NOVEL NEXT Chap 161: Hero's mark.
"Rewards calculated… first you will choose one of the rewards, and according to your decision another will be granted." The omnipresent voice made me open my eyes; I'd been resting my mind as much as possible so I could process the rewards properly and not make a mistake in my choice.
I look into my cube and see how my previous reward is still waiting inside my body to be claimed. My face turns ugly just thinking how much longer I'll have to wait to claim it. According to Ho I can do it now, but if I wait I'll get a bit more benefits. I'm very tempted to open it right now and get three rewards in one go.
"Calm down, breathe a little." I talk to myself to push those thoughts away; I was close to opening my past reward and, to be honest, I think I will. "For now let's see the rewards." Excitement vibrates through my whole body—if I weren't so tired I'd already have jumped up with joy.
The rewards appear in a list like when I cleared the Fallen Hero dungeon:
A slot for one skill.
A specialized weapon for the challenger. (The floor 8 spear is the base.)
A Law related to the challenger.
Convert one pseudo Law into a Law.
Cube evolution.
Fusion of skills. (With very low chances of obtaining a Rank V skill.)
A Rank (IV) skill perfect for his style.
Spatial bracelet. (Diamond rank.)
Special item. (Podium reward.)
The rewards are very similar to the previous ones, with only small differences.
"Let's start discarding." I go over all the rewards with Glia, telling her which ones don't catch my attention. Converting a pseudo Law into a Law, a Law related to the challenger, and cube evolution are things I don't need right now. I already have enough pseudo Laws and Laws, and I'm sure I'll convert the former into Laws in the near future; the cube's upgrade is right around the corner—I can feel it.
Before, I would have been very excited to get any of those three, but now, after months of having a better grasp of my affinities, I've lost some interest in those options; it's best to discard them because they aren't necessary today. Glia agrees with me.
Same story with the Rank IV skill: that option isn't necessary for me at the moment. I've almost pushed all my skills to Rank IV, and the ones that haven't will, sooner or later. Having a pseudo Law or Law behind them has solved everything—it's just a matter of training and getting through hard situations.
Fusion of skills? It only interests me a little; I could create some good synergy between my personal world and Crushing Zone like I'd thought before, but… it's something I can achieve with time and it isn't very necessary right now. Another discard.
A special Diamond-rank bracelet? Now that is very interesting. Being an item that's nearly the highest rank makes it unique. Usually you only get one by clearing Diamond-grade space-affinity dungeons, which are very unique and few across the continent. "Let's leave this option for the end."
The specialized weapon draws me a lot. My Joyeuse are very efficient and deadly because of how much mana, Imra, and Laws I put into them; however, they fall off a lot compared to that spear. No matter how many hits it took, I never scratched it; it helps boost mana and Imra, and who knows how many other hidden functions it has. If I can turn that spear into twin swords, I'm winning. I'd get a weapon I can probably use up to Diamond rank.
The skill slot is another good option—I already got a solid scolding from my grandma and parents for discarding it so quickly last time. It's true I can use variants of my skills without learning a new one, but they'll always be a downgraded version compared to recording it in my status. When you acquire a skill you gain knowledge and extra power attached to that skill; that's why slots are so important.
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Lastly, the special item makes me curious. What could it be? I can't think of anything; it's something special generated by the dungeon based on my performance. No floor has a clear pattern that points to a related item—it can't be a storage bracelet or a weapon because there are options for those. Should I risk it and take it?
"What do you think, Glia?" I share with my companion all my thoughts on each of the options that aren't discarded.
She must have noticed because she keeps talking. "But it's not my position, it's yours. I would choose the weapon or the skill slot: the first option will boost your abilities if it works like the spear, and the second is a guarantee you'll get a skill in the future." She's right: my Joyeuse are strong, but they'll get a big boost if I have that weapon, and the skill slot is insurance for the future.
"Why are you discarding the storage bracelet? It could be very useful." She hadn't commented on this option, which I find very interesting. I'm sure only Diamond ranks and up have a chance to get one of that caliber.
"It is, it certainly is." I stare at her, waiting for the kicker. "But it isn't indispensable right now. You'll surely get one in the future, or fight someone and take it—you're a magnet for trouble and you'll end up with one of those chances." She really thinks that; I can feel her Imra and our bond to confirm it. I am a magnet for trouble, that I can't deny… after thinking it over, I decide not to argue.
"So I'm left with just those two options." It's admittedly a bit disappointing not to get some reward that could push my Imra or mana to the next level. The marquis had warned me about that: rewards are much more varied but less lethal at Emerald rank. I thought it would be different for being stronger…
"Yeah, think it through yourself; I don't want to influence your decision too much." Glia circles around and curls up like a cat—her feline eyes fixed on me, waiting for my choice.
"I'm going to think for a few minutes…" After seriously thinking it over for several minutes, I finally decide. "As my reward I want… the specialized weapon. I want twin swords similar to these." I don't know if the dungeon can see the Joyeuse I created as an example.
I decided on the weapon over the skill slot for a few reasons. When I rank up I'll get a new slot for another skill and I plan to learn one later anyway; I'm already very busy trying to obtain a space-type movement skill, improving my pseudo Laws, etc. I'm sure of one thing: I'll have more chances to gain slots in the future, or simply combine my skills.
The specialized swords are a different case: they can enhance my Imra, mana, and skills when I use them. I'll get a bonus to my attack power that will improve as I get stronger, and I believe these swords are strong enough to last me up to Diamond rank. I'm using the dimensional bracelet they offered me as a reference.
I feel something change inside me—something lights up my cube and, after a few seconds, it stops. What was that? I look at my cube, worried something bad happened, and it's the opposite: I can see two twin swords, blue with yellow lines, sitting in a corner of my cube. I focus to see them better and they appear in front of me; I hadn't noticed a thin purple line along the side of each one.
"What beautiful swords." Glia is also taken by the prize's beauty. I take the swords and run a bunch of tests. I'm surprised by their power: when I channel my skills, they flow by themselves into the blades and my constructs are now faster, sturdier, and stronger. Not only has my ice affinity been boosted—they're enhancing all my other affinities to a lesser degree.
I can store and pull both swords from my cube automatically. I try tossing one far from my grip and pulling it back into the cube—and it works. That opens many possibilities: if I lose one in a fight, I can recover it. I still need to test max distance and other functions. I can't keep going because the voice speaks again.
"First reward successful." It pauses a few seconds before continuing. "In one minute, the second reward will be delivered." Having spent so many minutes analyzing all the options, I've already recovered some energy. I start pacing back and forth waiting for that minute that felt eternal. I can't take the suspense!
I hear Glia's laughter; she won't stop staring and laughing. She should be just as anxious as I am—this is a surprise, special reward, something granted by the dungeon after analyzing me fighting through all eight floors.
"You have been granted a Hero's Mark. This mark is at Level 1; there are a total of three levels." Hero's Mark? Level 1, a total of 3 levels? What is that? I'm confused for a moment. It sounds like something special and strong, but I don't know anything about that mark. Now I have a lot of questions with no answers.
Luckily, the omnipresent voice isn't done. "At Level 1 it increases the potency of mana, Imra, and Laws. As a reward for placing second in completing the dungeon, your next Law will have a special surprise stored within it." Impressive! This mark boosts everything, therefore every skill is now stronger and more dangerous! What a wonderful reward! And that's not all—when I obtain my next Law, there'll be a booster tucked away.
I still have many questions, but I'm happy with the results. Time to go back.