[Max's POV]
After staring at my own eyes for a full minute, I moved away from the mirror—but then got back again and focused my intent on disengaging the Skill. Luckily, my eyes returned to normal.
Feeling relieved, I sighed. Those eyes were majestic and powerful, but I didn't want to move around like someone with stars studded in my eyes.
The passive ability worked even now, and within 360° around me for fifty meters there were no blind spots. I could even expand this field at the expense of mana and mental strength—which I had in abundance. The rest of the functions would be better judged in combat or other scenarios.
Next, I came back to my bed, then decided to go over the last thing waiting in my inventory—Chests.
Four Uncommon Chests waited in my inventory. I had thought of using my Talent and Ability combo, but after seeing the result of my eyes, I wanted to check first if something useful would come out of it. I didn't want some overpowered thing that would just stay useless to me.
First, I opened the chest from the Slime Dungeon.
[Uncommon Chest Opened!]
[Obtained:] Verdant Core Fragment ×1
[Obtained:] Biogel Essence ×3
[Obtained:] Acid Veil Cloak (Common)
[Obtained:] Recipe – Elixir of Elastic Vitality
With no shortage of money, I gave the Core to Lamina after multiplying and fusing it into a complete core. The Recipe and Biogel Essence were of no use me, so I just stored them for now.
The Common-range cloak was interesting. I already had a Mythical Cloak with high agility, elemental resistance, and magical resistance, so I multiplied and fused it until it reached Legendary Rank, then fused it with my cloak—'Aetherveil of Eternum'.
The result was astounding. The previous appearance, although shiny and smooth, lacked uniqueness, but now its form was jaw-dropping. It had some abilities, though I would probably never use them.
What fascinated me was its semi-conscious state and its ability to learn in combat and camouflage—both extremely useful to me.
The look of the cloak, 'Eternal Dreadshroud of the Abyss Cosmos,' if I were to describe it: a cloak with depth and cosmic radiance. It's outer surface glimmered with shining constellations flowing like liquid nebulae, while the inner lining seethed with red tendrils that pulsed like living shadows.
Moving on to the second chest from the Spectral Burrows.
[Uncommon Chest Opened!]
[Obtained:] Soulcoil Mandible (Weapon Material) ×2
[Obtained:] Ectoplasmic Catalyst ×3
[Obtained:] Skill Book [Phase Step]
[Obtained:] Valkorath's Core Fragment (Rare)
After, storing the Weapon Material and Ectoplasmic Catalyst, I used my Talent and Ability combo to make a complete Valkorath's Core and fed it to Lamina to help her gain Soul/Spirit Affinity.
The Skill Book felt interesting to me, so I followed my usual procedure—which resulted in something exciting.
[Skill:] Ghostwalk Paradox
[Rank:] EX
[Element:]Space, Spirit
[Type:] Stealth
[Description:] Instead of simply phasing, you cease to exist within perception. You can slip between all sensory layers—physical, spiritual, and conceptual—for a short duration. During Ghostwalk, even the memory of the user fades temporarily.
[Mana Cost:] Extremely High
After reading the skill description, I waited for few minutes but nothing happened.
"Why didn't I unlock my Spirit Affinity yet, System?" I asked.
[Some affinities have multile conditions required besides exposure, when right condition are met. You would awaken your Spirit Affinity.]
"Is there anything I can do about it?" I further added, I really wanted to have Spirit Affinity which allowed me to have Contracts with spirits easily and even allowed access to Soul magic.
[Spirit Affinity can't be forced. You would awaken under right circumstances and the conditions differ according to person. So there is no fixed way.]
"Hmm...okay, will see about it later if I can't do anything." I remarked as I moved to next chest.
Now, it was number of the third chest from the Twilight Echoing Cavern.
[Uncommon Chest Opened!]
[Obtained:] Echo Crystal ×3
[Obtained:] Shadow Essence Core ×2
[Obtained:] Skill Book [Bat Wing]
[Obtained:] Echo Rune of Silence (Unique)
This chest was an interesting one. I did the same procedure with the core and material. The skill Bat Wing was intriguing as it provided small flight with absolute silence, so I didn't wait and immediately raised its rank by Multiplication and Fusion to EX Rank.
