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First things first, I learned a new Skill named [Blacksmithing], which was currently sitting at D rank. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad at all; I learned it out of my Jack of all Trades Skill from Hilda.
Skills can be learned even if they're of higher ranks; the skill will simply be demoted to a lower class, which happens even with Skills that might also be of B rank. It depends on the talent of that person with the skill they want to learn and how well the mentor teaches them.
This skill is convenient, as it includes both the ability of Smelting and also the ability of Smithing, I'll have to keep improving on it with Hilda's support.
So now, the big decision: which Skill do I choose?
[Skill Copy Conditions have been fulfilled; you may choose one of these Skills]:
[Divine Smith Hands (S)]
[Divine Blacksmith's Vitality (S)]
[Hephaestus Forge (SS)]
Isn't it already too obvious? Just thinking about having my own Forge is awesome! However… I'm not someone sponsored by Hephaestus.
So, will this Skill's true form change as a result, as it did with the Demonic Beast Transformation Skill?
Let's give it a shot…
Ding!
[You've chosen the [Hephaestus Forge (SS)] Skill!]
[You have learned the [Hephaestus Forge (SS)] Skill.]
And there it is…! Now, let's-
Ding!
[Because the only Forge of Hephaestus already has a Master, and Hephaestus has already chosen an Incarnation, the Skill cannot function properly.]
[There are two Options Available]
[Option 1: Kill the owner of the Forge and obtain the forge for yourself. Hephaestus will also become your sponsor if you do that.]
[Option 2: Transform the Skill into something different yet similar, utilizing your innate Skills to shape its form and new abilities.]
What the hell is wrong with that first option? This is nuts! Is this why Hilda doesn't appear in the future, based on the novel I read? Did Hephaestus's Incarnation in that future kill her?
Yikes… No thanks, I'm not killing my friend.
I'll take Option 2!
Ding!
[You've chosen Option 2.]
[The [Hephaestus Forge (SS)] Skill is beginning to Transform!]
[It has begun to absorb the information about several of your existing Skills and Privileges…]
[Because of the High Skill Rank, this might take some time to adjust properly, so please, wait patiently.]
[Remaining Time: 3 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes.]
Wait, I have to wait four days?!
I guess it's not going to be something easy… Whoever is behind this System must be having a bit of a hard time. Sorry about that.
"I can't believe it's finally done... I've made not one, but two masterpieces…" Hilda was laughing as she sat down in her chair. "Hahaha… I've done it, Lord Hephaestus! Are you happy?"
[The Cosmic Throne {Divine Forger of Olympus} smiles proudly at his Incarnation.]
[He is very proud of her talents and achievements.]
[Through his Divine Powers, he has enchanted her Existing Skills and granted her a Special {Divine Talent}!]
"D-Divine Talent?!" Hilda gasped.
Divine Talents is the version of Privileges for other Awakened, though they can usually grow stronger based on the growth of the user and the approval of their Constellation.
Although it might seem unfair compared to my stagnant Privileges, they can only get one, or two at most, so it is not that broken… Maybe I'll get one of those one day. Though I'm content with getting a gazillion privileges.
"Well done, Hilda." I congratulated her. "This work is amazing!"
"I wouldn't have been able to do all of this without you, though, Anna! Thanks a lot too!" Hilda suddenly jumped over me, hugging me tightly with her big arms and lifting me off the ground. "MOOCH!"
She even gave me a big kiss on my cheek.
"H-Hey, that's enough!" I complained. "I barely did much, and… can you just let me go? I might be rather short compared to other girls my age, but I'm actually 16!"
"Hehehe, sorry, sorry~! I was so happy." Hilda giggled, letting me go. "Anyways, do you like them?! Why don't you try them out right away?"
"Let me check them a bit; their appearances and auras alone are already overwhelming…" I said, looking at both items.
The first item, containing [The Bleeding Scream's Bloody Tear], was a beautiful, crimson-colored chest plate; it actually covered most of my body—the entire torso, in fact.
Its design was simple, yet the more I looked at it, the more intricacies I could notice. The jewel was right in the middle of the chest, connected to hundreds of tiny runes engraved into the crimson-red metal.
The shoulders had beautiful bat-wing-like decorations, and there were also dragon-like eyes on the back, as if glaring at anybody daring to attack me from behind.
