[You Have Bonded with a Spirit Core]
A pulse of energy shot from my chest into the core—just like with Veyren. The connection snapped into place, but this time no red thread formed.
A purple one did.
[Due to the effects of Umbral Domination, your Familiar Veyren will undergo an Evolution]
Before I could react, the spirit core in my hand darkened—its surface turning completely black.
[Evolution of the Spirit Core Failed]
[Additional Essence Required]
[Calculating Required Essence…]
[2000 Essence Required for the Evolution of the Spirit Core]
"Two thousand?" I muttered. "Why do I even need to evolve it?"
As if waiting for the question, a new notification appeared.
[Spirit Core is nearly drained of all energy. Essence is required to restore it.]
So I'd damaged it using Essence Drain—but I hadn't gained anything from it.
A waste… or so I thought.
[You have completed the 28th Ordeal (+)]
[You have exceeded expectations]
Title acquired: Challenger (3/3)
You have become a True Challenger. A challenger never backs down. Enemies stronger than you will feel fear toward you.
[+5 Vitality, +3 Agility, +3 Constitution]
[Additional Reward: Exemption from the 29th Ordeal — +2000 Essence]
"…Not bad at all."
I now had 2303 Essence. Enough to fix the core. Still… it felt like a waste, especially since draining it gave me nothing.
I pulled up my stats.
Stats
HP: 38
MP: 150
Strength: 12 (+1)
Agility: 12 (+3)
Endurance: 10 (+1)
Constitution: 9 (+3)
Vitality: 15 (+5)
Nether: 15
[Due to absorption of high amounts of Mana, your Nether Stat has permanently increased by 5]
I blinked.
My Nether had jumped—Spirit Cores were supposed to be used in processed elixirs, not raw consumption. But I wasn't going to complain.
And honestly, 2000 Essence wasn't even that expensive. A basic class required about 400 Essence per level, and each level only granted a single stat point. In comparison, five free stat points for the same cost was almost efficient.
With a sigh, I used the 2000 Essence.
My balance dropped to 303 Essence.
[Restoration and Evolution of the Spirit Core will be completed in 24 hours]
[23:59:59]
"…A whole day?"
Veyren only took ten minutes.
The thought slammed into me.
Veyren.
I sprinted back toward him. He was collapsed on the ground—unconscious, breathing faintly. Still alive.
Relief crashed over me.
I uncorked a high-tier potion and poured it between his lips. His body glowed faintly.
I opened his status.
Veyren
Race: Spirit Fox (2 tails)
Rank: E — [6000 / 10000 Essence]
Affinities: Shadowglint
Skills
• Glimmer Step — Flicker between light and shadow in short bursts.
• Energy Drain — Absorb aura/energy from a subdued target or drain energy during combat.
• Dim-Flash — A microburst of light that stuns while preserving shadows.
Condition: Severely injured — unconscious
Bond Level: 100 / 100
His Essence had skyrocketed—he must have drained quite a bit during the battle.
Still unconscious, still healing. There was nothing more I could do for him right now.
So I opened the shop.
It had been a while.
I bought a few Mystery Cards. The 30th Ordeal would be the last one I attempted—no need to hoard Essence anymore.
[Warden's Grip — Rare]
Seize an enemy with overwhelming force, preventing escape or skill usage for a short duration.
[War Echo — Unique]
A resonant shout that boosts allies' morale while weakening the will of enemies.
[Guard Break — Common]
A precise strike that weakens the target's defense for a few seconds.
A common, a rare, and a unique.
Not bad. I'd barely seen any common skills since I started opening these.
And thanks to the Variant's appearance, I wouldn't be fighting the Raivolt Wolf—the lightning/thunder spirit beast.
The next Ordeal would skip straight ahead…
To the Goblin Sage.