Chapter 303: Insane upgrade

Words : 1894 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

More notifications continued to pour in. [Attribute Points Available: 144] [New Skill Slots Available: 3] The notifications continued, eventually coalescing into a status update that Noah could barely believe. His attributes had skyrocketed, his abilities enhanced, and most surprisingly of all, a new system feature had been unlocked. [NEW SYSTEM FEATURE UNLOCKED: Void Forge] Noah stared in amazement as the system notification expanded into a detailed interface he'd never seen before. [VOID FORGE ACTIVATED] The air before him began to shimmer with a dark purple energy, coalescing into a swirling vortex that expanded until it was roughly the size of a small room. Within this pocket, Noah could see the outlines of a forge—anvil, hammer, and a pulsating core of void energy that served as both fire and fuel. "What the hell is this?" Noah whispered, reaching toward the interface that had materialized before him. Storm and Nyx moved closer, equally transfixed by the manifestation of pure void energy. The wyvern's scales rippled with frost in response to the void's cold emanations, while Nyx's body temperature rose defensively, creating steam where the two energies met. [VOID FORGE: Allowing the creation of weapons, armor, and items infused with void energy using beast cores as catalysts. Higher category cores enable creation of higher-tier items.] The interface displayed his current inventory: [AVAILABLE MATERIALS] - Eclipse Blade [Basic weapon] - Category 5 Beast Cores x3 (Tapeworm Alpha Cores) - Category 4 Beast Cores x982 [CREATION OPTIONS] 1. Weapons 2. Armor 3. Accessories As Noah's mind processed the possibilities, the forge seemed to respond to his thoughts. The Eclipse Blade materialized within the vortex, hovering above the ethereal anvil. Two of the massive tapeworm cores—each still pulsing with residual energy—rose from his inventory and orbited the blade. A stream of smaller Category 4 cores followed, forming a spiral pattern around the central items. "It's... crafting something," Noah realized, watching as the cores began to disintegrate, their essence flowing into the Eclipse Blade. The void hammer rose on its own, striking the blade with rhythmic precision. Each impact sent ripples of void energy cascading outward. The blade began to change—lengthening slightly, its edges growing sharper than physical matter should allow. The guard transformed into an intricate design that resembled cosmic branches of dark matter, extending outward before curving toward the blade. With each hammer strike, system notifications appeared: [FORGING PROGRESS: 25%] [CONSUMING: Category 5 Beast Core x1] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x25] [FORGING PROGRESS: 50%] [CONSUMING: Category 5 Beast Core x1] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x35] [FORGING PROGRESS: 75%] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x40] Noah watched in fascination as the blade absorbed the essence of the beast cores, its form shifting subtly with each addition. The metal—if it could still be called that—took on a deep obsidian hue that seemed to devour light rather than reflect it. [FORGING COMPLETE: Excaliburn [Mythic Weapon]] The newly forged weapon floated toward Noah, rotating slowly to display its perfection. It was a masterpiece of void craftsmanship—a sleek black longsword whose edges rippled with barely contained void energy. Along the flat of the blade, faint purple runes pulsed in time with Noah's heartbeat. The hilt was wrapped in what appeared to be leather but was actually a perfect fusion of void energy and beast core essence, providing an ideal grip molded specifically for Noah's hand. As Noah reached out to grasp it, the sword moved of its own accord, meeting his hand halfway. The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, he felt a surge of power unlike anything he'd experienced before. The blade hummed with recognition, the void energy within it resonating with Noah's own. [Excaliburn [Mythic Weapon] (Upgraded from Eclipse Blade)] - A sleek black longsword with pulsating void energy that can reshape its form based on combat needs - Primary Effect: Absolute Void Edge - Cuts through physical and energy-based defenses alike - Secondary Effect: Essence Harvest - Converts 15% of damage dealt into void energy - Special Ability: Void Attachment: User and Blade are inseparable. Before Noah could fully appreciate his new weapon, the forge activated again. The final Category 5 core moved into position above the anvil, joined by a stream of fifty Category 4 cores. The materials began to swirl together, forming a rough outline of footwear that gradually became more defined with each rotation. [FORGING PROGRESS: 33%] [CONSUMING: Category 5 Beast Core x1] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x20] [FORGING PROGRESS: 66%] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x30] The boots took shape—sleek, form-fitting footwear that seemed to be made from the same light-absorbing material as the sword. As they neared completion, wisps of void energy began to emanate from the soles, creating an effect like dark flames licking upward from the ground. [FORGING COMPLETE: Void Striders [Mythic Boots]] The boots hovered before Noah, turning slowly to showcase their design. They were primarily black, but with subtle scale patterns reminiscent of the tapeworms' exterior skin. These scales weren't merely decorative—they shifted slightly, adjusting to optimize the boots' aerodynamics based on movement speed. Around the ankles, bands of concentrated void energy pulsed with potential power. [Void Striders [Mythic Boots]] - Sleek black boots with void energy wisping from the soles, adorned with tapeworm scale patterns - Primary Effect: Mach Transcendence - Enables movement up to Mach 2 speed - Secondary Effect: Gravity Defiance - Allows walking on any surface regardless of orientation - Special Ability: Phantom Step - Leave behind void energy decoys when moving at high speed (Cost: 50 void energy) The forge's energy surged one final time as the remaining Category 4 cores—250 