Vincent Stood before the massive forge of the giant once more. His arms were crossed and he was clearly not happy with this trial so far. "So.. now what?" He asked harshly, looking up with impatience at the giant.
The mountain of a man within the mountain scratched its bare gut and grumbled. "Climb into my forge son of man. Worry not for the flames cannot hurt you. It is what comes next that tests your true might."
Doing as instructed Vincent took a step forward and shadow stepped up the massive rim of the forge and into the fires beneath the eagle. The giant's 'anvil' was some kind of massive circle made of gold. It was clear the thing was littered in intricate engravings but they couldn't be studied in any great detail due to the fact that they were obscured by an intense golden energy that behaved like fire. The entire top of the circle was lit like an Olympic torch.
Once submerged, Vincent was pleasantly surprised to find that not only were the flames of the giant's forge not hot, they were refreshingly cool. Like a soothing wind only more dense. It was difficult to explain.
A golden energy swirled around him and he breathed in deeply. He couldn't help but notice how pure and dense the energy radiating from this structure, the giant's forge, felt. If the energy of his system interference ability seemed putrid and disgusting this energy seemed contrarily bright and full of life.
It was clear that the energy was intended to encourage growth and healing but Vincent was greedy and he wanted more than what little scraps the system offered.. He focused, absorbing and seizing as much of the golden energies as he could while the giant prepared for whatever he was about to do. He pushed himself, following the strings of energy down deep into the center of the forge where they were densest and strongest. The lines of energy all clustered together at the base like the root system of a massive ancient tree…
Congratulations! Skill: Yggdrasil; Ancient world tree (Legendary) achieved!
Skill: Yggdrasil; Ancient world tree (Legendary) Your soul resonates with the life force of the Ancient world tree Yggdrasil. The world tree supports all life in the universe with its connections. Your intimate connection with the energies of the Nexus allows you to passively absorb the ambient flows around you. The speed and control of which you cultivate energy grows with skill level. This skill is a unique skill that grows based on the soul of the user. All stats provide a moderate boost to this skill. (Passive ability)
Instantly it was as if his regenerations doubled. Because.. well they essentially had. He felt it in a metaphysical sense as the avatar of Yggdrasil stretched behind him, strengthening him and filling him with energy. It started out no larger than a bush. It had emerald green leaves hoisted up by thousands of branches that all consolidated into its thick trunk. It was a faded brownish gold, and it looked both gnarled and wrinkled like old skin. It's roots began to slowly dig their way deeper and deeper into the forge. 'The giant's forge was the original tree..' Vincent realized.
Congratulations! Yggdrasil; Ancient world tree (Legendary) has increased by 1…
Congratulations! Yggdrasil; Ancient world tree (Legendary) has increased by 1…
Congratulations! Yggdrasil; Ancient world tree (Legendary) has increased to 7!
"Heh. And of course, can't forget that you can grow your skills this way too.. by fundamentally understanding how they work." Vincent chuckled.
As the roots grew so too did the metaphysical tree he had summoned. A golden aura so thin it was imperceivable began to form around Vincent. His regenerations and physical strength continued to rise as he focused and felt the energies both in the air around him and within the ground being slowly pulled inside of him.
His health and mana began to rise even further than their max before his very eyes. His muscles seemed to grow more dense and tougher. 'You're kidding me…' Vincent tapped his chin as he watched the energy being pulled deep within beyond even his sight until it merged with some inherent part of him. Perhaps his soul. Curiously enough this particular skill didn't seem to harm him or cause any sort of strain at all, despite the fact that it was Legendary which was almost unsettling.
He almost always felt some kind of strain from new skills whether it was physical, mental or both. Yet all he felt from this skill was warmth and power. It was possible he had just become much more powerful than he'd realized, or else this skill was somehow different in a manner similar to his system interference…
Before he could investigate any further, the giant interrupted his musings. "Ah how interesting. It seems the flows of the Yggdrasil have begun to bend to your will… I've not seen such a thing since the half-blood Her.. bah never mind. It was nearly 3500 years ago. I forget the names of man from so long ago." The giant yawned in an extremely exaggerated manner before continuing.
"Now.. this next challenge will not be as easy as the first two.." Vincent couldn't help but face-fault anime style. Those previous two challenges were supposed to be easy? What the hell was he about to go through?
