The voice was sharp, laced with intense curiosity. Cissel had been hovering nearby, having decided that sticking to John's side was the most efficient way to navigate this nightmare. Her instincts had proven correct far sooner than she'd anticipated.
Hearing her exclamation, the other three were drawn in like bees to honey. They crowded around John, their jaws working as they chewed and swallowed their own activated, bright red cores. John didn't miss the way their eyes darted between his sword and the dwindling piles of cores in their hands.
Without offering a word of explanation, partly because he was still figuring out the mechanics himself and partly because the mystery maintained his authority, John placed a second activated core against the steel. Under the stupefied gazes of his companions, the sphere melted instantly, the crimson light melting into the blade.
[Ding! Your Goblin Long Sword has gained +1 Strength stat!]
