The crystal felt like a shard of ice in Verso's hand.
Even though this was his first time holding the stone, he could feel the mana moving deep within the shiny blue crystal.
In the real world, these attribute crystals were the lifeblood of the economy, monopolized by clans and some attribute crystals selling for millions.
'Can I bring this out with me.' Verso thought as the started thinking back to the description of Realm Menu.
According to what the system had told him, any loot he gained here would be transferred to his physical body, but he did not know if this applied to unabsorbed crystals.
'Well, that's an issue for another time.' He cut through his greedy thoughts as he looked at the crystal in his hand.
'This increases my strength by three whole points.'
Although it sounded like a small number, for Verso it was a literal fifty percent increase in his raw strength.
Verso closed his eyes, tightened his grip focusing on the cold sensation and imagined the energy flowing out of the stone into his body.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp tug and looking at his hand he saw a stream of blue light bleeding out of the crystal that then spiraled around his wrist before sinking into his skin.
A strange heat followed, racing through his muscles and settling in his chest. A second later, the crystal lost its glow turning into a dull grey powder that slipped through his fingers like sand.
'I don't feel so different.' Verso thought, flexing his hand.
He didn't feel like he had gained massive muscles but there was a strange tightness he could feel in his grip so to confirm that his strength had increased he pulled up his status window.
---
[✦Summoner Window✦]
Name: Verso
Title: -
Talent: [Endless]
Core: Uncondensed (0%)
Stats:
[Strength: 9]
[Agility: 7]
[Endurance: 7]
[Mana: 4]
Summons: [Nameless Skeleton]
---
"It actually worked." He whispered quietly looking at his increased strength.
He picked the ivory cleaver back up and the weapon which had felt slightly heavy before now felt light.
"I'm not done yet."
He turned back toward the center of the crater as he continued onwards.
He hadn't walked for more than a minute when he spotted a pair of Minor Stone Golems. They were moving toward a cluster of floating rocks towards the center with their backs turned to Verso.
Trying not to waste this opportunity, Verso gripped the leather handle of his cleaver tightly before he crouched slightly. He launched himself forward at full power and with his new strength his initial kick had added a sudden burst of speed in his movement.
But as he closed the gap, the golems didn't just stand there.
Both of them spun around simultaneously, their blue runes flaring into a blinding neon glare almost as if they switched to combat mode. Their stone eyes locked onto Verso with precision.
'How did they sense me already?!'
Verso had thought he had the surprise advantage over them but didn't have time to overthink what had just happened. For some reason the Realm versions of the golems were hyper aware.
The golem on the left took the initiative. Instead of staying in it's original position it started charging. It put its shoulder down like a rugby player and tore across the jagged earth closing the distance in a heartbeat.
"Aren't you a fast one."
Verso put on a provoking smile as he planted his foot and waited for the golem.
The golem threw a massive right hook, the strike was probably backed by hundreds of pounds of moving rock that made up it's body.
'Predictable.'
With his improved strength and reflexes that had built over the years Verso's movements were very fluid.
He ducked under the punch, the sheer force of the swing whistling over his head like a passing truck.
'That would have hurt.'
He didn't just dodge this time as he counter attacked with the intention to finish the golem in one swing.
Using the momentum of his duck he sprang upward, the ivory cleaver trailing behind him in a wicked arc.
CRUNCH!
The blade slammed straight into the center of the golem's face, splitting the stone head cleanly in half.
The mana crystal on it's head shattered instantly as the golem collapsed into a pile of lifeless rubble.
[Primitive Beast Slain: Minor Stone Golem.]
The mechanical sound echoed in Verso's head but he didn't acknowledge it as the fight was still not over.
The second golem was already there. It had almost intelligently used its partner as a screen and lunged in Verso's direction.
The golem pulled its arm back, the runes on its fist glowing with blue energy as it prepared to crush Verso's chest.
'I can't dodge this!'
Verso's feet were sliding on the loose gravel. He was completely out of position and his balance shifted too far forward.
'Fuck it!'
He decided to bet everything on his new stat and instead of trying to retreat he leaned into the danger.
He gripped the ivory handle with both hands, his muscles bulging as he channeled every ounce of his now strength into one desperate horizontal swing.
He spun his entire body, turning into a whirlwind as the cleaver met the golem's incoming fist mid air.
CRACK!
The ivory blade didn't just stop the punch as it sliced through the golem's stone arm like a hot wire through wax. And it didn't stop there.
The momentum carried the blade through the golem's torso, carving a massive jagged line through its rocky chest.
'It worked?!' Verso stared in shock.
The golem froze in place as a massive gap appeared across its body. The top half of the beast slowly slid off the bottom half, crashing into the dirt with a heavy thud.
Verso didn't give it a chance to recover as he stepped over the twitching remains and drove his cleaver straight into the exposed mana crystal in its head.
TING!
[Primitive Beast Slain: Minor Stone Golem.]
[Beast Soul Acquired: Minor Stone Golem.]
"What the fuck..."
Verso froze on the spot, his heart hammering against his ribs as the mechanical voice echoed in his ears almost like he did not believe what he had just heard.
'Isn't a beast soul suppose to be super rare?!'
According to every book he had ever read about hunting, acquiring a Beast Soul was a one in a thousand chance.
But here not only had he found an attribute crystal on his first kill but he had also just claimed a beast soul after killing his third beast ever.
'This does not make any sense-'
[Two Beast Souls Acquired! Host May Access Synthesis!]