Chapter 109: 109:You Don’t Have Any Talent
Reigns decided to look for the next upgrade, but the moment his eyes landed on the notification panel, he was so shocked that he nearly choked on his marshmallow.
His gaze remained fixed on the floating words for several seconds, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
[Use 50000 days of tradable lifespan to upgrade Iron Hand to Tier 3.]
"50000!"
His eyes widened as he stared at the absurd number.
"Why don’t you just loot me, you petty bastard?"
He rubbed his forehead helplessly before letting out a long sigh.
Class skills really cost a fortune.
Still refusing to believe it, he shifted his attention toward another skill.
Almost instantly, another notification appeared.
[Use 30000 days of tradable lifespan to upgrade Phantom Steps to Tier 3.]
The corner of Reigns’ mouth twitched.
The increase in required lifespan was simply insane. The numbers had almost doubled compared to before.
His mind naturally wandered back to the fight they had gone through only hours ago. He couldn’t help comparing the upgrade costs to what he had earned after risking his life.
How much had he actually received from killing a Level 36 monster?
A meager 3000 days.
When converted into actual time, 3000 days amounted to over eight years of real lifespan.
And that reward had come only after surviving a life-and-death battle in which he had almost been burned alive.
The more he thought about it, the more cheated he felt.
While the requirements for upgrading skills kept climbing higher and higher, the lifespan rewarded from killing monsters remained ridiculously small.
The rewards simply didn’t feel justified compared to the dangers they were constantly facing.
"Or maybe it’s because the points were distributed."
With a long, helpless sigh, Reigns finally closed the upgrade window.
"Forget it."
Since upgrading wasn’t an option for now, he decided to fill his remaining summoning slots instead.
A green light quietly bloomed around him.
One after another, new Dryads and Splash Shooters emerged from the summoning circles and gathered around him.
The newly summoned Dryads curiously looked around before turning their innocent gazes toward Reigns, almost like newborn children who were seeing their parent for the very first time.
Thankfully, after checking the status of the newly summoned Splash Shooters, he found that they hadn’t reset back to Tier 0, Level 1.
That discovery alone saved him from another headache.
Satisfied, Reigns beckoned toward Dryad Number One.
"You take care of their training."
The veteran Dryad immediately stepped forward.
Then Reigns pointed toward the higher-ranked Splash Shooter standing nearby.
"Teach them well. Make sure they understand what’s going on!"
Dryad Number One respectfully nodded.
The younger Dryads obediently gathered around while the experienced Splash Shooter swayed its leafy body as though acknowledging the order.
With everything arranged, Reigns casually picked up another roasted marshmallow and popped it into his mouth.
The sweetness spread across his tongue.
The cool night breeze mixed with the warmth of the crackling bonfire created an unexpectedly peaceful atmosphere. Snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky while the distant camp remained quiet.
Yet despite the comfortable surroundings, boredom slowly crept into his heart.
Unable to simply sit there any longer, Reigns stood up and pulled out Chameleon Dirge.
The weapon instantly shifted into a massive greatsword.
He held it for a moment before shaking his head.
He wasn’t skilled enough to properly use such a weapon.
The blade immediately shrank and transformed into a simple longsword instead.
One of the most terrifying aspects of Chameleon Dirge was that he could freely increase its size while the weight remained unchanged for him. However, if anyone else tried to wield it, the weapon would retain its true weight based on its existing form.
It was an incredibly unfair advantage during battle.
Holding the sword comfortably, Reigns slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Then he tried to recall every movement Nyx had demonstrated during training.
"Here we go..."
Stepping onto the shifting snow, he slowly advanced and began swinging the sword with rough, somewhat wild strokes. At first, he simply slashed through empty air in different directions, trying to familiarize himself with the weapon, but the movements felt meaningless.
Soon, he stopped and corrected himself.
Instead of chasing complicated techniques, he returned to the basics.
Again and again, he performed nothing more than a simple slash.
One swing.
Then another.
Then another.
The sword whistled in the air, cutting down the air and snowflakes drifting down around him.
His breathing gradually synchronized with the movement, while the repetitive practice slowly settled his restless mind.
Nearby, the Dryads and Splash Shooters silently watched him.
After observing for a short while, all of them suddenly turned toward the distant white mist beyond the campsite.
Moments later, sharp warning cries echoed through the silent night.
"POP! POP! POP! POP!"
The repeated sounds immediately broke Reigns’ concentration.
He lowered the sword and looked at the distant fog.
Within the pale mist, a faint silhouette slowly began taking shape before calmly walking toward the camp.
"You are practicing this late."
Hearing the familiar voice, Reigns instantly relaxed and lowered his weapon completely.
"Lord Hisen, what are you doing here at this late hour?"
The old man emerged from the fog with both hands clasped behind his back, walking at an unhurried pace until the firelight illuminated his face.
"Just here to take a look. You all did a good job today."
Reigns gave a faint smile before lightly shaking his head.
"I will pass along your praise. We barely made it out."
Hisen nodded before quietly observing the sword in Reigns’ hand.
After watching him for several moments, he calmly spoke.
"You don’t seem to have any talent in swordsmanship."
"You can even tell that?"
Reigns looked genuinely surprised.
The old man smiled faintly.
"Anyone can tell. Those who have trained can spot the flaws with just a few strikes."
Hearing that, Reigns slowly walked back toward the bonfire and sat down with a bitter smile.
’I know I don’t have talent, but do you really have to poke me like that?’
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