A moment later a black and red armor slid over his body. The color scheme was relatively the same as his old, Carsidion's Familier armor but the red now came in various patterns and designs rather than just a little trim here and there. They looked suspiciously like engravings… He had a brand new set of bracers, fingerless gloves, boots, grieves, and a chest plate with shoulder pads. As soon as they fitted themselves snuggly to him he was instantly slammed on his back. He was initially confused before he realized each piece of the armor must have weighed at least a ton!
"Hey, not a fan here, what exactly am I supposed to do?" He asked, begenning to feel agitated. He absolutely hated not being able to move. Luckily he didn't have to wait long to get his answer. The giant appeared above him over the edge of the and spoke once more.
"The next part for you is simple. Try to relax." Vincent would have asked what the hell he meant when all at once it felt as if his blood had turned to acid. He roared in pain, barely even twitching due to the restrictive weight of the armor. It wasn't a deep tearing pain in the soul like the first challenge was, nor was it as mentally devastating as the second but.. it physically sucked. Then there was a sensation like his soul was being struck directly through his body.. it hurt, surely. But more than that it just felt wrong. Like his existence was being chipped away at. Or tempered..
As the feeling of wrongness intensified he managed to check his stats and focus enough to deduce he was losing no health.. in fact it was rising due to his new legendary skill. There was a wet, tearing sound and Vincent cried out once more before 50 something different balls of energy were ripped from his body. It probably wouldn't be immediately obvious to most, but to Vincent, who was intimately familiar with each of the shapes and colors he was seeing, he knew instinctively they were his skills.
As they all began to glow it was clear they were all still active and effecting him even. Some were much larger and denser than others, obviously his higher level and or rarity skills. It was strange that even though they were separated from his body he could feel them. He even got a skill level from one of his skills.
He was beginning to wonder what the point in all of this was. As if the giant had read his mind it continued explaining the trial. "Your skills reside within your soulspace which is a manifestation of who and what you are. Each of them has a piece of your soul and requires certain physical and or emotional conditions to activate. The basis of this trial is simple. You are going to instill those very same principles of your Soulspace into your equipment." It sipped from a canteen of what Vincent assumed was probably alcohol because.. he seemed the type.
"Once this process is complete your armor will forever contain a piece of your soul, growing and evolving alongside you. It will also have the added benefit of slightly increasing the efficiency of your energy flows and skills. Be warned, your soulspace is abnormally large. This will be painful and tedious."
"Will I die?" Vincent asked bluntly. The giant shook his head. "But there are worse fates than death. The pain could cripple you for life.." Vincent merely snorted, causing the giant to frown. "I appreciate your concern but if my health won't hit zero.. I'll endure any pain to grow stronger."
As the giant raised his mighty hammer and dropped it swiftly on Vincent's frame the man went rigid, nearly blacking out. Instantly he rethought his prior disposition. The first two trials seemed to strengthen his Soul and mind and it seemed this challenge would strengthen his body and sharpen his skills. It felt as if the weight of the world had impacted him. First once then twice then three times.. he nearly lost consciousness but the giant paused and waited.
Vincent, huffing and puffing checked his stats and choked on spit. His health had been chopped down to half. "You said I couldn't die!" He yelled accusingly. The giant laughed and whacked him again. "Wrong! Ahaha." I said you wouldn't die. Not that you couldn't, that is only because I shall let you heal enough to stay alive." He grinned.
Vincent gulped as he felt his massive vitality healing him at a rate of over 30 per second. He would not get much in the way of a reprieve from the situation. A couple of minutes later the hammering resumed. This time it was five swings.
Congratulations! Pain tolerance has increased by…
Pain tolerance has increased by…
Pain tolerance has increased by…
Multiple skills have increased…
It was nearly a day later when they were finished. Vincent lay bloody and broken on the anvil but gold energies spiraled around slowly him. As his wounds slowly knit themselves together his eyes snapped open and he rose from the stump of the original Yggdrasil as if he were a puppet. His head snapped forward, his hair covering his face. He straightened with a slow breath, cracking m his back and examining his fingerless gloves as he did so.
While the color scheme and shape of his armor hadn't changed at all, there were other differences that likely only Vincent rruly saw. His armor, along with his improved sword and shield, had a bluish gold Aura exuding from them as he examined the equipment using the system window. Deep in the center of each of them was a small pulsing energy in the shape of a seed.
