Chapter 157
Chapter 157: Is It Okay If I Upgrade 2 Pieces of Equipment?
On the crafting table sat a suit of armor and a blade, placed side by side.
Viktor gently rested his hand on the equipment, which shimmered under the glow of lamplight.
A white radiance slowly rose from within.
Before his eyes, an exceptionally distinctive line of text appeared.
【Spend 500,000 Geo to enhance?】
Viktor's voice rang out, calm and even.
"Enhance."
As his words fell, a mass of golden light surged from his hand, drifting toward the equipment before slowly fusing into the steel.
The white radiance began to shift. Golden light gradually replaced the white, submerging the equipment like the still surface of a lake.
A blue panel materialized before Viktor out of thin air.
【Enhancement successful.】
He studied the equipment's attribute panel, narrowing his eyes.
【Armor: Mostril's Plate (Enhancement +5)】
【Effect: HP: 3,500, Defense: 100, Elemental Resistance: 35%】
【Skill: Attrition—When struck, the attacker's weapon degrades 50% faster.】
【Weapon: Molten Iron Blade (Enhancement +5)】
【Effect: Attack Power: 150, Fire Attribute Damage: 30%, Attack Speed: 40%】
【Skill: Flame Sword Aura—Your attacks will carry 20% Fire Attribute damage.】
Equipment enhancement.
It was another special ability available exclusively to Players.
Enhancing equipment required certain conditions. For basic, ordinary-tier equipment such as this, the condition was simply spending a large sum of Geo.
Each piece of equipment could be enhanced a maximum of 5 times.
The cost of each enhancement increased incrementally, starting at 100,000 Geo, with every subsequent enhancement adding another 100,000 Geo.
Until the final 500,000.
But if a Player still wished to push further after the 5-enhancement cap was reached—
Viktor raised his head. The panel appeared before him once more.
【Spend 1,000,000 Geo to evolve the weapon—Note: this enhancement may fail. Upon failure, all enhancement levels are reset to zero.】
"Enhance."
Viktor didn't hesitate. He stated his decision with cold composure.
As his words fell, a torrent of golden light poured from his hand, forming an enormous golden hammer that crashed down upon the already modest crafting table.
In an instant, golden light scattered across the steel in all directions, and flames began to burn along the surface of the equipment.
The armor before him now resembled something skeletal—compact, its steel turned sharp and lustrous.
Bone spikes embedded around the armor's frame made it all the more fearsome.
【Armor: Mostril's Indomitable Will】
【Effect: HP: 5,500, Defense: 200, All Resistance: 50%】
【Skill: Unyielding Thorns—When struck, the attacker's weapon degrades 80% faster, and 30% of the incoming damage is reflected back.】
The evolved armor had reached its absolute peak. Players could enhance it no further.
Viktor set it aside and turned his attention to the blade.
Text appeared before him once again. Viktor calmly placed his hand on the blade.
But the moment he touched it, the golden light began to waver.
The radiance dimmed, and then, wisps of black smoke rose from the equipment.
Viktor narrowed his eyes, seemingly having anticipated this outcome all along.
Enhancement failed.
Equipment that failed evolution would have all enhancement values reset to zero.
In other words, the 1,500,000 Geo previously invested in this weapon had been completely wasted.
Weija stood to one side, watching golden light pulse repeatedly from Viktor's palm, clicking its tongue in amazement.
It could clearly sense that the equipment bathed in that golden light had grown considerably stronger.
"I'm curious—just what kind of power is this?"
"The power of money."
Viktor replied offhandedly. Watching the Geo in his account drain away at a rapid pace, he felt barely a ripple of emotion.
To a Power Leveler, in-game currency was nothing more than a string of numbers.
What mattered most was converting those numbers into tangible reinforcements for oneself.
Besides, this money had been extorted from others without any effort on his part.
No reason to feel attached.
But after the armor's first successful evolution, his luck took a turn for the worse.
Evolution after failed evolution—his Geo bled away like a stream steadily running dry.
Nearly 30,000,000 Geo wasted before he finally produced a blade that successfully broke through.
Viktor watched the golden light gradually fade from the blade and slowly picked it up.
Along the straight length of the blade, twin rows of angled spikes jutted outward. Mysterious golden Runes were inlaid across the steel, as if some profoundly unique creature were roaring ceaselessly within.
The Runes began to faintly gleam. Starting from the base of the blade, crimson light slowly spread across the entire length of steel.
【Weapon: Wrath of the Flame God】
【Effect: Attack Power: 300, Fire Attribute Damage: 50%, Attack Speed: 60%】
【Skill: Fury—Your attacks will carry 50% Fire Attribute damage. With a sufficient charge time, you may unleash a single Sword Aura, dealing 400% of the current attack's damage.】
"Not bad."
