Chapter 180
Author note : hello everyone so sorry for the long delay, I am currently dealing with a new work schedule and can make time so writing I slow and editing is even slower.
Can't do anything about it sorry, my advice is to ignore the novel until chapters accumulate, I used to do this.
Again I apologize and wish all of you the best.
......
Max stored his phone into his space ring and opened the simulator's screen, a frown forming on his face. Something didn't add up.
His gaze locked onto one of his talents—Bound by Blood. He tapped on its description, expecting to see something new, but the text remained the same.
[Bound by Blood] :
You can create a blood link with one of your pets, effectively receiving 20% of their growth in attributes.
Note 01: Only one pet can be linked.
Note 02: The effects of Bound by Blood cannot be undone.
His brows knit together. No changes. But originally, there had been an extra note—one that mentioned the talent would be enhanced if he killed the originator of it.
And he had killed her.
At the time, he'd felt something shift in his body, a faint but undeniable sense of something integrating. He had assumed the simulator would update to reflect the change. But now, a week later, the description hadn't changed at all.
"…Oi, simulator, confirm something for me," Max said. " what's the deal with bound by blood, why hasn't it been enhanced yet?"
The response was immediate.
[Reporting to the host: The talent has already been enhanced.]
Max's frown deepened. "Huh? Then why does the info still look the same?"
[Reporting to the host: After the talent is used on a pet, it will gain a special effect related to that specific pet.]
So that was it. The enhancement wasn't something obvious—it was tied to the pet he linked with.
Max tapped his fingers against his knee. "Is there a way to know what effect it'll get?"
[No, the simulator has no such function. However, you can read these articles and might be able to form a solid conjecture.]
A list of article titles appeared:
[Genetic Inheritance and Power Transference in Pets]
[Wills of the world & blood, in Evolutionary Wills and Their Connection to Bound Entities]
[Talents and Their Hidden Mechanics]
Max glanced through them, clicking his tongue. "Tch, more reading, huh?"
At first Max simply wanted to ignore the articles, but after a quick glance he found out that this was worth looking into. The potential value of the knowledge inside was too high to ignore.
Still, it didn't change his plans. He was going to use Bound by Blood on Lucy anyway. Whatever effect came with it, anyway the talent wasn't that great and Max didn't put too much focus on it, he'd simply use it when he finds a suitable way to increase Lucy's stats either in the simulation or in the real world.
For now, he pushed the thought aside and turned his attention to the ring Charles had sent him.
The spatial ring glowed faintly as Max accessed its contents.
Inside, everything was neatly arranged—various materials, tools, and blueprints. He scanned through them, sorting them mentally.
-Forging materials : Rare metals and such, useful for crafting high-end weapons and armor, among them were a good number of lightning based material.
-Alchemy ingredients : Components for potions, explosives, and poisons, although Max had no use for them now, but since he could buy them, he did.
A special forge blueprint he had bought for cheap, since this kind of thing wasn't too useful on its own, and wasn't in high demand.
A C-rank heavy armor blueprint, expensive, but worth it, Max didn't need it, but he had a plan to simulate Lucy safely, using it and the forge blueprint.
"Lu, this two blueprints are for you, they're simple, and I just need you to memorize them, the sooner the better."
'can I not do it?'. Responded Lucy without leaving her mountain state.
"you have to, otherwise you won't be able to survive in the dream world and you won't be getting stronger any time soon."
'really?'.
"yep, it's important since I can't find you a Spirit protection skill."
'okay!.'
After instructing Lucy Max switched his Focus to the last item he bought:
Golden Gunpowder : A consumable that increases the firepower of any gun by one grade, up to an A-rank maximum, ridiculously expensive and sold by grams.
Max picked up the container of Golden Gunpowder, rolling it.
This stuff was expensive. And dangerous. Mishandle it, and it could blow someone's arms off.
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Perfect! With this my shotgun will be at B++ firepower".
This was everything he bought for now.
...
Next Max pulled out the deep-dive VR capsule that Charles had bought. The sleek, futuristic design gleamed under the light, its smooth curves and dark metallic surface shimmered, making it look more like an advanced piece of military tech than a gaming device.
As Max pulled the VR capsule out of his ring, Lucy suddenly popped up beside him, eyes wide with curiosity. She hovered inches away, staring at the sleek, futuristic device like a kid seeing a new toy.
'Ooooh, what's this? Does it explode? Can I eat it?' she asked, reaching out with both hands.
Max immediately swatted her hands away. "No. Don't touch it. It's expensive, and it'd be annoying waiting for another if you break it."
'i am careful'.
Max shot her a look. "You and 'careful' can't coexist, so stay away from it please."
Lucy pouted, folding her arms.
Max ignored her as he gave the device a once-over, tapping a finger against the reinforced glass dome. "Looks cool," he muttered. But for now, he had other things to check. He stored it back in the ring and moved on.
...
Next, he pulled out the items Charles had retrieved from the Vault's bank account.
The first batch was mostly potions and equipment, but they were too low in rank for him to care. He swept his gaze over them briefly before deciding to dismantle them later for study.
But then, two items caught his attention.
The first was a ceremonial dagger. At a glance, it looked unimpressive—just an old, slightly rusted blade with faint engravings on the hilt. But Max had learned not to judge artifacts by their appearance.
"Simulator, scan it."
[Scanning…]
[Item: Blood Awakening Dagger
Effect: Can awaken dormant Warlock bloodline abilities if the user possesses any.
One-time use. Breaks after activation.]
Max raised a brow. "Interesting… Is it safe?"
[Safe for use. If no Warlock bloodline is detected, nothing will happen.]
Max thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Might as well."
He gripped the dagger, pressed the tip against his palm, and let it draw a thin line of blood. Immediately, the dagger crumbled into dust, its energy dispersing into his body.
....
...
....
...
…Nothing happened! .
Max sighed. "Yeah, figured."
He flexed his fingers. No strange sensations, no sudden rush of power—just the mild irritation of a pointless experiment. Tossing aside the remains, he moved on to the second item.
This one was a set of five—small arm guards, leg guards, and a belt. They looked simple but well-made, the dark metal polished to a fine sheen.
"Simulator, scan these."
[Scanning…]
[equipment: Titan Warframe (B-Rank Heavy Armor)
Properties:
- B++ defense.
Modular design, can expand to cover the full body.
Passive Skill: Increases all defenses by 60% but decreases speed by 45%.]
Max nodded in approval. "Now we're talking."
He strapped on the arm and leg guards to test the fit. They were surprisingly comfortable, although quite heavy.
But then he tried the belt.
The moment he fastened it around his waist, it shifted slightly, as if waiting for the expansion command. That was when he realized the problem.
His wings.
Max clicked his tongue. "Tch. Annoying."
The set was solid, and the defense boost was good, but he couldn't use it properly in its current form. He'd have to find time later to modify it, maybe cut out a section or redesign it entirely, still he had the Kraxtal weaving method that was good in dealing with metals so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
With that settled, he was finally done checking his new loot.
"meh! It's alright I guess."
Now, it was time to see what the VR was all about.