There were also rose-shaped carvings on the sides, and it emanated a powerful aura. This was not normal armor.
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[Mad Blood Rose Princess' Armor]
{Item Type}: [Armor] [Magic Armor] [Demonic Item] [???]
{Item Quality}: [SSS+ Rank]
{Item Requirement}: [Owner of the [The Bleeding Scream's Bloody Tear]
{Item Durability}: [250000/250000]
{Item Effects}
[DEF]: [+35000] [HP]: [+5000] [MP]: [+5000] [STR]: [+2000] [VIT]: [+5000] [DEX]: [+1000] [AGI]: [+1000] [WIS]: [+2000] [LUC]: [+2500] [CHM]: [+10000]
{Item Abilities}
[Blood Maiden]: As this Armor has been imbued with the Tear of [The Bleeding Scream], it is capable of exerting a small fragment of its {Presence}and {Authority}. Whenever the Armor or the Wearer takes Damage, +50% of the Damage Taken will be added to the user's ATK for 30 Seconds, which can stack indefinitely. However, the 30 Seconds cannot be increased, and once every 30 Seconds, the Accumulated Bonus Damage will be lost. Cooldown: 60 Seconds.
[Bleeding Rose]: The more Damage this Armor takes, the more it will begin to bleed, the blood that the Armor bleeds can accumulate within the Crimson Jewel on its chest to a maximum of 10000 Blood Energy. This Blood Energy can then be used to unleash {Blood Rose Spikes} to deal 250% Damage on Contact for 60 Seconds, {Blood Puppets}, to summon Puppets made of Blood, or {Bleeding World}, to deal +1000% destructive explosive damage. Blood Energy: 0/10000
[Maddening Scream]: Whenever the Armor takes damage, its energy will be accumulated within the armor and the jewel on its chest. Once a certain amount of energy is accumulated, it is possible to unleash the {Maddening Scream}, which will deal 25% of this damage back to any foe within a 100-meter radius, Decrease All Stats by -50% for 10 Minutes, and cause {Paralysis}, {Bleeding}, or {Madness} for 30 Seconds.
[???]: This Item has been crafted using the tears of a powerful being, and its full potential has not been reached yet. Only through the Armor's upgrades can more of its powers be awakened.
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It was… everything you would ever want out of armor… Well, I guess it cannot heal, but it comes with a lot of amazing damage-related abilities to abuse!
And the Bonus Stats were out of this world as well! With this armor alone, I could compare to the Stats of a B Rank for sure now.
And that's without including the second item, possessing the Seamless Abyss' eye, a beautiful black gauntlet with sharp claws, made of black obsidian-like metal, and with an eye-shaped jewel on its palm.
It was also beautifully decorated with gothic carvings, resembling eyes, tentacles, and the moon above a night sky covered by stars.
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[Abyssal Demonic Phantom Eye Gauntlet]
{Item Type}: [Gauntlet] [Magic Armor] [Accessory] [Demonic Item] [???]
{Item Quality}: [SSS+ Rank]
{Item Requirement}: [Owner of the [Crystal Eye of the Abyss]
{Item Durability}: [100000/100000]
{Item Effects}
[ATK]: [+20000] [DEF]: [+10000] [HP]: [+1000] [MP]: [+10000] [STR]: [+5000] [VIT]: [+1000] [DEX]: [+5000] [AGI]: [+3000] [WIS]: [+1000] [LUC]: [+5000] [CHM]: [+5000]
{Item Abilities}
[Void Veil]: As a special item crafted using the Eye of [The Seamless Abyss], it is capable of exerting a small fragment of its {Presence} and {Authority}. By channeling Mana and Ki into this Gauntlet, it is possible to conjure the {Void Veil} over the user, which will grant the {Absolute Invisibility}buff, along with increasing Dexterity and Agility by +250% and imbuing the Void Element into any attacks. The activation of this Ability will constantly drain MP and Ki from the user, so it is recommended to not use it for too long. Cooldown: 30 Seconds.