Viktor studied it for a moment, then released his grip. The blade vanished instantly in midair, drawn into his inventory.
A full 100 pieces of equipment still remained, piled in the corner like a small mountain.
Viktor had only evolved 2 pieces. Evolving all the rest would demand far too much Geo.
Besides, each failure meant a complete and total loss.
Quit while you're ahead.
Viktor tapped a finger through the air and drew 2 pieces of equipment into his inventory.
"Now, it's time to test their strength."
He turned and walked toward the exit. Weija quickly beat its wings and landed on his shoulder.
The heavy wooden door of the basement groaned open with a creak, then swung shut with a heavy thud.
A dull resonance echoed throughout the empty basement.
***
Darkness. Nothing but darkness.
A small cabin built entirely of stone, without so much as a single lit lamp.
Elsa, asleep in the depths of that darkness, sat propped against the bed, eyes hollow, head hanging low.
As if she had lost all consciousness entirely.
3 days had passed since she left the Rether Family.
In those 3 days, Elsa had remained in this very state without change.
Whenever she recalled the War Magic Viktor had unleashed—
Her body would begin to tremble, completely beyond her control.
That terrifying scene of slaughter would flash before her eyes in vivid, unbidden detail.
The door slowly swung open. A shaft of light streamed in from outside, falling across Elsa's pale and haggard face.
Having gone so long without sunlight, she instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.
A stinging pain flooded her vision.
Gradually adjusting to the light, she made out the figure walking into the room.
Clang—clang—
2 clear, crisp strikes of metal against stone.
2 pieces of equipment were tossed to the ground.
Elsa slowly lowered her gaze to the armor and blade lying on the floor, her mind sluggish and unfocused.
Back when she was with the Rether Family, she had seen that armor before.
It had been crafted from parts dropped by the rare creature known as Mostril.
The other blade, Elsa recognized as well.
Forged from rare molten iron extracted from within a volcano, its power was not to be underestimated.
These extraordinarily precious pieces of equipment had all been prepared for the Rether Family's subjugation unit.
Looking at them now, Elsa understood clearly—the Rether Family had agreed to compensate Viktor.
"Put it on. Pick up the weapon."
That familiar, ice-cold voice rang out. Elsa rose numbly to her feet and, without a shred of hesitation and right in front of Viktor, stripped off the cloth armor wrapped around her body.
She paid no mind to her exposed skin. She bent down, pulled the armor on with practiced ease, and took up the blade.
The moment the armor settled over her, she felt a surge of immense power flood through her entire body.
This wasn't right.
If this equipment had come from the Rether Family, it shouldn't have been capable of bringing such a palpable boost to its wearer.
She could scarcely believe it, yet the sensation her body gave her didn't lie.
Viktor quietly observed the level indicator and HP bar above Elsa's head.
Lv41.
The effect was unmistakable.
This equipment had caused a substantial increase in her HP.
What Elsa now wore was ordinary equipment enhanced to its absolute limit.
Still, he was more interested in seeing Elsa perform in actual combat.
So he looked at her and said:
"Didn't you want to see Cindy?"
The instant she heard his words, Elsa slowly raised her head and looked toward Viktor.
For the first time, a faint flicker of emotion stirred in her hollow eyes.
"Then follow me."
His words fell, and Viktor left the cabin.
Elsa quickly fell into step behind him. The armor on her body brought no sense of burden whatsoever.
If anything, her body felt lighter than it ever had.
She followed behind Viktor, her gaze drifting, almost involuntarily, to the back of his neck.
The way Viktor looked right now—he seemed, somehow, completely unguarded.
An idea began to take shape in Elsa's mind, unbidden.
If she were to launch a surprise attack right now—
Would she succeed?
Once the thought surfaced, it refused to leave.
Right now, she was clad in extraordinarily powerful armor.
The sharp blade in her hand granted her a strength she hadn't imagined possible.
Right now, if she struck by surprise, it would surely work.
Because he was a Mage—and at this range, no Mage could withstand a same-tier Assassin's attack.
Couldn't withstand it—could he?
Then, abruptly, Elsa recalled the image of herself facing Viktor in close combat.
In that domain, she had been crushed entirely.
Not even the faintest shadow of a chance at victory.
The idea that had barely taken root vanished without a trace.
Somewhere along the way, Viktor had ground every last scrap of her confidence to dust.
Even now, with formidable power at her disposal—even with an opening within arm's reach—
She still believed:
Viktor was deliberately leaving her a vulnerability on purpose.
Or rather—he simply didn't care about her attempting a surprise attack.
He was strong. Unreasonably, impossibly strong.
Even if she truly struck first—
Viktor would handle it with ease.
Elsa's desire to act dissolved completely.
She lowered her head and continued walking behind Viktor.
In the very moment she looked down, however, she failed to notice:
A pair of jet-black crow eyes watched her without pause, without rest.