The general description of the item matched the details recorded in Sanq's book, but there was an additional note at the end about the glove's negative effect.
["Wearing this glove for an extended period (over 48 hours) will make the user cold-blooded. Wearing it for over ten days will irreversibly destroy the user's conscience. Additionally, animals—particularly those with heightened senses like cats, dogs, and horses—will exhibit strong hostility while wearing this item."]
In other words, wearing the 'Shadow Gauntlet' may lead to me being chased and bitten by stray dogs. Seth wiped his face, trying to suppress the twitching of his mouth.
The negative impact of this weapon was relatively minor. As long as it wasn't worn continuously for more than 48 hours, it wouldn't fundamentally affect the mind.
Seth wasn't concerned about being disliked by animals. After all, he didn't own any pets and wouldn't ride horses or carriages while wearing them, so it hardly mattered.
Given these considerations, Seth decided there was no need to seal the glove. However, the prospect of enhancing it was quite exciting.
Holding the mysterious tome in his hand, he issued the enhancement command, and a new line of text appeared on the page.
["It requires 12-dimensional crystals to enhance this item. Do you wish to continue?"]
As expected, the enhancement cost was much higher than that of appraisal, which made sense. After all, enhancing could directly influence the effects and power of magical items.
"Continue!"
Immediately, Seth's stock of dimensional crystals dropped to just 17.
The shimmering lights surrounding the illusory tome suddenly surged, flowing like a liquid. They coursed through Seth's body and converged on the glove in his hand.
The Shadow Gauntlet was enveloped in light in the blink of an eye. Rune patterns and intricate symbols began to emerge on its surface.
After a moment, the light faded, leaving behind a mysterious symbol on the glove. Staring at it made Seth feel like his mind was being pulled into a deep abyss.
Quickly averting his gaze, Seth noticed that the information about the Shadow Gauntlet in the mysterious book had changed slightly.
["When attacking, there is a 10% chance to summon Shadow Fist."]
["In dark or shadowy environments, the summoning rate increases to 50%, and the Shadow Fist transforms into a 'Shadow Combo.'"]
Previously, there were no specific figures. Now there were, and under certain conditions, the Shadow Fist had evolved into the Shadow Combo.
This upgrade is practically a jackpot!
Satisfied, Seth removed the Shadow Gauntlet and flipped the Book of Mystery to the message page. He found that the information had been updated.
[Favorites: 300+]
[Record: Your adventure biography has received more than 300 favorites, and you have gained one access to the 'message board.']
Great, I can use the message board again.
Seth continued reading and saw that the observers had already answered the question he had posed earlier.
["No. 160809145813508: The ancestor of the Abraham family was close to becoming a true god, but the entire family was cursed. The rest is unknown. The Solomon Empire once ruled the Northern Continent."]
As he read this, Seth felt a sharp headache, and his temples throbbed. He realized that the earlier identification, enhancement, and current reading had drained too much of his spirituality, and he couldn't continue.
He quickly closed the tome and canceled the summoning. The remaining replies would have to wait until next time.
But this session had been fruitful.
The most significant gain was undoubtedly the 'Mystery Craftsman.' With the guidance of the three watchers from the 'Faceless Man,' he unlocked this new function.
Although he had only seen two replies on the message board, the watcher with the string of numbers had shared enough to astonish Seth.
The ancestor of the Abraham family had come so close to becoming a true god!
It turns out that my mother's teacher has such a long history.
But this family is cursed. Whoever cursed such a powerful family must be formidable. No wonder the watcher said the rest was beyond my understanding.
Seth endured his headache as he lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting.
Mother never talks about this family. Is it because of the curse? Is she afraid it might bring unnecessary trouble or even disaster?
He turned over and noticed the Creation Myth he had brought from his mother's cabin last time. With nothing else to do, Seth picked it up, opened it to where he had left off, and continued reading.
As he flipped through the pages, a yellowed sheet unexpectedly fell out.
Seth casually picked it up, assuming it was just a note or annotation from his mother. But as his eyes glanced over the words on the page, he froze. Forgetting his headache, he jumped up from the bed.
Wait, is this… Simplified Chinese?
Seth gasped in astonishment.
After double-checking, he confirmed it—it was indeed Simplified Chinese, the script he had been so familiar with in his past life.
However, the writer seemed to have only just learned how to write in it. The handwriting could have been better, with radicals misplaced; even an elementary school student could do better.
Wait a minute...
Could this be a diary of the Great Emperor?
Seth remembered that in Lord of the Mysteries, the only thing written in Simplified Chinese was the diary of Emperor Roselle—one of the most valuable items in the Tarot Club!
Excited by the thought, he quickly sat back down and began reading.
"January 10th, 1184: Miss Copperfield expressed her affection for me and hinted that I could pursue her. Her mother, Mrs. Flornell, is stunning. As for her daughter, Copperfield, she's also quite beautiful. But how could I? I'm not that kind of person!"
"January 11th: Miss Copperfield was very warm in bed."
Seth's facial muscles twitched. So this is what you were like, Great Emperor!
"January 6th: My foolish children finally listened to me and began to take action, distancing themselves from those mystics. Damn it, I want to drive those people away, or at least keep them away from my children. I don't want their stupidity infecting them."
"September 25th: Miss Ithaca brought her friends to see me. Miss Harper is also charming—and younger. I'm starting to miss my youth."
Though this page contained only a few brief entries, it offered Seth a glimpse into the legendary emperor's life.
Well, Emperor Roselle certainly lived a colorful life.
Ahem, back on track. Emperor Roselle's diary… I recall that a fellow traveler in Tingen City is also collecting items like this.
Maybe…
Seth stood up, clutching the page as he left the bedroom. He planned to find Anilu and ask his mother if she had anything similar.