[ding!! Absolute affinity of light is acting. Your mastery over the technique Radiant Flash Steps (Heaven) has been elevated to Grandmaster rank.]
The notification appeared exactly when William expected it to.
His eyes immediately locked onto the system panel, and before he could even read the entire line, information about the Radiant flash step started flooding into his mind.
The technique felt natural and instinctive, almost as if his body had been using it for years.
The structure of the movement, the precise control over light mana, and the way space reacted to the technique all became crystal clear in his thoughts.
Without wasting time, William decided to test it.
He leaned slightly forward and took a single step.
Light exploded around him.
In the next instant, his surroundings changed completely. The hut he had been standing near was gone, replaced by open plains stretching far into the four distances.
Wind rushed past him as his momentum settled.
William blinked.
He turned around and looked back, squinting to confirm what he was seeing.
The place he had stood just moments ago was now barely visible on the horizon.
"...WOAH!!!!" he shouted, laughter breaking out uncontrollably. "This shit is epic!"
[Of course, peasant. This is a Heaven-rank movement technique.]
William rolled his eyes immediately.
"Shut up, shithead," he replied without waiting.
He ignored the system’s curses since it was still pissed off at him after their banter and focused on the sensation still lingering in his body.
Radiant Flash Steps was fast, and his decision to avoid getting a movement skill from the Academy Shop.
More importantly, it felt smooth. There was no strain on his muscles, no backlash on his joints, and no awkward delay when stopping.
"This is broken, and at the grandmaster stage of mastery, the speed is not fast, it’s very very fast. he muttered.
[Ethan’s going to cream his pants if he ever sees this.]
Will returned near the hut, and his attention shifted to the next thing.
Nine-Heavens Stormcleaver.
The sword felt heavy, but its weight felt like it added more stability and punch to the sword rather than being wasteful.
It was radiating a presence completely different from Crimson Aeon.
It was not divine rank like the former was, but it carried something far more violent and destructive in it.
If Crimson Aeon existed for precision slaughter, this blade existed for unrestrained destruction.
Its silver blade pulsed faintly, and a violet crystal rib ran through its center up to the midsection. The hilt was pitch black, wrapped in a grip made of some unknown leather that felt rough and worn, as if it had already tasted countless battles.
Holding it sent a chill down William’s spine.
"This thing feels pissed off," he said quietly.
This sword felt like it wanted to cleave everything in front of it, whether it deserved it or not.
"It’s ancient rank," William muttered. "Show me its description, it must have some core effects."
———————
Nine-Heavens Stormcleaver (ancient)
descends like a meteor
strikes like tribulation
Core traits:
- Momentum Preservation: Strikes retain momentum through impact, allowing faster follow-up attacks and smoother transitions between offense and defense.
- Weapon Balance Optimization: The sword automatically adjusts its balance during combat, improving handling, control, and strike accuracy.
- Super-aerodynamic: The sword is designed to cleave air.
———————
William let out a low whistle.
"Nice," he said honestly. "This thing is built for some aggression."
His grip tightened slightly as he imagined using it in battle.
Before he could test it, the system’s voice interrupted.
[Since you now have a good collection of weapons, how about you use that thing?]
William frowned and hugged the sword closer instinctively, like a child protecting a favorite toy.
"Hm... are you sure it won’t eat them?" he asked suspiciously.
[Tsk. Just do it.]
William chuckled for a second, then said.
"Fine," he said. "If this goes wrong, I’m blaming you."
Opening his inventory, he took out a small black cube. It was smooth, cold to the touch, and faintly glowing along its edges.
A description panel appeared instantly.
———————
Armament Nexus (Soul Weapon)
Core traits:
-Unified Armament: devours multiple weapons and gets the ability to transform into them at the user’s will, preserving all the weapon effects.
-Instant Armament Shift: Allows the host to switch weapons mid-motion.
-Form Continuity: Weapon changes preserve stance, momentum, and attack flow, preventing disruption during combat transitions.
- Recall : The host can recall the weapon instantly.
- Indestructible: can’t be destroyed
———————
This artifact had been one of William’s biggest investments, using free purchases during his years as a chocolate vendor.
Even back then, he had planned for a future where he would need multiple weapons for different situations, even though the sword remained the main one.
The cube rested silently in his palm.
"...Now what?" he asked.
[Drop your blood first.]
William pricked his finger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the cube.
The moment it touched the surface, the cube flashed briefly, then returned to its normal glow.
[Now take out everything.]
With a wave of his hand, weapons appeared neatly on the ground.
Red Oath twin daggers, Univector Bow, Nine-Heavens Stormcleaver, and Crimson Aeon.
[Drop the cube and will it to devour them one at a time.]
William placed the cube on the ground and focused his thoughts on Red Oath first.
A small black portal opened in front of the cube, and the twin daggers were sucked inside without resistance.
William’s eyes widened slightly.
"...That’s unsettling."
The process was repeated with the Univector Bow.
The shock faded as the cube swallowed it effortlessly. Then came the swords. Stormcleaver vanished next, followed by Crimson Aeon.
Within seconds, all four weapons were gone.
The cube pulsed once, then went still.
William waited a moment before testing it.
With a mental command, the cube floated up and landed in his hand.
He did not use sword intent to make it float, instead, he activated the Recall effect.
He focused again.
The cube shifted, reshaping itself into Crimson Aeon instantly. He swung it in the empty air. The sword’s weight, proportions, and feel of touch remained the same.
Then he activated the sword’s invisibility trait, and it took effect instantly.
"Good," he muttered. "No delay."
Next, he willed the sword to activate the racial trait it had absorbed from Vorin’s blood. It was a trait called draconic-demon transformation.
Unfortunately, it could not absorb talents or affinities, so the space abilities were out of the question for this sword.
As the transformation took place, Crimson Aeon began to change.
Demonic energy leaked from the blade as it curved slightly. Sharp, brutal metallic teeth formed along its outer curved edge. The white metal darkened into deep shades of grey, and the hilt transformed as black draconic scales spread across it.
William watched closely, remembering how he had plucked similar scales from Vorin’s corpse.
"...Yeah," he said quietly. "Looks like a torture device."
The aura was violent and oppressive. This form was not something he could use openly due to demonic energy emitting from it, but in the Abyss, it would be perfect.
He deactivated the trait, and next, he tested mana infusion.
The response was immediate.
Mana flowed through the weapon far more efficiently than before.
He tried every weapon, and each transformation preserved its balance, stance, and momentum exactly as described.
Switching forms mid-motion felt effortless.
"This thing is insane," William said honestly as he swiftly practiced switching daggers to swords and then to bows.
He began testing spells and combat arts with different weapon forms, switching between them fluidly, adjusting his movements, and refining his control.
As he adjusted to Armament Nexus’s ability to switch weapons mid-battle.
William grinned from excitement.
_________________
[A/N:
Stages of technique mastery:
Newbie → Beginner → Intermediate → Master → Grand Master → Perfection]
-----
ranks of battle technique:
Iron → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Heaven → Saint → Sage → GOD
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ranks of artifacts and weapons:
Iron → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → diamond → Mythic → Legendary → Ancient → Divine → Sovereign