Chapter 22: Biological Modification Inspect Skill
Uhtred knew he was splurging out on this choice, though. There were dozens of cheaper, more standard and still durable metal weapons available, but this specific piece simply refused to let go of his attention.
The weapon was entirely obsidian black from the top to bottom, without a single trace of variation in its color. It looked less like it had been forged and more like it had been perfectly carved from a single, seamless block of dark cosmic material.
The craftsmanship was so pristine and flawless that Uhtred doubted whether modern automated tools on Earth could replicate something like it at all.
He found it under an independent integrated storefront labeled Dreugvnn Weapons Store. He re-read the description, trying to pronounce the name properly in his mind, but he gave up after a while.
He had no idea what kind of race the Dreugvnn were, but the sheer quality of the work spoke for itself. Of course, Uhtred had considered the possibility of being scammed by an alien vendor. This was just a listing and he was only seeing a 3d picture, not the real item... but after he thought about it properly, he dismissed the anxiety entirely.
Since the storefront was hosted directly through the System interface, the regulations had to be incredibly strict. Coupled with the fact that the baseline prices for similar items were uniform across the various stores, he had full confidence to finalize the purchase.
It cost him 50 multiversal tokens, the exact same price as his permanent optical skill, but from the parameters detailed in the listing, he knew it was worth every coin.
And finally, for the last thing he selected, it was a new pair of clothes. However, despite how simple this seemed, it was the one with the most advanced process to buy.
For the cloth, the shop allowed him to manually choose specific material properties, and Uhtred didn’t hold back. He didn’t even know if it was possible, but he selected fireproofing, waterproofing, scratch-resistance, all bound into a highly durable, lightweight fabric designed for maximum mobility.
The moment he finalized his custom list of demands, a prompt informed him that his physical frame was being actively scanned. Within seconds, his exact anatomical dimensions were transmitted directly to the vendor, and the customized item appeared in his private queue with a calculated price tag.
Surprisingly, the total cost was only 10 tokens. The design was completely minimalist, a simple, sleek black outfit without any gaudy flourishes or unnecessary emblems.
Satisfied with his cart, Uhtred finalized the total transaction of 115 multiversal tokens and confirmed payment.
The exact millisecond the tokens deducted from his balance, the air directly in front of him shimmered and warped. A simple, securely packed crate materialized out of nothingness and dropped lightly onto the river sand.
Uhtred knelt beside it, opening the crate like a kid opening a Christmas present. His eyes skipped past the neatly folded fabric and instantly locked onto the physical battle-axe.
In person, the weapon was even more glorious than its digital rendering. The obsidian body was sleek, and to his surprise, the star metal felt remarkably warm to the touch.
The moment his fingers curled around the grip, the weapon balanced itself against his center of gravity so flawlessly it felt like a natural extension of his arm.
A massive grin broke across his face. His choice to deviate from a traditional sword had been entirely correct. He had initially considered a blade, reasoning that his experience thrusting the broken antler shards would make a piercing weapon familiar.
But the more he thought about it, he had realized how much he preferred the heavy, destructive force of a high-impact swinging weapon. According to the Dreugvnn listing, this star metal composition was also highly conductive to elemental essence channeling, making it an ideal fit for his Formless core.
Unable to wipe the grin from his face, Uhtred placed the weapon down and checked the remainder of the crate. Nestled at the bottom was a small, metallic contraption — the translator device.
Following the basic instructions, he looped the cord around his neck, letting the small pendant rest against his chest. He could have opted for a permanent biological version of the translator for a higher fee, but he didn’t see the practical necessity yet. The device had no progressive tiers; it either translated or it didn’t, so there was no reason to waste tokens.
Besides, there’s still a whole five years before we see other races, Uhtred thought, adjusting the strap.
But as the smooth metal settled against his skin, it brushed against the empty space where his mother’s heirloom had hung for his entire life, and his expression turned solemn.
His mind drifted back to the integration moment itself — how the old pendant had fused with the anomalies of that falling asteroid, searing itself straight into his chest and most likely causing the error that initiated the Primordial Template, giving him this Formless core.
The deep mysteries surrounding his father and the origin of that metal still weighed heavily on his mind, but he deliberately shook the thoughts away. Survival in this new world came first.
Right on cue, a new glowing notification popped up in the center of his view.
[Notice: Biological Modification Inspect Skill (Basic Grade) is primed for deployment. Initiate assimilation now?]
"Yes," Uhtred muttered casually.
The next second, he violently regretted his lackadaisical response.
A sudden, white-hot agony flooded straight into his eyes. It felt as though a pair of red-hot needles had driven through his pupils, boring deep into his optic nerves to physically dismantle and rewire the cellular structure of his eyes.
Uhtred fell to his knees, screaming out loud to the empty sky as the brutal, systemic restructuring tore through his skull.
The agonizing process felt like an eternity, but in reality, it only lasted a measly ten seconds before the pain abruptly vanished.
Uhtred remained on his hands and knees in the sand, his breath coming in ragged, trembling gasps as sweat dripped from his chin. Slowly, he blinked away the tears, forcing his eyelids open to look out across the distance.
At first glance, the landscape looked completely the same as before. But the moment he turned his gaze to his side, toward the bear-sized carcasses of the wolves he had killed a short distance away, neat rows of text hovered over their bodies in his vision.
[Metal-Jawed Epicyon Wolf - Level 11 (Deceased)]
[Metal-Jawed Epicyon Wolf - Level 11 (Deceased)]
[Metal-Jawed Epicyon Wolf - Level 10 (Deceased)]
