The wrist crossbow had always been a weapon that met my expectations.
Of course, considering it was just a secondary weapon, I didn’t expect much, but…
It’s true that with each upgrade, some surprisingly neat features were added.
With a pounding heart, I brought the newly drawn wrist crossbow close to my upgraded crossbow.
Vroom-
With a short vibrating sound, the crossbows merged into one.
The crossbow, spitting out a bright light, had a remarkably different appearance.
The once bulky body, made to load three arrows at once, had transformed into a sleek design, and the pulley that needed to be twisted for loading had vanished.
“Wait, how do you use this?”
While I was examining it, frustration got the better of me, and I just pulled the string.
Screech. Click.
“Huh?”
The string pulled back effortlessly, fixing itself in place. Just to check, I fired it without an arrow.
Ping!
With a sharp twang, the string trembled. The tension hadn’t weakened; it was just able to be pulled without any tools.
Curiously poking around the area near the string, I was able to confirm what had changed.
“Has it become an artifact?”
The previous wrist crossbow was entirely made up of mechanical mechanisms.
But now it felt like the wrist crossbow had been enhanced with magic in certain parts for maximum convenience.
The performance itself hadn’t changed, but it was much easier to handle and loaded faster than before.
After all, with the previous upgrade, being able to shoot three arrows in a row had made it too big and heavy. Now it genuinely felt like a secondary weapon.
I’d probably need to stake it in place, but it felt like I could keep loading and shooting without a break.
For now, it seemed the usability had significantly improved, and that was enough to satisfy me.
Nodding with a grin, I looked at the next item. Even without an upgrade, there were several interesting looking new items I had drawn.
The first thing to check was the Universal Key.
A three-star item, mind you. In terms of rank, it was comparable to the solid unicorn horn that made up the Unicorn Dagger.
However, I was more curious about its name.
“What on earth warrants the name Universal Key?”
While rummaging through a pile of Mana Herbs, I soon discovered a suspicious metal lump. And then I realized why it was called a Universal Key.
“Isn’t calling a lockpick bundle a key a bit crazy…?”
Shaking my head in disbelief while glancing at the Goddess Statue, I examined the lockpick bundle.
Lockpicks made from a variety of materials and shapes. Among them, there was one that seemed to have complex circuitry etched into it, perhaps to breach magical defenses.
“…But I don’t know how to use this.”
I could tell it was highly specialized equipment, but I didn’t know the usage. It looked illegal at first glance, and asking someone to teach me felt awkward.
Moreover, where would I even use it? While there were treasure chests and locked doors in the labyrinth, there weren’t that many.
“Let’s just keep it for now.”
I figured it might come in handy someday. Given it’s three-star rank, I trust it’ll prove useful.
“Let’s see what’s next…”
As expected, the next item turned out to be a redeemable piece from the Masterpiece series.
The green cover had a somewhat intriguing title: “Kidnapping the Youngest Daughter of the Assassin Clan.”
“I’ll read it later.”
If it turns out to be interesting, I’ll keep it, and if not, I’ll just sell it off.
Items labeled as masterpieces might be useless, but they sell for a hefty price.
“Next up, I guess this one?”
It was a small talisman the size of two finger joints, layered beneath the book. The dense symbols and characters written on it sent chills down my spine.
Since the magically infused knowledge didn’t seem to respond, it was clear it wasn’t a magical device. I didn’t sense any divine power either, so it wasn’t a divine artifact.
Thus, it must be something mysterious that isn’t related to miracles.
Since the War of Apostasy, miracles had spread widely, but many mysteries had naturally arisen on the Pan Continent.
Well, speaking of mysteries, strictly speaking, it means properties that haven’t been clarified yet.
Alchemy, for instance, is a technology that academically elucidates and reproduces such mysteries.
The Protective Talisman was probably made that way.
I don’t know the principle, but since it has an effect, it could either be a timeless mystery used over many years or something meticulously recreated based on profound alchemical knowledge.
Regardless, one thing is certain: it likely holds the power to protect against something, as its name suggests.
Holding it in my hand, an odd sense of reassurance enveloped me.
“I should carry this with me at all times.”
Unfortunately, it seemed like its effects wouldn’t work if put in subspace, so I decided to secure it tightly in my pocket.
Even though I knew it was useless at the moment, it felt reassuring nonetheless.
Nodding, I finally looked at the most crucial four-star item.
Brooch of Aerial Leap.
It was a brooch with a silver background and blue patterns etched on it.
I had been using the Transparent Cloak, which is also four-star grade, and according to Benny, it was fantastic beyond my expectations.
Not only was it miniaturized to cloak size, but achieving perfect transparency while moving was a feat that was difficult even with magic, and definitely not with just magical devices.
