As we found a good area to rest for a moment, I finally had the chance to properly review my Status Window without having to worry about a Kobold suddenly jumping out of the darkness and trying to lodge a weapon into my back, even if I doubt it would do much damage at all. My attention returned to the changes I had noticed earlier, and when I focused on the image of my character that was displayed within it, several new slots had expanded around the inner part. They weren't connected to my normal Equipment Slots which were reserved for Weapons, Armor, and Accessories. Or anything else the Gamer System registered as Equipment.
Instead, these new slots were positioned closer to the representation of my clothing, and seemed to belong to an entirely separate category. Considering everything that has happened recently, I had a pretty good idea as to what these slots do. They were meant for Production Tools. Pickaxes, Hammers, Crafting Tools, and whatever other specialized Equipment I might eventually get my hands on. And now, this Gamer System of mine dedicated its own places within it. How cool is that?
Take the Durable Pickaxe I had just obtained from finishing Mine Ore I. While I have yet to see its details, I wouldn't have to sacrifice an actual Equipment Slot every time I wanted to use a Production Tool. To count the number of Production Tool Slots, I count four. I could equip multiple once I get that far!
Definitely much more to look into at a later time, but like I mentioned before, I had something else that took precedence. I wanted to review my Stat Preview now. Thinking that, the Status Window changed, and it became much more condensed all of a sudden. It looks much better now!
[Status Preview]
Name: Myles Alexander
LV: 16 (151,440/195,840)
Class: Spellblade
Wallet: $350,000 USD
HP: 70,450/70,450
MP: 43,280/53,280
Universal Damage: 13,256
MP Recovery: 356 per minute
Current Location: Instance Dungeon - Kobold Nest
A/N: Is this better? Let me know in the comments!
Over thirteen thousand damage...
Even after seeing the number with my own eyes, I had to stare at it for another couple of moments. I hadn't even needed to boost my Universal Damage through Zoltraak to kill the LV15-18 Kobolds we had encountered so far. My ordinary combat ability had already reached the point where enemies around my current Level were being completely overwhelmed. The gigantic Zoltraak beam of light I had fired earlier was something else entirely, especially since I dumped a whopping ten thousand MP into it, which was the maximum MP it could use in a single burst. Talk about a large disparity right there.
Still, I couldn't deny how satisfying this progression felt. It's only been a couple of days since I was brought into the MCU, but the Gamer System has already displayed an explosive growth to my entire body. And now, it's beginning to adapt to Magic. I know Han Jihan creates original Spells like Mana Arrow and Spinning Mana Arrow. I am not sure if I will go the pure Mage route, but it is definitely an option for me. Honestly, with how potent Magic is and the fact I possess the Gamer System, I am fearful of how different I will be in a mere month's time, let alone an entire year or two when Iron Man I kicks off.
I know I am in this so-called "Preparation Phase" and all but everything is already being thrown at me. It can be hard to keep up with sometimes. Nonetheless, It's a needless worry to have for now, so I could only shrug that thought off. Instead, I focused on what was present before me. The Foundation Training I Quest! INT has already pulled far ahead of everything else while my other Stats are all in the 200s. And I am not counting those ridiculous bonuses from the Equipment. I haven't even equipped my two Orange-grade pieces yet apart from Frieren's Staff. Spellblade and Lofty Genius were already giving me consistent Stat growth the moment the Class function unlocked.
Given enough levels, most of my Stats will naturally climb toward the 500 mark on their own. I don't need to invest heavily in them. See where I am going with this?
There's only one answer to that. Invest everything into LUK. I know I should've done it before, but that was before I had Spellblade. Now, I can comfortably not put any points into the other Stats, and solely put everything into LUK. I want more random chances to happen to me like what mining node just did, how I got that Death's Blade, and so on. They're called Random Encounters, amongst other terms for it. It uses the LUK Stat!
Without hesitation, I made a decision to use my Available Points.
[Ding! You have used 48 Points.]
[Ding! Your LUK has increased by 48!]
[Ding! Current LUK: 255.]
A wide grin immediately spread across my face. I'll either do this every few Levels, or every Level, I'll set it up where the 12 Points are just automatically put into LUK. One or the other. It's now halfway to 500 too! It will likely be my second Stat to reach the Quest requirement. LUK also affects drops, results, hidden events, encounters, you name it. The possibilities are endless.
Nonetheless, I was satisfied with what I had reviewed. It is only a matter of time until every one of my Stats broke through the 500 mark. I doubt it will happen in this Instance Dungeon alone, even with how quickly I was gaining EXP here, but one or two weeks didn't sound unreasonable anymore. That thought alone was almost ridiculous. A goal that could have potentially taken months or at least a year or two down the line can be accomplished with but a snap of my fingers.
No pun intended, haha!
After that review, Frigga had wandered a short distance away to inspect the surrounding cavern. Eventually, she settled on a relatively open section of stone where the walls widened enough for us to move around comfortably. There were no immediate branching tunnels nearby, the ground was mostly level, and more importantly, neither of us could sense Kobolds lurking just beyond the edges of darkness. This would be my classroom for this next lesson. If one could even consider it one. And this time, we won't be discussing Asgardian Runes.
Instead, Frigga was going to teach me Enchantment!
