“Let’s see what you got.”
Arceus grinned as he grabbed the [Reward Box], holding it up casually.
“Well, to be honest, you’ll get them all anyway, so…”
Without any hesitation, he flicked his hand, opening the box instantly.
There was no grand animation, no dramatic buildup, just a smooth, effortless motion that let the rewards spill into the air.
Alex stood ready, his eyes sharp.
Arceus glanced at the items as they floated before them.
“An item, and… well, I categorized the second one as a [Skill], but it’s not really that. More like something related to them.”
Alex simply nodded, waiting for the full reveal.
And then, the two rewards fully emerged.
The first one was… a hat.
A magician’s hat, to be precise.
It was deep blue, its pointed top shaped like a sharp mountain peak, one of those cliché wizard hats straight out of fantasy stories.
Alex’s gaze locked onto the item’s information.
[Grand Mage Hat (Artifact+)]
[A hat only those deemed worthy of being Grand Mages can wear.]
[+1,000,000 Spirit while wearing, +100,000 Mana per second.]
‘Wow.’
The boost was incredible, in fact, it was exactly what Alex needed: mana to use more powerful spells!
He needed that boost since he planned to unlock unique spells that could cost millions of mana to use.
This was perfect, but there was something else: a restriction.
It seemed not just anyone could wear it, only those who had earned the title of Grand Mage.
Fortunately, since he had defeated Arceus, that meant… he could actually equip it.
This was amazing.
But before Alex could even reach for it, tendrils burst forth.
Dark, writhing strands extended from the [Crown of Calamity], the same as before.
Just like with the [Ring of Eternity] and the [Staff of Pure Hatred], the cursed crown reacted instantly, grabbing onto the floating hat before Alex could even process what was happening.
The hat trembled in the air, its power resisting for only a second, then it was consumed.
The system immediately responded.
[The Crown of Calamity refuses to be worn under something as ugly and has detected that this item is worthy of being absorbed.]
Alex sighed.
“Of course…”
He had already expected this outcome.
And, like before, it was completely in his favor.
Ding!
[The Crown of Calamity has absorbed and processed its third item.]
[Current stored items: Ring of Eternity, Staff of Pure Hatred, Grand Mage Hat]
[Grand Mage Hat Effect: Grants +1,500,000 Spirit at all times to the user, +300,000 Mana per second.]
‘Nice.’
This was actually better.
Instead of worrying about equipping and unequipping the hat or risking losing it in battle, he now had its effect permanently.
Still, Alex quickly moved on, there was one more item left.
And this one… was the most intriguing.
Arceus had said it was categorized as a [Skill], but that it wasn’t really one.
That alone made it stand out.
What exactly could it be?
Then, the [Reward Box] fully released the second item.
A scroll.
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“Huh.”
His fingers moved instantly, pulling up the item’s details.
[Skill Creator Scroll (??? Rank)]
[Place between 5-10 skills inside this scroll, and a new skill will be created.]
[The more skills used, the stronger the result, potentially rivaling the most powerful abilities in the world.]
Alex’s breath hitched.
“This doesn’t have a rank?”
“It varies,” Arceus explained, crossing his arms, “Depending on the skills you put into it, the outcome could be anything, from something basic to even a [Forbidden Skill]. That’s why it doesn’t have a set ranking.”
Alex’s fingers tightened slightly around the scroll.
So it was basically a synthesis item, but without the usual restrictions.
Unlike his [Synthesis] talent, which required skills to be somewhat related, this scroll allowed anything to be merged together.
This was… insane.
For the first time, the [Crown of Calamity] didn’t react.
Alex could actually hold this one.
He turned it over in his hands, his thoughts racing.
This meant he could combine his strongest abilities into something even greater.
But that also meant he had to be careful.
The skills he chose to fuse would determine everything.
He needed to think this through.
And, for some reason, his instincts were screaming.
A deep, unshakable feeling rose inside him, whatever choices he made here would change his fate.
The skills he chose.
The synthesis he performed.
Everything.
And then, one last thought struck him.
There was still one thing he needed to check.
Alex turned to Arceus.
“Hey.”
“Hm?”
“Check this out.”
He tapped on his [Digital Inventory Watch], scrolling through his items until he found exactly what he was looking for.
A second later, the [Artifact Skill Book (Artifact)] appeared in his hand.
Without hesitation, Alex tossed it to Arceus, who caught it midair and scanned its description.
[Artifact Skill Book (Artifact)]
[This book does not hold any skill yet.]
[It can be used by giving it to a being and having them transfer one of their “Artifact” skills to the user. Any skill can be transferred, as long as the other party consents.]
Arceus’s brows lifted slightly.
“Huh.”
Alex could tell the Grand Mage was impressed.
“This is pretty rare,” Arceus muttered.
“I guess I could give you one of my skills…”
Then, with a snap of his fingers, three panels appeared before Alex.
“These are my three strongest [Artifact++] skills,” Arceus said.
“Of course, I also have my [Forbidden Skill], but I can’t show or transfer that one.”
Alex tensed.
That meant… during their battle, just like Alex, Arceus had been holding back.
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He still had one ace up his sleeve.
But for now, Alex focused on the three skills before him.
[Oblivion Lance (Artifact++)]
[Grand Arcane Explosion (Artifact++)]
[Celestial Judgment (Artifact++)]
All three were insanely powerful.
He had felt their effects firsthand in battle.
But Alex wasn’t reckless.
“Hey, Kaelios,” he called out in his mind.
His instinct told him to widen his options, to check Kaelios’s skills as well.
Maybe there was something even stronger he could take instead.
But the only response from Kaelios was:
[Pick Celestial Judgment. It’s the best choice.]
Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly.
That was direct.
But Kaelios wasn’t done.
[My visions have told me this will be the best option. Trust them, just as you trust your instincts.]
Alex took a deep breath.
He did trust his instincts.
And now that Kaelios had said it, Alex realized he felt it too.
Of the three skills before him, [Celestial Judgment] had an undeniable aura around it.
A presence.
His gut told him this was the right choice.
“I made my choice,” Alex said firmly.
Arceus grinned.
“Very well.”
Pouring his mana into the [Artifact Skill Book], Arceus then tossed it back toward Alex.
The moment Alex caught it, he did the same, channeling his own mana inside.
Ding!
[Connection has been made.]
[Which skill do you want to take for yourself?]
“Celestial Judgment,” Alex said without hesitation.
The effect was immediate.
The book trembled, glowing with an intense golden light.
Its pages tore from the spine, rising into the air before rushing toward Alex’s chest, phasing through his body one by one.
Page after page.
Until, finally, the cover itself dissolved into golden particles and was absorbed.
And then…
Ding!
[You have learned the Artifact++ Skill: “Celestial Judgment.”]
[Effect: Calls down 12 holy swords from the sky, each one targeting and homing in on an enemy, dealing true damage.]
[Consumes 10 million mana; cooldown: 5 minutes.]
Alex grinned.