[Skill:] Eclipsion — Wings of First Silence
[Rank:] EX
[Element:] Shadow, Wind, Space
[Type:] Mobility / Stealth / Distortion
[Description:] These wings exist beyond sound, beyond light, and even beyond spatial law.
When spread, all vibrations within their reach cease to exist.
[Mana Cost:] Extremely High
Then I focused on the Unique item—or rather, my first Unique item—the Echo Rune of Silence.
[Echo Rune of Silence]
[Type:] Item
[Description:] Adds a passive Trait of Sound Nullification on any weapon or equipment.
[Remark:] The chance of failure is high if not done properly.
Simple information, but very powerful—and I immediately had the best candidate for it: my little glutton, Lamina Veri.
I held Lamina in my hand and looked at the blade.
"You'll surely like this," I said softly. "I'm not fusing this with you yet because I still don't have enough control over my Talent to do a precise fusion. So wait for a little bit."
Lamina hummed in response, happily.
Now I moved to the last Chest, from when I cleared the Labyrinth.
[Uncommon Chest Opened!]
Obtained: Egg of Remnant of Ignis Lupen
Intrigued, I stared at the egg for a minute—an obsidian-type shell with vein-like structures all over it.
"Weren't Wolf supposed to be born as pups? How he turned into an egg?" I asked, I mean I get I am in fantasy world but this still very confusing.
[Check its description]
I followed system's advice and immediately understood the meaning behind it.
[Egg of Remnant of Ignis Lupen]
[Type:] Drago-Wolf hybrid (Re-born)
[Affinity:] Fire, Shadow (due to rebirth)
[Estimated hatching time:] Depends on proximity to Player and mana-rich environment (Minimum – 3 weeks)
[Remark:] Bloodline Unstable
"So, wolfie was a dragon but how come I didn't noticed?" I asked.
[You barely glanced at him in your half dying state]
"Well, let's not remember the painful times. But I killed so many bosses, why only he become an egg?" I was curious as to how this came to pass.
[–50 Myth Points]
[Ignis had a deep yearning for power at time of death. During his death, his remenant Dragon Bloodline forced his soul to undergo rebirth by burning itself. That is also why it is in Unstable state.]
[The system had no problem with him being reborn so, as a result you got the egg.]
"Hmm...I get it. Well, I had plans of getting some powerful pet companion. This is the best opportunity for me."
Looking at the egg unstable state, I decided to use my Innate Ability instantly followed by fusion. If I was going to have some pet or companion, then they had to be OP too and coincidently this would most likely fix your Bloodline stability problem.
In a few minutes, the process was complete, and a new egg rested in front of me.
[Primordial Dragon of Cinder and Night Egg]
[Type:] Primordial Dragon
[Affinity:] Fire & Shadow (Primordial)
[Hatching Condition:] After constant and uninterrupted supply of highest quality Mana for three weeks.
"Wow, the hatching condition sure is difficult and expensive. Even Overlord families will think thrice before attempting to hatching the egg."
"Well, you are in luck, Not-Wolfie. I am the best mana supply you could find." I chuckled at the thought of having a dragon as a companion.
A Primordial Dragon, no less. Even it's affinity changed into Primordial. The appearance of egg had also changed drastically.
The shell of the egg was semi-transparent obsidian crystal with a galaxy of moving embers inside. Veins of gold and silver pulsed like living arteries. At its core, an eclipse—a black flame sun surrounded by drifting motes of crimson light.
It was an extremely beautiful egg. I touched the shell to pour some of my mana into it. It devoured mana like there was no tomorrow, I didn't felt any strain but I could feel the rate at which it was greedily absorbing it.
After checking with System, I placed the egg in my inventory where it continued its absorption.
I slumped back onto the bed.
"So that's everything on the list currently. I should sleep for a few hours. There's nothing more to do right now. This was more hectic than I thought."
With that, I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep. I wasn't tired but I liked the dreams induced from my memories of past life.