Chapter 79: A filthy Pillow? (1)
Encrid knew numerous ways to increase his current power.
That knowledge was one of the few advantages he possessed because he had read the original novel and watched countless characters strengthen themselves throughout the story.
Ignoring the dangerous path, there were three primary ways to increase one’s strength.
Stars. Realms. Skills.
But each affected strength differently.
Encrid could try opening new Stars, but simply having more Stars did not mean he would automatically become stronger.
More Stars meant greater potential, allowing a person to wield a more diverse range of abilities and elements. But unless he was proficient in using those abilities, there was little point in having them in the first place.
Skills were different.
Encrid already possessed a six-star Skill.
He could potentially obtain a few more powerful Skills, and that would certainly increase his combat ability, but Skills alone would not make him overwhelmingly powerful.
Skills were a means of expressing the power a person already possessed and using it efficiently. The greater one’s mastery and proficiency over a Skill, the more effectively they could draw upon and express their existing power.
Then there were Realms.
Realms were the deciding factor when comparing individuals.
A Realm determined how deeply a Star had been cultivated and how much Star Energy a person could draw from it.
Two people could possess the same number of Stars and still have vastly different levels of strength simply because their Stars had been cultivated to different Realms.
Even then, things were not always so simple.
Two people could have two Stars unlocked, yet one might have cultivated both Stars much further than the other. Their Skills and proficiency could differ as well.
That was why strength could never be judged simply by counting Stars.
And that was precisely why Encrid was here.
He was not looking for another Star.
Nor was he particularly interested in obtaining another Skill since his hands were already full training the Gannon Family’s Swordsmanship.
What he was looking for was to improve his cultivation.
He wanted to increase the Realm of his Azure Star.
And if fortune favored him, he wanted to obtain a Star Ability as well.
For that, he needed something very specific.
A Roamer core.
Preferably one taken from a powerful creature whose nature was compatible with his Azure Star.
A sufficiently powerful core could provide him with an enormous amount of Star Energy and potentially allow him to push his cultivation to the next Realm.
It was a shortcut.
And Encrid needed shortcuts.
The truth was, Encrid had never known what was inside the Vault.
The only information he had about it came from the original novel.
There had been a brief mention of the Wall’s Vault when the Mercenary King received something from it-an item that later proved extremely useful to him. The novel had never explained exactly what else was stored there, only that the Wall kept an unusual collection of valuable objects within its underground vault.
But that was enough for Encrid.
He had realized something during his time at the Wall.
His talent was not exceptional.
He could work hard.
He could learn.
He could improve.
But he was not like Gus, who seemed capable of breaking through bottlenecks with an ease that bordered on absurdity.
If Encrid wanted to grow stronger quickly, he needed shortcuts.
That was why he had asked to enter the Vault.
The Roamer cores stored there were one such shortcut.
A core taken from a sufficiently powerful Roamer could provide an enormous amount of Star Energy, and if he was lucky, perhaps he could even obtain a Star Ability from one of them.
That was what Encrid had expected to find.
Power.
Something that could compensate for his lack of extraordinary talent.
Instead, he had found something far more interesting.
As he heard Vess say that the pile belonged to items that had never been identified, Encrid’s attention sharpened.
His gaze remained fixed on it.
’Is that what I think it is?’
He moved closer.
The pile contained all sorts of strange objects recovered by the Far-Watch, most of them apparently unidentified.
But there, among the forgotten relics, was something Encrid recognized.
Something he had seen-or rather, read about-before.
Not in this world.
In the novel.
His heartbeat quickened.
He stepped toward the pile and crouched down.
Vess noticed the sudden change in his expression.
"What is it?"
Encrid did not answer.
His hand reached into the pile and pulled out the object.
Vess gave him an odd look.
"Careful, Young Master. Gods know where they found that. It might be carrying some kind of infection."
Encrid ignored him completely.
He stared at what he was holding.
A pillow.
A filthy, utterly ordinary-looking pillow.
It was stained, dusty, and so unimpressive that it looked as though it belonged in a rubbish heap rather than the Wall’s Vault.
But Encrid knew better.
He looked at one side of the pillow.
It was completely filthy.
Old stains covered the fabric, and the material had become discolored with age.
He turned it around.
The other side was completely clean.
Encrid’s eyes widened slightly.
Exactly as he remembered.
His fingers tightened around the pillow.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
He had no idea why this item was here.
He had no idea who had brought it to the Wall or how long it had been sitting inside the Vault.
But he knew, at that very moment, that this was the item he was going to take out.
After all these years, the novel had not lied.
Vess was still speaking behind him, but Encrid no longer heard a word.
He looked at the pillow again, almost unable to believe his luck.
Then he turned toward the Steward.
"I’m taking this."
Vess stared at him.
For several seconds, he did not respond.
His eyes moved from Encrid’s face to the filthy pillow in his hands and then back again.
"...What?"
Encrid simply held the pillow closer.
"I’m taking this."
✦ ✦ ✦
~ Character designs for Encrid, Gus, and Arthur have been added! Please take a look, and feel free to join the Discord for more discussions, theories, and updates about the novel. (Link in my bio and in the novel synopsis.) ~