Armor: Trinity's Legacy. Lvl 1
Sword: Anguish of the Father. Lvl 1
Shield: Mother's Embrace. Lvl 1
Your Sword is imbued with the spirit of the fallen Father, who's Anguish would peirce anything to protect their child. His fury shall reduce all to ash.
Your Shield is imbued with the spirit of the Holy spirit, the mother, who's love transcends life and death. Her unyielding embrace will protect you from any harm. Her love breathes life into the universe.
Your armor is imbued with the spirit of the Son who's infinite potential will become the foundation of the unstoppable fortress that is your soul. He is the King in Black, master of Death and rot.
Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three persona of God and the Grand Cycle. On your path to the truth your abominable existence becomes the foundation for the birth of a strange new God.
AoF Lvl 1 Attk: 100
ME Lvl 1 Defense: 100
Trinity Lvl 1 defense: 100 efficiency: 1%
Vincent took a step back in disgust. This God damn system.. he felt it.. the sword and shield.. they had souls of their own. And they felt tortured in a way.. It wasn't really his mother or father but the system had done its fucking best to replicate their emotions for him. The desperate and scared ones stuck out the most to his senses. Because power grew based on emotion and desire here within the Nexus. And what greater emotions were there than a parent's desire to protect and love their children?
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
For the first time in a long time.. Vincent truly missed his parents. He tried not to let his feelings over take him and focused on the task at hand.
The wording the system chose was strange to him. He certainly didn't feel like any new God. In fact his stats had decreased a lot since the level of his equipment reset. But thr sydtek said weird shit all the time. What really interested him was the one percent efficiency.. Upon further study it seemed they system only considered him as using his total power at 1%.
Vincent frowned. When he watched the flows of his various energies within himself he thought they were all uniform and complementing one another but apparently he still had a long way to go before he saw the true results of his skills working in unison.
The giant spoke, causing Vincent to jump as he had honestly forgotten the massive creature was there. "It is done.. the results are.. more impressive than any I've ever seen before." He admitted in astonishment, confirming that he too possesed abilities that more or less allowed him to see the underlying components of the system. "I don't know what the sisters of fate have planned for you my boy but.. I am truly sorry."
Before Vincent could inquire more about what the giant meant he was teleported back to the sanctuary that was his cave. Not a moment had passed in the outside world as evidence of his companion being in the exact same position as before albeit.. sporting his own version of Vincent's new armor. It seemed like since the equipment was now a part of his soul his soul companion would get a version of it's own much like his skills?
He shook his head. At least that would be more useful to his companion when he needed to take his own equipment out for a hunt. He studied his companion for a moment, watching the flows of its energies. They actually seemed.. a little faster than Vincent's own? He frowned.
"Hey come here Lupus." He demanded. He had chosen the name in honor of the Alpha that gave his life for Vincent and both the system and plant version of the man seemed to accept this. Lupus bounded happily over to his master and began to dance back and forth as he was attentively studied. Vincent rubbed his chin with his hand and placed the other on his elbow. For the most part. Vincent had always been stronger by sheer virtue of being more experienced and adept at using his powers better in battle than his companion.
But in terms of efficiency as measured by the system it was made more apparent than ever just how far ahead his companion was getting than Vincent himself. He was probably at 2% efficiency and bordering on the edge of three. This effectively meant that using the exact same skill at the same level, Lupus would have an attack three times faster and stronger than Vincent's. At least in theory. When it came right down to it his companion hadn't used many of their offensive skills nearly as much as Vincent had.
The curiosities didnt stop there. His companion was able to use something that they had come to know as Nectar. At it's core it was a substance that one would typically receive for killing a creature weaker than or relative to one's own strength. Nectar was the foundation of nearly all things in the system, the fuel source which powered the Nexus and allowed reality to be manipulated on a molecular level.
In most cases this energy was essentially only used for leveling but his companion somehow processed it naturally over time, without killing other creatures. That was what the systek meant when it said he would groe on bis own, Vincent figured.
Because of this, Lupus had grown a fair bit stronger these last three years. By his very rough estimations even though his companion's level hadn't technically gone up, it's Soulspace was around the size and density Vincent might expect to achieve from leveling five times.