[Abyssal Gaze]: Temporarily become one with the Eyes of [The Seamless Abyss], activating this Ability without any cost, and transforming your eyes into {Abyssal Eyes} that can see through physical objects and across different Planes, and cause {Madness}, {Confusion}, {Berserk}, and {Curses} on any foe you set a glance of while decreasing all their Stats by -30% and making them weak to Darkness and Void Elements for 5 Minutes. Cooldown: 10 Minutes.
[Call of the Abyss]: Whenever you utilize [Void Veil], [Abyssal Gaze] or imbue Mana and Ki into the Gauntlet, the Black Jewel will gather Abyssal Energy up to a maximum of 10000, which will allow you to conjure {Abyssal Mist} to confuse foes and decrease stats for 5 Minutes, {Abyssal Flames} to burn your foes' souls, or {Abyssal Voidling}, to summon a servant of [The Seamless Abyss] to fight for you for 10 Minutes. Abyssal Energy: 0/10000.
[???]: This Item has been crafted using the eye of a powerful being, and its full potential has not been reached yet. Only through the Gauntlet's upgrades can more of its powers be awakened.
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["The hell?! That damn gauntlet has almost the same ATK as me!"] Gram complained. ["And why does it give DEF too?! Not fair!"]
The Gauntlet counted as both a weapon and armor, giving me both ATK and DEF when equipped! What's more, I can perfectly use other weapons with it equipped, further stacking even more stats. It was insane.
With this equipped, the bonus stats would make me someone at the middle stage within the B-Rank Power Level! And that's without counting all my other bonuses and skills I can use to further tip the scales in my favor.
And the abilities, are so unique! Invisibility, stat buffs, Void Element, the ability to gaze through anything if we add Divine Eyes of Truth into the mix, cursing foes, making them go mad or confuse them, decreasing their stats even further, and even the ability to unleash Abyssal Flames and an Abyssal Voidling!
These two pieces of equipment aren't just equipment anymore; they're just whole skills added to my arsenal now. I'll make sure to use them well against all the threats we'll have to face, which will actually be many, and that's if we don't get any surprises along the way.
I quickly equipped both items, feeling the powerful authorities of the Void Rulers overflowing around my body. It felt both terrifying and empowering.
"Amazing, they're just plain incredible, Hilda... These things would cost such a fortune that I would never be able to afford it…" I laughed.
"Don't worry, you gave me all the ingredients, so it's on the house." Hilda smiled. "It sure fits you! Those items cannot be equipped by anybody else, and they have developed something of a Soul… In fact, they're the first "Soul Tier" Equipment I've ever made… It is a Tier that hasn't even been revealed, so it only shows up as SSS+ to anybody." She explained.
Soul Tier… It is the Rank above SSS+; in fact, there are many more Ranks above it, but right now, because we are "locked" in the First Awakening, such Tiers cannot be revealed yet nor achieved, usually.
However, because of how ridiculously strong the ingredients were, Hilda was capable of achieving the impossible. It also helps that her Forge is separated from the World itself, so it allows her to slightly alter the rules and break through restrictions.
"Soul Tier, huh?" I wondered.
"Now, Anna… As I forged things, I began to wonder. Where did you even get these materials from?" She asked. "They seem utterly ridiculous! Did a Sponsor really give you those?"
"Yeah, I mean, yes." I nodded.
I wasn't exactly lying; they did, to an extent. Although The Bleeding Scream's Tear was an item I got from fending them off and defeating Blednica.
"Hmmm~ Well, my eyes seem to say you're telling the truth," Hilda said. "But you're still hiding something. I guess you could have gone through a Personal Trial too. Sometimes you get stuff from there."
Wait, do other Awakened people go through Personal Trials too?!
"Did you…?" I asked.
"Of course I did! I went through a Personal Trial to awaken my abilities." She said. "Before that, I only had a few tiny little skills that did very little... However, only people chosen by Constellations go through them. It always feels like they didn't even leave, time in these trials goes differently."
"I see… Well, I guess I did go through something like that." I nodded. "Though I would prefer to keep it a secret for now, can I trust you, Hilda?"
"For sure!" She nodded. "You must have gone through a brutal one to gain your newly acquired Demonic Powers… Pretty crazy stuff. You seem to be someone pretty special, huh? I wonder how much you'll change the world~ I better stick around with you; you bring me nice materials."
I was surprised by how lax Hilda was about the whole ordeal, but I guess when all these things have been so normalized nowadays, it made some sense.