of them—swirled into position. Unlike the previous creations, these cores arranged themselves into multiple forms simultaneously: a chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, and shoulder guards. [FORGING PROGRESS: 25%] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x60] [FORGING PROGRESS: 50%] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x70] [FORGING PROGRESS: 75%] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x70] [FORGING PROGRESS: 100%] [CONSUMING: Category 4 Beast Cores x50] The armor set materialized piece by piece—each component sleek and functional rather than bulky. The chest plate contoured perfectly to Noah's physique, with subtle reinforcement at vital areas. The gauntlets featured articulated fingers and reinforced knuckles for both protection and offensive capability. The greaves were designed to work in harmony with the Void Striders, while the shoulder guards provided protection without restricting movement. The entire set shared a consistent aesthetic—primarily the same light-absorbing black material as his other creations, but with subtle purple energy lines tracing geometric patterns across the surface. These lines seemed to pulse with Noah's heartbeat, creating a rhythmic display of contained power. [FORGING COMPLETE: Knight Grace [Rare Armor Set]] [Knight Grace [Rare Armor Set]] - A form-fitting suit of void-infused armor that adapts to the wearer's movements - Set includes: Chest Plate, Gauntlets, Greaves, and Shoulder Guards - Set Effect: Void Shell - Creates a passive energy barrier that absorbs 30% of incoming damage - Set Effect: Enhanced Recovery - Increases void energy regeneration by 15% - Special Ability: Dimensional Shift - Briefly phase out of sync with reality to avoid attacks (Cost: 80 void energy, Cooldown: 60 seconds) As the final piece of armor materialized, the Void Forge pulsed once more before beginning to contract. The swirling vortex of energy collapsed in on itself, depositing the newly created items at Noah's feet before disappearing entirely. Noah found himself standing in the same spot as before, but now surrounded by his new equipment. Excaliburn pulsed eagerly in his hand, as if anxious to be tested in battle. The Void Striders sat before him, void energy still wisping from their soles. The Knight Grace armor set hovered nearby, arranged as if worn by an invisible mannequin. [Void Forge Closed] [Materials Consumed: Eclipse Blade, Category 5 Beast Cores x3, Category 4 Beast Cores x400] [Void Storage Updated: Category 4 Beast Cores x582 remaining, Category 5 Beast Core Fragments x12] Noah turned to his companions, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Well," he said, lifting Excaliburn to examine it in the fading sunlight, "I'd say that was worth getting eaten by giant tapeworms, wouldn't you?" Storm huffed again, but this time Noah detected a note of approval in the sound. Nyx moved closer to inspect the new equipment, his eyes gleaming with interest. "I can't wait to try these out," Noah said, slipping his feet into the Void Striders. The moment they made contact with his skin, they adjusted perfectly to fit, the void energy wrapping around his feet like a second skin. He reached for the Knight Grace armor next, the chest plate moving to meet him halfway. As each piece settled onto his body, it adjusted automatically, providing perfect protection while maintaining full range of motion. Finally, Noah gave Excaliburn an experimental swing. The blade cut through the air with impossible precision, leaving a brief afterimage of void energy in its wake. He could feel the connection between himself and the weapon—deeper and more profound than anything he'd experienced with the Eclipse Blade. "Kelvin is never going to believe this," Noah laughed, looking down at his transformed appearance. Where before he had been covered in tapeworm fluids and battle damage, he now stood resplendent in void-infused armor, wielding a mythic weapon that seemed eager for the next challenge. [Updated profile processing...] As the system processed his profile, Noah took a moment to simply breathe. [Name: Noah Eclipse] [Level: 41] [Class: Void Oracle] [Health Points: 1750/1750] [Void Energy: 2200/2200] [Experience: 12,450/24,000] [Talents:] Void Summoning [SSS RANK] Perfect Echo [Sealed] Self-Regeneration [A+ RANK] (Significantly upgraded from B RANK) [Enhanced Skills:] Void Blink (Level 10) – Near-instant cooldown, extended range, chain blinking with afterimages (Cooldown: 1.5 seconds) Null Strike (Level 7) – Devastating erasure effect, area impact, reduced energy cost (-60) Void Absorption (Level 6) – Can now convert absorbed energies into void energy Entropy Touch (Level 5) – Accelerated decay, precise control, chain reaction capability Void Bullet (Level 4) – Multiple homing projectiles, increased penetration (Cost: 35 void energy per use) Null Strike 'n Chi Fusion (Level 3) – Enhanced fusion with amplified damage output Storm Fall (Level 4) - Call down concentrated lightning storm (NEW) [Attributes:] Strength: 125 (+28) Agility: 144 (+32) Vitality: 132 (+31) Intelligence: 136 (+28) Wisdom: 130 (+25) As he processed the information, his mind was already calculating the possibilities. With the massive haul of Category 4 cores and the three Category 5 cores he'd just acquired, the crafting potential was enormous. 'This changes everything,' Noah realized. 'Excaliburn, Void Striders, Knight Grace... with this equipment, I'll be in a completely different league.' He looked up at his companions, a genuine smile spreading across his face despite his exhaustion. "Boys," he announced, "I think our little hunt just paid off in a big way." Storm and Nyx exchanged glances, clearly still unamused by Noah's reckless tactics. But they couldn't deny the results. [Quest Status: Survive (5:02 remaining)] Noah closed his eyes, letting the alien sun warm his face as he waited for the quest timer to reach zero. Whatever Gigarose's game was, he'd survived it—and come out stronger than ever. 'You guys hang on,' he thought with grim satisfaction. 'I'm coming'

Chapter 303: Insane upgrade

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