In that sense, he was saying the Transparent Cloak was a top-tier artifact and kept pestering me about researching it.
I said I’d think about it, but the important part is that as a four-star item, it was top-tier enough to pique the interest of high-ranking adventurers like Benny.
So, it was clear that the Brooch of Aerial Leap was something significant as well.
“Is there no instruction manual…?”
The problem is that I had no idea how to use it either.
Items don’t engrain information into one’s soul and body like abilities or skills do.
Feeling mana from it, it seemed like it was a magical device…so I took a deep breath and infused the mana into it.
Vroom.
The brooch vibrated softly, emitting a gentle sky-blue aura. At the same time, a similar aura began to swirl around my feet.
I nailed it! After all, the more intuitive the usage, the better.
“I just need to activate it, and the rest should be simple.”
Its very name is the Brooch of Aerial Leap. It must have the power to let me jump again in midair.
I lifted one foot and stepped onto the air like climbing stairs.
Then I felt the sensation of stepping on something. However, it wasn’t solid ground. If I had to describe it, it was more like stepping on something springy like a trampoline.
I instinctively understood that the speed of the leap depended on how hard I kicked.
For now, since I was indoors, I’d lightly test it out. I stepped onto the air with the same force I’d use to walk uphill.
“Whoa.”
My body, clearly rising in the air, was stepping on nothing. Of course, since I hadn’t kicked hard, I came back down quickly.
Gaining mobility in midair was useful, which was a good thing. But… it felt a bit underwhelming for a four-star item.
As I tilted my head, my gaze suddenly turned to the sky-blue aura covering my foot.
While the foot that had just stepped on the air had the aura fade away, my other foot was still wrapped in that sky-blue light.
“Oh, I see?”
Of course! It couldn’t just be that simple for a four-star item.
I could leap twice in total, once with each foot. That alone would vastly change my mobility.
The key here is the reuse time…
After testing it by infusing mana every five seconds, I found that I could reuse it after about a minute.
It wouldn’t be easy to use continuously, but the cooldown was sufficient for frequent use.
Although it consumed quite a bit of mana, it wasn’t much of a burden since my mana capacity had nearly doubled after gaining that three-star magic.
While I’d need to practice fighting while stepping in midair, it would come easily with some practice.
I already had a few potential applications in mind, so I’ll test it out when I head into the labyrinth next.
It seemed my interest in myself was dying down, so it was time to tackle the third floor.
“Isn’t this a bit fast, though?”
Purely based on stats, I’d say I was on par with an adventurer who had amassed considerable experience on the third floor.
And it made sense since I received the growth bonuses from the labyrinth enhanced by the Basilieus.
On top of that, I had scored tremendous achievements by effectively taking down the Minotaur alone, along with a stats boost from my abilities.
Not to mention the armor made from the Minotaur’s hide, the Greatsword crafted from its horn, and the items I drew from the Gacha.
Considering equipment, physical ability, and the means I wield, it’s hard to believe I had just cleared the second floor.
The challenge lay in the aspects that remained hidden.
Battle style, exploration experience, and how I handle unexpected situations, among others.
How long has it been since I learned the basics from Lydia? Already tackling the third floor?
I felt okay for now, but perhaps it would be wise to take some time to solidify my skills.
I’ll ask Ellie and Lydia about this later.
For now, I first…
“I should eat some herbs…”
I had separated various items for a mass sale, but I ended up with way too many herbs.
Be it Mana Herbs or Recovery Herbs, I had just way too many. As a result, my mana and stamina were increasing significantly, but… even considering that, it was still too much.
“Self-herb stuffing, stop…!”
Muttering to myself, I threw some herbs into my mouth. Fortunately, with the Gluttonous Stomach having been upgraded, eating them felt pretty satisfying, and I could store a larger quantity at once.
I should be able to lay down in bed soon enough.
“Sigh.”
Just as I let out a deep sigh, I grabbed something peculiar out of the pile of herbs.
“Hmm.”
I pulled out a half-broken skull with a beak attached to it. Uniquely, the skull had turned to bone, while the beak still had moist flesh clinging to it as if it were alive.
It felt soft to the touch.
“Oh right. I remember this too?”
I must have skimmed past it earlier and failed to read it properly, but it was surely a soft beak that had appeared as a two-star item.
How did I forget about this?
Tilting my head, I examined the beak. Besides its oddly addictive texture, I had no clue what it could be used for.
“Well, it clearly looks like a material item.”
Let’s keep it for now and later ask Benny or Eve what it’s meant for.
I stuffed the soft beak into my pocket and refocused on the herbs.
50 gold… so that means the return on 5500 summons was simply too much.
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