Severance's First Cut

In an instant, Vega's Nen reserves were nearly depleted. In his palm materialized a tiny sword—no larger than a handspan, flimsy as plastic.

Though he'd braced for disappointment, the toy-like appearance of the Crimson Pupil's Severance left him speechless. It resembled a child's plaything more than a weapon.

A few experimental swings confirmed its impotence. No weight, no edge—just hollow whooshes of air.

"System. Enhance it."

A notification flickered in his mind:

«Crimson Pupil's Severance (Current Stage: Toy-Grade)»

Effect: Literally just a plastic sword.

Ignoring the sarcasm, Vega focused. "Strengthen."

Ghostly light erupted around the blade, its radiance searing. Energy flooded into it—then a thud echoed, rhythmic as a heartbeat.

The sword grew scalding hot. Vega's grip tightened. Was the system… awakening the malevolent spirit trapped within?

Imperial tools like this were forged from Crimson Pupil's most lethal entities—Elder Dragons that could devour even a protagonist like Tazmi. Now, the blade pulsed louder, its surface fractaling with silver veins. A violet orb ignited in the hilt, casting eerie luminescence.

Gone was the plastic mockery. In its place: a true artifact.

Vega grinned—until he checked his EXP.

715 → 515

"What?!" A +1 enhancement on the Black Shadow Mask had cost only 10 EXP. This was extortion.

The system's explanation was coldly logical:

«Multi-attribute items (Attack/Defense/Stealth) demand exponentially more EXP than single-function tools (e.g., Summoning).»

A grim realization struck. To reach +10, he'd need 3,000 EXP—and evolving it further might cost 30,000.

"Still…" Vega hefted the transformed sword. "Let's test this investment."

Phantom armor materialized across his body, humming with power. He flicked the blade at a 1-meter stone pillar—slicing it cleanly, the recoal nullified by the armor.

Defense Test: A Shadow Warrior fired a pistol at his forearm. The bullet clattered harmlessly to the ground.

Worth every EXP.

But his smile faltered as fatigue surged. Each attack/block drained stamina drastically—1 hour of combat max at this rate.

"Prioritize quick kills, then," Vega decided, dumping EXP into +4 enhancements.

Then—his phone rang.

Recognizing the caller, he smirked.

"Right on time."