to Strong LitRPG]

All the health and mana jewels were claimed by Lucas, who promptly used them, leaving only a few behind for further study. As an alchemist, he hoped to discover a way to replicate them. If successful, it would mean a steady stream of income, not to mention the personal benefits.

After using all the jewels he had found, his status changed as follows:

HP 750 ==> 850

MP 620 ==> 870

Since he had come across far more mana jewels than health ones, it wasn't surprising that his mana now exceeded his health. He didn't mind; in fact, he had a feeling he would be relying on mana more and more from now on.

Still, while looking over his improved stats, Lucas couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that he hadn't found any stamina jewels. His stamina remained at 260, and an increase would have greatly benefited his healing abilities.

Although Lucas suspected that Chico had no real use for the jewels, the monkey insisted that, since he was "giving up" his claim to them, all death-related items should go to him.
This demand came after Lucas pointed out that it didn't matter whether Chico had made his own pile, everything was stored in his ring, which meant it all belonged to him. That clearly didn't sit well with the monkey.

After a long and drawn-out argument, consisting mostly of exaggerated gestures and frustrated screeches from both sides, Lucas managed to secure a portion of the bounty for himself.

The reason he wanted the death-related items wasn't so much for personal use, but rather for the corpses stored in the coffins he had stolen.

Faruk had taught him a technique to turn corpses into personal bodyguards, though Lucas hadn't yet mastered it. Still, he had a feeling that once he figured it out, those death-aligned items might prove useful for empowering his minions.

Ignoring the wounded look on Chico's face after their exchange, Lucas turned his attention to the other items they had managed to retrieve and to all that had been left behind in the rubble the tomb had become.

The goblin's cape, in particular, felt like a real loss. As if reading his thoughts, Chico shook his head in silent regret. That cape alone had turned an otherwise unimpressive goblin into a real powerhouse. Lucas couldn't even imagine what it might have done in the hands of someone like him or even Chico.

Still, there was no time for regrets. The haul they had managed to secure was substantial: piles of coins, weapons, armor, jewels, and even a couple of potions for Lucas to study.

Since neither of them had much use for the weapons and armor, they agreed to sell them off and use the profit to purchase more practical supplies—though, in truth, it was Lucas who made that decision. Chico couldn't really talk, and Lucas doubted the monkey even understood that items could be sold. Still, Chico didn't protest, which Lucas took as tacit agreement.

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Moving on, Lucas took the coffins out in the open after making sure no one was around and asked Chico for his dagger so he could open the three coffins. The monkey promptly refused. But after a great deal of pressure, annoyed gestures, pleading, and no small amount of glaring, Chico finally gave in.

Instead of handing over the blade, however, he marched up to the coffins himself and began prying them open with deliberate, almost theatrical precision.

Lucas watched with growing interest. There was something unusual about that dagger. It didn't feel like a normal weapon, and the fact that Chico refused to part with it only made Lucas more curious. But whenever he tried to identify it, Chico grew suspicious and kept it out of reach, so he was forced to drop the subject for the time being to keep the peace.

The first coffin opened with a dull creak. Inside lay a large, muscular corpse, surprisingly well-preserved. Despite its stillness, it radiated a lingering sense of power, as if something dangerous slumbered just beneath the surface. The second coffin revealed a similar sight: another hulking figure, also intact and brimming with that same eerie energy.

Lucas crouched beside them, furrowing his brow. He wasn't exactly an expert on the undead, his knowledge in that field was shallow at best, but even he could tell these two would make excellent specimens.

He could almost see them standing guard behind him, silent and terrifying, and his early reluctance in the idea of forming an undead army was already being dissolved.

Then Chico moved to the final coffin, the golden one, richly adorned and clearly belonging to the tomb's former master. With a few swift motions, he cracked the lid open.

Inside lay a thin, withered corpse, almost skeletal, encased in a suit of gleaming golden armor. Even with the passage of time, the armor looked pristine. It was very thick, imposing, and covered in ornate engravings.

Lucas's breath caught as he leaned in to get a better look. The craftsmanship alone was leagues beyond anything he'd seen until now.

Radiant Bastion

An ornate set of heavy armor forged from enchanted gold. Offers exceptional protection for those who seek endurance over speed.

+20 Toughness

Lucas reached out and tapped the chestplate, feeling its density.

"Yeah... not for me."

The bonus to Toughness was certainly nice, but the armor was far too heavy for someone like him, who relied on speed in combat. He imagined the original owner—being a lord—had never intended to fight anyway, likely content to sit on a throne and rely on sheer defense... or simply to look imposing.

Still, to someone built for the frontline, this would be a dream come true. And the fact that it had no level requirement made it even more valuable.

Only after taking in the full sight of the armor did he notice the other contents of the coffin—several golden ornaments scattered around the body: jewelry, decorative weapons, ceremonial trinkets. All shining with wealth, though none looked particularly useful in combat.

While Lucas was still marveling at the find, Chico was already rummaging through the trinkets, occasionally grunting in approval or tossing aside the less shiny ones.

In the end, aside from his portable shield, strange furniture, and Chico practically dancing in his growing pile of stolen goods, what Lucas had truly taken from the tomb was wealth.

Once he managed to sell even half of it, he'd be swimming in coins. And there were a lot of things he could do with money.

Lucas exhaled and glanced around the forest surrounding him, still nothing to worry about.

Hmmm. What should I do now? he wondered idly. The bounty from the tomb had been more than enough, but there were still tasks ahead. His gaze drifted to the open coffins before him, and his thoughts turned to the old necromancer.

I think it's finally time to master that damned skill, isn't it?

"Alright. Let's do this," Lucas muttered, cracking his fingers and focusing on the task at hand.