—
Name: Relentless Fang Set
Rarity: Legendary
Accepted Type: Linear
Rejected Type: Branching; Recursive; Resonant
Description: The history of the Dark Kin is long and looming. In a distant past, they were no different from animals and beasts, roaming the earth, seeking out their next prey. The Relentless Fang is an echo of this past, lost history, and a reminder of the Beastial Aura that they once called home... a home that existed before they lost the concepts of balance and oneness with nature.
Abilities: Blood Wolf Spirit. +50 PER. +50 DEX.
—
’Blood Wolf... Spirit?’
Grey immediately thought of some introductions he had seen in the Mechanical Jaw Lineage tome. It had said that some of the best Spirits to use for their iron jaw mechs were beast spirits, and this seemed like quite a good one.
The Blood Wolf Spirit was probably within the necklace. Which meant that if the timing was right, Grey could probably take it out and add it to the appropriate mechanical jaw if it was worthwhile.
The trouble with that, of course, was that now that the Ball Bearing Eye had been destroyed and Esmeralda’s eye had crumbled to ash, there was no better vessel he had than his iron jaw. And for obvious reasons, he could only have one of those at a time.
Technically speaking, he could make more than one and swap between them with the use of his Cyber Space. But in that case, if he randomly died one day with the wrong mechanical jaw equipped, he might as well have shot his own foot... with an elephant gun.
What was clear, though, was that Grey was wasting Prometheus’ potential by using it as the Spirit of his mechanical jaws. The sync rate it had had with the Ball Bearing Eye was just 0.71%, and yet the results spoke for themselves. Valdris didn’t stand a chance.
Of course, Esmeralda’s eye was definitely a huge part of that and he probably wouldn’t be able to replicate it any time soon. But he bet that even if it was just a normal Ball Bearing Eye, the Sync Rate would be better than his current 0.012%.
Unfortunately, Grey was all cleared out of Cyber Cores after fueling that final attack, and the only raw materials he had left for mechs of the Proving Class were for the Glass Rotating Eye. Even more unfortunately than that, he was out of Resin Frame Mesh.
That was what he got for needing so many attempts to succeed.
It wasn’t all bad, though. With the raw materials he had of a higher Proving Class, he could probably sell and gather what he needed quite easily.
Grey put the Blood Wolf Necklace on, his body immediately feeling like it got several times lighter.
While external items wouldn’t help him boost his Ability Levels, they would certainly help them be more effective nonetheless.
And...
Grey grabbed the twin daggers and immediately felt something prick at his palms, and then the distinctive feeling of a cold line of icy water rushing up his wrists and forearms, quickly reaching his shoulders before plunging down...
Right to his heart.
Grey’s pupils constricted into pinholes, but it was already too late to stop.
A line formed between his heart and the daggers, and then...
WHOOSH.
The blades erupted with a bloody light and all of a sudden the short teeth split to extend with a pair of blood blades that quickly grew longer than even a decently sized chef’s knife, then a short sword, then a long sword.
’Shit, shit, shit.’
It felt like the blades were just going to keep sucking until it built weapons as large as the Eiffel Tower.
’Goddammit, I’m sorry for calling you out before, size doesn’t matter. Just ask any woman who’s willing to lie straight to your face.’
Despite his panic, Grey was quickly trying to think of options until he sensed something.
—
[Lv1 Heart Lance > Lv2 Heart Lance]
—
’Oh!’
The moment Grey felt the circulation pattern pulsing within his Neural Frame he instinctively felt how to pull back on it.
The blood finally flowed in reverse and his quickly paling face regained some of its color.
The blades shrank back down until they were little nubs a few inches again. Only then did he exhale in relief.
Amunet laughed to the side. "Did you almost bleed yourself out?"
"... I plead the fifth."
"Didn’t you say you’re Canadian?"
"Details, details. Let’s see what this last one is, then?"
Amunet smiled and nodded.
Grey thought about where he was going to put the fang daggers away, but the moment he had the instinct, small crimson glyphs glowed on their surface. Then there was a strong suction force that pulled them right into his body until...
’Are these little shits floating in my heart? Holy hell...’
Grey could definitely feel them, and when he flipped his palms over, he saw a pair of tattoos that matched them.
’Well, at least these won’t be as easily taken away as my other stuff. Let’s see what this last thing is.’
Grey pressed a hand forward and he felt like the fangs wanted to leap out. He shook his head inwardly and suppressed them, pushing his palm down.
Slowly, the box fell away. There was a pulse of crimson light, followed by an even more radiant light of blue as though something unprecedented was being born.
And then, a cloak appeared. It looked like it was cut out of velvet, the silkiness practically whisking the air around it into a frenzy as it tried but failed to find purchase on its surface. The item embodied being untouchable in a way that Grey couldn’t quite describe.
—
Name: Kin of the Cult
Rarity: Legendary (CURSED) (LIMITED)
Accepted Type: Linear; Branching; Recursive
Rejected Type: Resonant
Description: The Dark Kin were never ostracized from society, they never had a part in it. Moving in the shadows and through the lair of beasts, they have long been a people neglected, ignored, and often forgotten. But The Cult never forgets, and one day, it will rise up from the shadows to lay waste to the Land of Gods, the Land of Genesis. The Fog of Chaos shall rule all.
Abilities: Obscure Cult affiliation. Kin of the Cult Frame Lineage. +50 to ALL stats.
—
Grey blinked when he saw the description. Was this information also related to his Legendary Quest? But he wasn’t part of a Cult. Did taking the cloak automatically mean you joined?
He was also quite interested in the so-called "Kin of the Cult Frame." He was in need of a few more Frames. If he could have four like he thought he could, stopping at just three—especially since two of them didn’t seem to be Perfect—was silly.
Grey was so distracted by his own thoughts that he didn’t feel Amunet stiffen. Maybe he had grown too lax, or maybe he truly did start to trust her.
But it seemed that in this world where death was around every corner, everyone had their own price. The value of a Frame, especially one that came from a Legendary item, was far too valuable.
At least that was what Grey would tell himself when he found himself awake beneath the shadow of the First Outpost of the Wilds, having been booted from the Instance.
The world faded to black and the last thing Grey saw was Amunet reaching for the cloak.