Vincent supposed 5 levels of XP a year wasn't bad but it certainly felt unfair.. He wasn't sure if his companion just leveled up over time because the system assisted him or if it because it originated from a skill that could grow on its own, but either way at this point its stats were nearly equal to Vincent's own which was frightening. Vincent could absorb Nectar to a degree as well and it certainly seemed to make him stronger but it didn't do anything for his experience like it did for his companion. It was more like taking an energy drink for a short term boost in raw power.
It seemed with all the time his plant friend had to meditate and study it had become even more efficient with its control over the flows of the Nexus than Vincent himself. "Huh.. you little bastard. I'm kind of jealous. I'll have to watch out, you'll be kicking my ass in spars before too long. With my skill I'm Still slightly ahead but only just.." He shrugged. It really was too bad he couldn't take his companion out of this damn cave but at least he would have a powerful sparring partner to kill time if he ever had to run the hell away from something.
All that mattered right now was.. he needed a nap. He sealed away all his equipment and armor and stumbled over to his bed.
As tired as Vincent was, sleep should have come naturally, the man figured, but.. he couldn't have been more wrong. He laid awake staring at the pulsing energy accumulated on the ceiling of the cave for countless minutes. He still couldn't identify the stuff, whatever it was. But that didn't matter. He was close. It felt familiar. He hungered so badly to use his new legendary skill Yggdrasil to reach out and absorb a pinch of the power but he held it at bay for now.. soon. Finally after what felt like an eternity he drifted off to a fitful sleep.
It was several hours later before he awoke. He sat up and groaned groggily, rubbing his eyes. As his vision came into focus he yawned. He hoped he wasn't too late for the hunt.. he was supposed to begin in the dead of night but it was approaching morning at this point. Other factions would make an attempt at the Fang soon, Vincent and his pack had lost their major advantage.
But that was OK. The results of the last trial were more than he could have ever hoped for. He now had the equivalent of three souls gathering power for him plus another half if you counted the companion. He had no clue what the Fang creature's stats were but he'd wager his two highest, strength and agility, were a little over a thousand. He would need all the extra edge he could get.
That didn't even take into consideration however high the beast's skill levels were. Vincent's own abilities paled in comparison. He would have to play it smart and get extremely lucky honestly. He took a good long look at his stats as he got dressed and ready for the day.
Strength: 150
Endurance: 175
Vitality: 300
Intelligence: 110
Perception: 115
Agility: 120
Skills:
Dodge (Common) lvl 85
Smithing (Common) lvl 90
Farming (Common) lvl 90
Cooking (Common) lvl 90
Sword and shield (Common) lvl 80
Shockwave (Common) lvl 80
Parry (sword) (Common) 75
Shield bash (Common) 75
Sneak (Uncommon) lvl 87
Alchemy (Uncommon) lvl 85
Electric resistance (Uncommon) 70
Acid resistance (Uncommon) lvl 70
Fire resistance (Uncommon);lvl 70
Ice resistance (Uncommon) lvl 70
Hardened skin. (Uncommon) lvl 85
Reinforced bones. (Uncommon) lvl 85
Geographic inclination. (Uncommon) lvl 68
Tuck n roll (Uncommon) lvl 76
Advanced tracking of the lone wolf (Uncommon) lvl 85
Piercing thrust (Uncommon) 82
Planta/Plante (Rare) lvl 75
Courage (Rare) lvl 74
Enhanced toughness. (Rare) lvl 65
rejuvenation. (Rare) lvl 74
Extract (Rare) lvl 70
Refine (Rare) lvl 70
Combine (Rare) lvl 70
Berserker rage. (Rare) lvl 70
Telekinesis. (Rare) lvl 65
Aerodynamics (Rare) lvl 63
Absolute timing (Rare) lvl 64
Sixth sense (Rare) lvl 69
Lucky break (Rare) lvl Max
Maelstrom whirlwind (Rare) 55
Shadow manipulation (Rare) 60
Radiant Light (Rare) 60
Water torrent (Rare) 60
Electric Bolt (Rare) 45
Pain tolerance (Epic) 20
Ecology (Epic) lvl 69
Unyielding guard (Epic) lvl 52
Unwavering strike (Epic) lvl 52
Advanced communications. (Epic) Lvl Max.