"This spot here should be good. We haven't gone too deep to warrant the attention of those Kobolds, though I still sense there are many residing much further within.", Frigga slowly looked down the passageways ahead of us as she said that. Her expression remained thoughtful. "It is quite astonishing, really. This place is just like a labyrinth, and we have not even reached the starting point."
After dismissing my Status Window, I followed Frigga's gaze. Calling the Kobold Nest a cave was becoming increasingly inaccurate the farther we looked. Several passages further within twisted, divided, narrowed, and opened up again with almost no obvious pattern. I saw several mineral deposits ripe for the taking just on the surface alone, and we haven't even picked up the Loot yet! I could only imagine how enormous the place became farther inside. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple thousand Kobolds lurked within the depths. I'm sure a nasty Boss is waiting for us too.
"Dungeon exploring at its finest, as one would say.", I couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm not surprised this place is a labyrinth. I'm getting that vibe too. I just wish I had more exploration-related Skills. Mapping, Detection, Tracking, Danger Sense, anything that would make this trek easier. Sadly, I will have to go in blind and hope for the best."
That strategy sounded significantly worse when I said that aloud.
Fortunately, being absurdly overpowered compared to the Kobolds we had encountered so far made it slightly less suicidal. Knowing that, I turned toward Frigga with a grin on my face and continued to speak.
"I'll even show you what else Zoltraak can do while we're here. Fundamentally, it is Slaying Magic. What you saw earlier wasn't it's only form. Zoltraak can be shaped and fired in different ways depending on how it is cast. That gigantic beam was just one outcome."
"And I will look forward to your next demonstration. Quite an intriguing Spell.", Frigga said, complementing it. There was genuine curiosity behind her words, rather than simple politeness. And yet, after a moment, her expression shifted into the composed look she had worn during our earlier lesson. A studious one. "However, that can wait until we continue deeper into this place. There is another subject I would believe benefit you considerably, particularly now that you have begun acquiring tools and materials of your own."
That caught my attention immediately. From there, Frigga stepped closer and began.
"Runes are but one method through which Magic may be given structure and purpose. You have already seen that our Asgardian Runes can represent more than a written symbol. They can embody meaning, intent, and power. Enchantment follows a similar principle. Though its application is different and rather than merely calling upon Magic for an immediate effect, an Enchanter seeks to impart that effect onto something else. And that something can range from a variety of items, living, or not."
I think I know what she meant there.
Weapons. Armor. Accessories. Tools. Materials. Any sort of Item can be enchanted one way or another, even if it is in its purest form. Raw, and unmolded. Seeing me pick up on the subject already, Frigga smiled as she continued to speak.
"I see you have already begun considering the possibilities.", Frigga said. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Several, actually.", I admitted.
"I expected as much. I am your teacher, after all.", Frigga said, giving me a quiet laugh before she folded her hands in front of herself. "But before we begin, I would first know what foundation I am working with. Enchantment is an old art amongst the Asgardians. It is as old as Asgardian Magic is. One whose principles can vary considerably, depending on who practices it. The object, and the Magic involved. I know you are a Human from Midgard, and yet, I suspect your people view the subject rather differently. Or perhaps, it may even be out of the question. It isn't a widely-known art from your viewpoint, is it?"
"Unfortunately, it isn't.", I said, sighing with a shake of my head. "At least, not where I come from. Enchantment is something Humans have imagined for a very long time, but mostly through Mythology, Folklore, Fantasy Noels, Video Games, and other stories. We have legends about magical weapons and objects for sure, but as far as modern society goes, it is not within the realm of possibility.
I find it a little funny explaining Earth's history while standing beside the Allmother inside a dungeon filled with Kobolds. The concept of science shouldn't exactly be foreign to Frigga for that matter either. Asgardian Magic blends Science and Magic together, if I recall correctly. Humanity had spent thousands of years telling stories about magic without ever realizing how close some of those stories might have been to the real truth. Each civilization portrays it in a different way. Weapons blessed by the Gods, Cursed Objects, Protective Charms, Accessories imbued with supernatural powers. Armor of and Weapons with extraordinary power of legendary figures. The list goes on and on and on, and I won't bore you with every single little detail.
Even the concept of Enchantment wasn't exactly new. We had always been fascinated by such a possibility since ancient times, and yet, we never extracted a means to do so. Not in current history books anyway. At least, public-facing ones. Secret societies like Kamar-Taj have entirely different meanings. Definitely an avenue worth exploring once I have my face-to-face with the Ancient One.
"In the end, we Humans paved our way through the art of Science, letting folklore and such methods fade into the history books. It varies depending on the culture, but the basis was there. You'd be surprised with how Midgard had changed, especially these last hundred years alone. Though we haven't exactly reached the levels of creating a portal or something like that, heh.", I continued, chuckling.
"I can see that.", Frigga responded with a nod. "At the very least, you possess more of a foundation than you may believe. It is very similar to how I imparted Perceive onto you. You just lack a means to do the Enchanting. Now that you have the body that utilizes Magic, it should come very naturally to you. And that is where our first lesson will be."
"I am ready, Master.", I said, straightening my stature.
"Mmm.", Frigga responded. "For your first lesson, we shall begin with the distinction of placing Magic upon an object, and teaching said object on how to retain it."
Now that sounds interesting, doesn't it? Frigga's lesson had begun, and I was ready to absorb it all, even if we were inside an Instance Dungeon.