Chapter 143: Upgrading Items
After completing his trade with [Tsukishiro], Kaito Shirogane didn't return to his stall. He went directly to the nearby [Alchemy Workshop]. His Silver Story Equipment, [Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe], had been damaged and needed to be repaired.
The alchemist on duty today was the same old, white-bearded man. He recognized Kaito's face, immediately turned his back, and refused to look at the most failed creation of his career.
"Master, I'd like to repair this piece of equipment. And while I'm here, I'd like to inquire about upgrading it."
Hearing that it was a legitimate business request and not another attempt to forge a grotesque avatar, the alchemist finally turned around. He looked at the tattered robe in Kaito's hand and frowned.
"A treasure containing such a high concentration of [Information]… and you let it get into this state? What were you doing, using it as a bulletproof vest?"
Kaito shrugged, not denying it. He had indeed been careless with his defensive gear, always relying on his own skills and not making full use of his items.
The alchemist examined the robe. "The [Information] is not severely damaged. It can be repaired."
[Do you wish to spend 1 E-rank Singularity and 4500 Dimensional Points to repair Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe?]
Kaito held out his right hand, and the points and the Singularity vanished. The alchemist began to chant, and a powerful magical energy surged. A purple light instantly illuminated the entire workshop. The next moment, the iconic pink robe was as good as new.
Kaito didn't take it back. "You should be able to see that I am a Reincarnator who has that... qualification. I would like to ask you to strengthen this item's abilities."
[You have unlocked the hidden service: Equipment Strengthening.]
[Would you like to exchange for this opportunity?]
Just as he'd learned, the major facilities in the Nexus all had hidden services that could be unlocked after receiving an S-rank evaluation. The [Rank Management Office] granted additional trait fusion slots. The [Training Hall] allowed for specialized training environments. And the [Alchemy Workshop] allowed one to upgrade and refine items.
The white-bearded alchemist, fighting back his discomfort, looked at Kaito and saw that he was indeed surrounded by a special, intense golden glow. It was clear he had received more than one S-rank evaluation.
After Kaito confirmed the exchange, a golden light flew from his body and into the old alchemist's sleeve. The old man silently nodded, took the robe again, and a new prompt appeared before Kaito.
[Do you wish to spend 1 D-rank Singularity and 1000 Dimensional Points to strengthen Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe?]
Kaito's resources were abundant, and he had many more items he had yet to liquidate. He was planning a major upgrade session anyway, so he naturally agreed.
[Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe strengthening successful. Current Level: +1]
[Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe +1]
[Quality: Silver Story Equipment]
[Description: The exclusive attire of the number one assassin, Mercenary Tao. After being strengthened by the Alchemist Master Koyo, it now possesses a powerful effect.]
[Defense: Low. Durability: Medium.]
[Effect 1: Strength +3; Agility +2; Constitution +3]
[Effect 2: Martial Arts-related proficiencies +1]
[Effect 3: Killing Intent Sense]
He saw that after the +1 upgrade, not only had the durability increased to Medium, but the Strength and Constitution bonuses had each increased by 1 point. In other words, after spending one S-rank evaluation to unlock the service, he had just spent one D-rank Singularity and 1000 DP to gain what was essentially 2 free attribute points. This was far more cost-effective than normal training or learning a new ability.
The saying "a true master does not rely on external objects" might have some truth to it, but for a Reincarnator in the early stages, using items and technology was absolutely a faster path to power than just training alone.
Kaito continued to upgrade. He broke one of his remaining C-rank Singularities into three D-rank ones and paid the price twice more.
[Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe strengthening successful. Current Level: +2]
[Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe strengthening successful. Current Level: +3]
When he tried to go for +4, the alchemist, whose name was [Koyo], stopped him. "To strengthen an item from +3 to +4, not only will the cost increase to a C-rank Singularity, but there will also be a chance for the item to be destroyed. Are you sure you want to continue?"
Kaito frowned. "Shouldn't it just lose a level on failure? And only have a chance to break at +7 or higher?" He had seen that setting in many games.
Master Koyo flicked his sleeve, his white beard flying up in indignation. "Alchemy is not a child's game! How can a rune, once inscribed, be removed? If you overload an item with too many runes, it will naturally break!"
Kaito clicked his tongue and canceled the upgrade. He was very satisfied with this robe. Not just for its powerful stats, but for its bonus to his Martial Arts Aptitude, and, of course, for its style. Until he found a suitable replacement, he couldn't risk losing it.
[Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe +3]
[Quality: Silver Story Equipment]
[Defense: Average. Durability: Medium.]
[Effect 1: Strength +3; Agility +3; Constitution +3]
[Effect 2: Martial Arts-related proficiencies +2]
[Effect 3: Killing Intent Sense]
At +3, the robe's defense had also increased. Kaito felt the material. It had been infused with magical power, making it incredibly resilient, and it now had its own special force field. Most importantly, the bonus to his Martial Arts proficiency had increased from +1 to +2.
The moment he put it on, his own Martial Arts Aptitude was instantly boosted to Lv6.
[Martial Arts Aptitude Lv6 (Pre-Initiative Specialization): You have entered the inner sanctum of martial arts. You can channel your power as you wish and unleash it from any stance. Your force is immense and can bypass an opponent's surface defenses, causing internal damage. You can strike before the enemy initiates, or strike first after the enemy has moved.]
Lv6 had allowed him to truly generate force from any posture. He made a casual stabbing motion with his hand. With a soft hiss, a small, white ripple appeared in the air—a tiny shockwave from his power piercing the atmosphere. He was now, faintly, beginning to resemble Mercenary Tao from his memories, who could strike as he willed. Of course, he had only just scratched the surface. To become a true grandmaster, he would have to break the Lv7 threshold and gain his next trait.
Kaito left the [Alchemy Workshop]. Many Reincarnators, seeing him, immediately looked over, and several info-brokers tried to intercept him. But he ignored them, his form flashing as he arrived at the nearby [Rank Management Office].
The familiar Knight-chan saw him and gave him an energetic smile. "The glow on you is even stronger now. It seems you truly are a powerful Reincarnator."
Kaito looked away from her. He had sensed during his first fusion that this cheerful knight-girl was probably much, much stronger than most Reincarnators.
"Knight-chan. I would like to fuse my second trait."
[You have unlocked the opportunity to open a Mortal-tier Hidden Trait Fusion Slot.]
(A Mortal-tier Reincarnator can fuse a maximum of 3 traits.)
[Would you like to exchange for this opportunity?]
Kaito confirmed, and handed over the precious arm he had just acquired—[The Arm of Silverwing - Charlotte].
Seeing a material of this level, Knight-chan's smile widened in surprise. "A very rare and powerful material! Congratulations!"
Kaito noted that she wasn't asking for payment. He understood that, in a way, the "currency" for this service was the S-rank evaluation itself. He could use the Alchemy Workshop's hidden service as many times as he wanted, but each use came with a high price. Here, the fusion itself was free, but each opportunity to fuse had to be purchased with the "glow" of an S-rank. It was hard to say which was more expensive.
Knight-chan, unaware of his internal calculations, simply held up her hand. A golden light shone, and the long, withered arm slowly melted, leaving three balls of light—one green, one blue, and one purple—hovering over her palm.
"Reincarnator. Which trait do you choose?"
"Setsuna."
Knight-chan nodded, not surprised. The power of that trait was one of the strongest she had ever seen a [Mortal]-tier Reincarnator acquire. It was a powerful active ability, almost on par with an A-rank skill, yet it required no training and didn't occupy one's own energy system. It was a trait that would be fused directly into his body, a dream for any close-combat Reincarnator.
The purple light flowed into Kaito's body. He felt his heart violently contract several times, as if it was being overloaded by the influx of immense power.
[You have acquired the new Class Trait: Setsuna (Exceedingly Rare)]
[Trait - Setsuna: Active Trait. You can, at will, call upon the power of Setsuna hidden within your body to activate Godspeed. The base state is Stage 1 Setsuna (2x speed). When active, your body will suffer a Dragon Force backlash, continuously consuming Spirit and Energy. You can use repeated activations to climb to higher stages, but the backlash will also increase at the same rate. After deactivating, it cannot be used again for a short period of time (cooldown is related to Constitution).]
Kaito clenched his fists. With a single thought, he took a step. In his eyes, everything seemed to slow down. Knight-chan, the dust motes in the air... it was all so slow.
Not fast enough. Still not fast enough!
With another thought, his heart pounded violently again. His body flushed with blood as his talent passively activated, his muscles swelling, his body's stress response kicking in from the massive overload.
At the same time, his speed doubled again. He shot out of the Rank Management Office in an instant. Many of the Reincarnators outside couldn't even track his figure. He could clearly see the look of shock in their trembling pupils as their eyes tried to find him.
He disappeared again, leaving only a few after-images behind.
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Guys We cross the 800 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 900 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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