Shadow step (Epic) lvl 60
Comet (Epic) lvl 60
Pilfered kinetic force (Epic) 59
Impact reduction (Epic) 59
Complete tranquility (Legendary) lvl 55
Unparalleled physical fitness (Legendary) lvl 52
Bleeding heart (Legendary) lvl 49
Ancient Slumbering Tortoise (Legendary) lvl 45
Mercy of the revered patreon (legendary) lvl 15
Yggdrasil; Ancient world tree (Legendary) lvl 8
System interference (???)…
He looked between his status window and his open palms with uncertainty. On the surface he looked more or less the same. He was several inches taller than before the system and the man was built like a brick shit house but he still looked human.. On the surface. Vincent, however, saw the true nature of things. He saw how his cells mutated and reshaped his body. His blood vessels were abnormally thick and his organs operated well past human levels.
His bones, muscles and joints had all undergone countless changes that would have been imperceivable to most. But Vincent saw what was underneath, the underneath. He saw the changes..
Shaking his head, the man and his companion got busy creating a massive feast for the entirety of the pack. It took nearly another hour but the benefits were amazing. All regenerations for the entire pack tripled for 24 hours, an extra 1000 health for all pack subordinates and an extra 10,000 health for the Alpha. Which was currently Vincent of course. The prince, his second in command and the previous Alpha's son, received a boost of 5000.
He stepped out onto the plains between the jungle and the cave. His eyes swept left and right taking in his growing pack which was gathering in preparation of what they were sure would be their most challenging hunt ever. Vincent chuckled. "I'm sorry my friends. But you're staying here this time."
All at once the energy in the air changed. The pack had confusion and aggravation etched into their features. Many of the younger wolves cocked their heads sideways and whined. There was a lot of fussing but eventually after imposing his will long enough the pack buckled and heeded the command of their Alpha.
They were confused, he knew.. They had all spent so much time preparing and working hard together. But.. this was something he must do alone. It began long before the days of the pack. It was a personal journey. Beyond that.. he wouldn't be able to heal the kind of damage the Fang could inflict. The wolves' true strength was in their swiftness. They could dodge most foes whose strength was a serious threat to them.
But the Fang was different. It possesed not only an overwhelming strength like the terror of the jungle but also a level speed that was superior to any of his pack members and definitely greater than his own.
His initial plan had been to sneak attack the Fang while it slept with a combination of the entire pack. But now that the timing was so far off he decided to do the only thing he could reasonably think of. He was going to cast bleeding heart on the beast and then heal repeatedly while using defensive skills letting the beast slowly kill itself. What could possibly go wrong?
He bid a final farewell to his sorrowful pack. Vincent stopped at the edge of the jungle and bent down on one knee to scratch the ears of the proud prince beside him. The prince's chosen name was Dawn, meaning the first appearance of light. He was the next in line and future successor of the pack. He looked into the beast's eyes and he knew that the two shared an understanding. They had a stronger bond than the rest and the prince, though still growing, was the strongest and smartest of the pack.
"Take care of them while I'm gone.. And if anything happens..-" He was cut off by a guttural growl from the prince. "GRRR.." Vincent seemed only mildly taken aback before he laughed and hugged the wolf who's tail began wagging furiously. "I know, I know.. I'll be fine. But just in case.. I want you to know I'm proud. And your father would be as well. You'll make a fine Alpha some day."
Somewhere deep in the jungle.
It didn't take him long to reach his destination.. a burnt and charred stretch of rock that was more ash than dirt at this point. The strange orangish-red hue radiating off the ground showed especially bright to Vincent's eyes in the dimly lit dusk. It was still early and the sun had yet to fully rise.. Deeper into the pits of the earth.. the Fang began to stir. He saw its dense crimson energy clawing its way through the gigantic hill that the beast had carved its lair into.
He was taken aback at how remarkably similar it was to the beast's original nesting area. Or maybe the creature did that itself. Shaking his head the man summoned his new armor, it seemed to explode from his skin, looking as if it were his blood itself before it took shape and wrapped around his body fortifying his defenses. "Nice." He grinned, liking how the new armor was literally a part of him. It was still mostly black but there was more red around the torso and joints.
It was a bit bulkier than before both in thickness and shape but still fit relatively well to his frame. It was clear it would provide adequate protection while encouraging Vincent's ability to maintain full range of movement. The fingerless gloves and his shoulder pads had crimson protrusions that looked like small bloody bones. His knee and elbow joints were covered in a thick bone plating with an insignia of his shield and sword. His boots were a smooth metallic black that ended in a sharp point.