"Then let's go back home; we've got some items to brag about with everyone else!" I giggled.
"Right about that!" She laughed. "Let's go!"
Like that, we stepped out of the Forge.
FLUOSH!
The portal opened as we landed in my room and quickly closed behind us. We walked out of my room to be greeted by not only my brother, Dan Baihe, and Annabelle, but also Sara, Scarlet, Henrietta, and Kevin!
"Yo! What's up! Oh? Eating chicken without me?!" I asked angrily.
I found them feasting on several buckets of chicken; many spicy wings were there as well!
"You're finally back! I was getting worried; you spent like almost two whole days there!" He sighed. "Hilda! Did you have to bring her along for so long- Ah! W-What…?!"
My brother suddenly changed his expression as he glanced at my equipment. I smirked slightly confidently, and even Fenrir appeared out of his shadows, dropping his jaws in shock.
"T-That equipment…!" Henrietta muttered. "It is imbued with... so much power!"
"What the hell?!" Kevin cried. "Not fair; only you get such amazing items!"
"S-So this was what you were crafting…" Baihe said, gulping the chicken she was eating.
"Wow! I LOVE the scarlet armor!" Annabelle said.
"T-That's certainly… powerful," Scarlet muttered.
"Master! I-I mean, Anna!" Sara said. "That gauntlet you hold… It has such a comforting abyssal feeling to it!"
"Hehehe, amazed?" I giggled, bragging about it. "THIS is what we were making—pretty awesome, isn't it? I'll be using them for the Castle Raid."
"So you're really coming along to that madness…" My brother sighed. "Ugh, with that equipment, even though I am a bit jealous, fine, you can come. There's no way I'll let those items go to waste. And well, you've proven yourself to be both competent and helpful in many ways. So I'll be counting on you, Anna."
To think my brother, the silent loner that was always alone, would ever say such words to me, someone he never trusted before at all, and that was always worried about...
Things have surely changed, especially within the protagonist's mind.
"Sure! Let's do this together, like family." I nodded. "Now, let me have some chicken wings!" I quickly sat down to enjoy the meal. "Hilda, come eat too!"
"Yeah, I'm taking a beer from the fridge first~," Hilda said. "Hey! Who drank my beers?!"
"W-We thought they were from Jack…" Scarlet muttered.
"T-They were yours? My bad! Hahaha…" Henrietta giggled.
"Ugh! You're the worst! Go buy me beers right away! And the expensive ones!" Hilda's fury was so mighty that flames emerged from her mouth as she spoke. Henrietta and Scarlet felt tremendous pressure coming from her!
"D-Did she get stronger too?!" Henrietta asked.
"I don't know, but I'm weak to flames, so I better just get her damn beers!" Scarlet flew off to buy.
"Wait for me!" Henrietta followed her from behind.
My brother started laughing a little bit at the scene as he noticed Hilda's changes.
"Hilda, you've changed... Your hair has gained red colors, and your eyes are blazing with orange and red pigments too…" He analyzed her appearance. "Have you awakened something?"
"I got a Divine Talent!" Hilda bragged, puffing her chest.
"A-A Divine Talent?!" Baihe asked. "The thing only talented S Ranks Awaken?!"
"The very same!" Hilda laughed.
"WOW!" Annabelle said. "I don't even know what that is, but cool!" She was eating a chicken sandwich.
"I have awakened one too in my last Trial…" My brother muttered. "To think there's a second one now if Henrietta and Scarlet could get theirs as well… We would become unstoppable. But I wonder for how long until the world changes even more…"
"Don't worry, as long as we stick together, it should be fine!" I smiled. "For now, let's enjoy these last days before the raid."
"Haha, you're right." My brother nodded, feeling much more invigorated by the atmosphere around the house. With so many friends around, there was little time to get sad.
Like that, we spent the next couple of days preparing until the end of the weekend arrived, finding ourselves sitting around a huge table, gathered with the rest of the strongest Hunters on Stronghold.
"I've gathered you all here once more to assess our plans for the Raid of the Demonic Castle." The chairman spoke. "Today is the day!"
Ding!
[The [Hephaestus Forge (SS)] Skill has finished its Transformation!]
[It has begun to Evolve into a brand-new Skill!]
And just in time.
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