NOVEL NEXT Chapter 72 : Back to Academy [1]
The journey back was a strange reversal of the trip to Elarion.
They took one of Quill's sleek, silent cars to the border. This time, Azrael was once again folded uncomfortably into the magically expanded suitcase.
The checking on the way out was less strict, and they passed into the human domain without issue as getting in was harder while going out was easier.
Now, they were in a familiar black Ashveil carriage
It was already evening, the setting sun painting the sky in shades of orange and purple.
Azrael sat in the plush seat, turning his new prized possession over in his hands. The gauntlet.
It was made of a dark, unidentifiable metal that felt strangely warm to the touch. A single item that could change the entire game for him.
Celestria watched him from across the carriage, a small, amused smile on her lips. "You did Quill dirty," she said, breaking the long silence.
He looked up, his expression innocent. "You supported me, too."
"Well, I was just playing along," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "And I really do like fooling him. He's so serious all the time, it's fun to watch him squirm."
"So, what do you think about Quill?" he asked, a teasing glint in his violet eyes. "He's obviously in love with you. Are you just going to use him for favors forever?"
She looked at him, her expression turning thoughtful. "He is strong. And loyal. A bit of a fool, but a useful one."
"Useful enough to marry?" he pressed, the smirk on his face growing wider. "Come on, you need an heir for the family. He's powerful, noble, and a dragonkin. Think of the children. They'd probably breathe fire. It'd be fun."
She shot him a dangerous glare. "Don't be ridiculous."
"Why not?" he said, leaning forward. "He clearly likes you. And you seem to enjoy his company. Plus, you're getting old. Twenty-five is practically ancient for a noble lady who hasn't been married. You need to secure the family line before you start getting gray hairs."
Her eye twitched. A small, wickedly sharp blade of pure silver Aether, about the size of a letter opener, formed in the air beside her head, pointed directly at him.
"I'm saying," she said, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous hiss, "that if you were with me for one more minute, I would have used this to see if your new body bleeds as much as the old one. You are lucky we have reached the academy."
The carriage lurched to a stop. The Aether blade vanished.
"Go," she ordered, her face a mask of cold fury. "And go to sleep. It's already late. I will be leaving as well."
He opened the carriage door, then turned back to her, a final sarcastic smile on his face. "Good night, sister. Try not to dream of your dragonkin prince too much."
He slammed the door shut before she could throw something at him.
He was laid out on his bed in his dorm room. The familiar ceiling, the familiar silence. He was back.
He looked at his new gauntlet, lying on the nightstand beside him. Then, he called up the system.
[◈ STATUS MANIFEST ◈]
[Name: Azrael Ashveil]
[Rank: Expert]
[◈ CORE ATTRIBUTES ◈]
[Strength: 18 / 100]
[Agility: 17 / 100]
[Endurance: 18 / 100]
[Intelligence: 13 / 100]
[Aether: 12 / 100]
[Luck: 5 / 100]
[Charisma: 20 / 100]
'I have improved,' he thought, 'but not enough to match the others.' He looked at his available balance.
[100,010 P.]
He had spent the entire night researching, going through every single item in the shop, thinking about the best way to use this small fortune. He had seen some potential things.
There were many valuables under his balance.
First, there were the weapons. He had the gauntlet now, but its main use was for defense. He needed something for offense.
[SYSTEM SHOP]
Balance: 100,010 P
[Weapons]
Abyssal Fang (Sword) - [Cost: 75,000 P]
A blade forged from void metal. Can cut through both physical and magical defenses, but drains a bit of the wielder's Aether constantly.
Draconic Gauntlets (Pair) - [Cost: 90,000 P]
Grants the user the strength of a dragon. One punch can shatter mountains, but overuse burns the user's veins.
Oblivion Spear [Mythical Weapon] - [Cost: 95,000 P]
A spear that ignores distance—its thrust reaches the target no matter where they stand within sight.
Heavenpiercer Bow [Divine Weapon] - [Cost: 100,000 P]
Fires homing energy arrows that never miss. Each arrow consumes a small amount of the user's soul energy.
'The Abyssal Fang is tempting, but the Aether drain is a problem,' he thought. 'The Draconic Gauntlets are somewhat similar to mine but these are destructive and mine to protect myself. The Oblivion Spear... ignores distance? That's completely broken, but can my body even handle a mythical weapon? And the Heavenpiercer Bow... consumes soul energy? Hard pass.'
Next were the items.
[Items]
Ethereal Lantern [Arcane Relic] - [Cost: 40,000 P]
Reveals all hidden enemies and illusions within a one-mile radius. Can only be used 3 times.
Demonbreaker Chains [Unique Relic] - [Cost: 60,000 P]
Binds anything physical, spiritual, or demonic for 30 seconds. One-time use per day.
Crown of Thorns [Cursed Relic] - [Cost: 80,000 P]
Boosts magical power by 10x, but each cast damages the user's soul.
Orb of Infinity [Legendary Relic] - [Cost: 100,000 P]
Stores any single spell the user encounters, letting them cast it once flawlessly.
Tears of the Forgotten [Consumable Relic] - [Cost: 50,000 P]
Heals all wounds and curses instantly.
'The chains are perfect for stopping someone like Selvara or Kaelen for thirty seconds. But only once a day. The Crown of Thorns is another soul-eating item. No thanks. The Orb could be useful... if I could copy Selvara's black ice or Kaelen's golden aura... but only once.'
Then, there were the skills.
[Skills]
Spirit Split [Arcane Skill] - [Cost: 70,000 P]
Creates an astral double of the user for 5 minutes. Both bodies share any damage taken.
Demonic Dominion [Forbidden Skill] - [Cost: 95,000 P]
Boosts all stats by 5x for 3 minutes. After the effect, the user's body collapses for 12 hours.
Absolute Null Field [Forbidden Zone] - [Cost: 100,000 P]
Creates an area where no magic works (friend or foe). Duration: 1 minute.
Heaven's Wrath [Divine Skill] - [Cost: 95,000 P]
Summons a celestial beam that annihilates everything in a wide area. One use per week cooldown.
'The Absolute Null Field is a trap. Without my threads, I'm useless. Heaven's Wrath has too long of a cooldown. Demonic Dominion... a 5x boost is insane, but a twelve-hour collapse means I can only use it if I'm absolutely sure it will end the fight.' He already had Limit Break, which did the same thing but for a shorter time. The combination was tempting, but it was a one-trick pony.
He had all these flashy options, but he realized they were just tools. He needed to improve the user.
He remembered something else. Something he had seen once, a tab he had only glanced at before.
He found it, tucked away in the main menu, away from the exciting weapons and skills. of made him smile.
[Core Enhancements]
He opened it.
[Undistributed Stat Points (x100)]
[Description: A bundle of raw potential. Can be allocated to any core attribute as the user sees fit.]
[Cost: 100,000 P]
He stared at it. It wasn't a weapon. It wasn't a skill. It was a foundation. A way to permanently raise his own power, to close the gap between him and the monsters he had to face.
He didn't hesitate.
'Purchase.'