His sword and shield were somewhat different from his armor and were still summoned forth from his inventory space but that was OK. It still looked cool to him. He grasped his shield by the black straps on the back and his sword by the hilt, flexing his hands several times, enjoying their comforting Weight.
His sword was no longer a curved blade, now being straight and about a foot longer and a few inches thicker. It looked like a cross between a broadsword and a longsword. It was obsidian still with a bright crimson line running through the middle on either side. The shield was still the same diamond shape while retaining its gold and red pattern. "Alright then. Let's dance." He cracked his neck and blinked rapidly, swallowing hard.
Why did he suddenly feel like he was totally screwed? He settled into a battle stance as he saw the Fang appear over the precipice of the hill. It's crimson eyes locked onto his own and he felt the beast's killing intent cut into him like a katana through paper. It pierced straight through to his very soul. The pressure he felt from the monster was overwhelming. He definitely had its full attention this time around.. there could be no mistakes.
Vincent began activating all of his skills one at a time, even the useless ones like Tuck N Roll and acid resistance, stacking them on to one another and empowering them further thak his skills and stats should allow. It was something he had been working on nearly every day for a year now.
His body had been struggling to handle the full extent of his wide array of skills but since obtaining his armor it felt incomparably easier than before. Like flipping on a switch for each ability. He figured the more often he used all of his skills at once the higher his efficiency would rise.
Individually, most of the strain he'd felt from his more powerful abilities was all but non-existent. However the cumulative effects of his combined abilities now numbering over 50 quickly became intense. It was akin to electricity running rampant through his body. But.. compared to other pains he'd been through these last few months, this was nothing. His pain tolerance skill did a lot to help in that regard.
Someone had told him once, before the system, that a person's pain tolerance was them subconsciously comparing the pain they felt in the moment to the worst pain they'd felt in their entire life. It seemed the system followed the same principles in that once your pain tolerance had been raised to a certain level by mind warping pain, the smaller stuff barely made you sweat. Even though it still sucked and you clearly still felt it, it didn't cause you to lose focus.
Hia left eye began to darken, a shadowy blackness covering the socket. Meanwhile the iris turned a crimson red and his pupil became a black slit. At the same time his right eye socket began to emit a divine golden light that shone brighter and brighter with every passing second. The irises and and the whites became a piercing ocean blue while his pupil in this eye also became a black slit.
He closed his eyes and grit his teeth in concentration. A funnel of wind and energy formed at his feet. Within the funnel was water from his torrent. While practicing with his pack and after a few more encounters with the mushrooms, Vincent acquired 'Electric bolt' which he now added to the funneling whirlwind as well.
Fire and ice from his Comet and a periodic pulse of force from skills like Shockwave and Telekinesis joined the fray next. Earthquake, another skill he had gotten from training with his pack, added the earth element to the concoction. Turns out wolves, Lunar wolves in particular, were remarkably capable with elements. Each tribe had a specialty or affinity and since Vincent's had conquered so many others, his pack had a multitude of elemental masters..
His skin had an almost imperceivable bluish-gold outline. Each of his skills had its own small effect, which all together formed a thin blue line of energy roughly an inch around his body that he called his 'Aura imitation'. It wasn't a true Aura like what Gildarts and Zar-Rhah possessed but.. it was his. He opened his eyes once more and fixed the Fang with a glare. The beast eyed him cautiously. 'As he damn well should.' Vincent thought with a smirk.
He pointed his blade at the beast who slowly began to crouch down and growl. "Feel my pain.. Bleeding heart!" He shouted, a pulse of maroon light emanated from both the Fang and Vincent.
The Fang panicked for a moment when it lit up in a brilliant red light. It frantically looked back and forth and even up in preparation for an attack. Clearly it would not allow a repeat of last time. Deciding the attack to be a fluke the Fang directed its full attention to Vincent once more. It grinned a wolfish grin and Vincent stared back stone faced.
"Don't act like you weren't just wetting down your leg a second ago, scaredy cat." He taunted raising his sword and shield. The large flaming beast cocked it's head sideways for a second before snarling angrily and lunging at the smirking Vincent.
Congratulations!
Destiny has intertwined your fates. You challenge the Fang of Flame and the beast answers your call..
Your power swells in response to the significance of the moment! All stats increased by 25%! All skills level up 50% faster,.. gain 50% more experience points for a limited time..
End of chapter 23