Chapter 58: The next morning : rewards

"Let’s start with the simplest thing."

He opened the Common Chest.

A faint white light appeared.

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Shared Chest Opened

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Reward Obtained:

*Stat Point +1

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Adam nodded slowly.

It wasn’t a spectacular reward, but the stat points were still useful.

A new window confirmed the addition.

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Update

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Available Stat Points:

7 → 8

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Adam looked at the number.

He could have immediately improved one of his stats.

But, as usual, he decided to hold onto the point.

"I’ll wait for Selene and Vespera’s next evaluations first."

His body was currently progressing very quickly thanks to his training in Adaptation, Mana Body, and Mutual Growth.

Spending his points without knowing his future weaknesses would be needlessly hasty.

So he moved on to the first Rare Chest.

The chest opened with a blue light.

A thick book appeared before him.

Its cover depicted a hammer crossed with a mace.

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Rare Chest Opened

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Skill Book Obtained:

Blunt Weapon Mastery

Type: Martial Skill

Starting Level: Lv. 1

Weapons Affected:

*War Hammers

*Maces

*Clubs

*Staffs

*Flails

*Tonfas

*Batons

*Improvised Blunt Weapons

Effects:

*Instinctive understanding of impact trajectories

*Better use of weapon weight

*Improved strikes, blocks, and disarms

*Reduced loss of balance

*Passive experience with blunt weapons

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Adam examined the book.

"Blunt Weapons..."

Unlike swords and daggers, they didn’t rely primarily on cutting or penetration.

Their effectiveness came from impact.

From weight.

From the transfer of force.

From the ability to break an opponent’s guard, armor, or even their bones.

He temporarily put the book in front of him before opening the second Rare Chest.

A more intense blue light filled his field of vision.

Another book appeared.

Its cover depicted several gigantic weapons arranged around the silhouette of a warrior.

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Rare Chest Opened

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Skill Book Obtained:

Heavy Weapon Mastery

Type: Martial Skill

Starting Level: Lv. 1

Weapons Affected:

*Heavy Halberds

*Great Axes

*Heavy Warhammers

*Heavy War Spears

*Greatswords Over Two Meters Long

*Two-Handed Swords Massive

*Reinforced polearms

*Weapons requiring exceptional physical strength

Effects:

*Improved weight distribution

*Optimized momentum utilization

*Improved spin attacks and downward strikes

*Reduced stagger after an attack

*Improved stability when wielding with two hands

*Passive experience gained with heavy weapons

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Adam remained silent for a few seconds.

"Selene is going to love this skill way too much."

He could already picture her placing a massive hammer in his hands before sending him hurtling into the gravity chamber.

This thought was anything but reassuring.

Yet, these two skills significantly enhanced his arsenal.

He now possessed:

*Mastery of Daggers

*Mastery of Swords

*Mastery of Blunt Weapons

*Mastery of Heavy Weapons

Of the major categories recognized by his power, he now essentially lacked only ranged weapons.

Bows.

Crossbows.

Specialized throwing weapons.

And perhaps certain magical projectile weapons.

"If I ever achieve general mastery of ranged weapons, I’ll have access to almost all the major weapon families."

He retrieved the first book.

As soon as he opened it, the pages transformed into particles of light.

They penetrated his forehead.

A vast amount of information immediately flooded his mind.

Positions.

Striking angles.

Distance management.

Use of weight.

Pelvic movements.

Impact trajectories.

Techniques for breaking a guard without losing balance.

He momentarily felt as if he had spent years training with hammers and sledgehammers.

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Skill Acquired

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Blunt Weapon Proficiency Level 1

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Adam then took the second book.

The same thing happened again.

But this time, the sensation was much more intense.

He mentally saw immense swordsmen.

Halberds.

Hammers capable of crushing a shield.

Axes requiring a complete rotation of the body.

Each technique relied on strength, but also on balance and momentum.

A heavy weapon, if wielded incorrectly, could become more dangerous to its owner than to their opponent.

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Skill Acquired

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Heavy Weapons Mastery Level 1

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Adam opened his status to confirm the changes.

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STATUS — Martial Skills

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*Dagger Proficiency Lv. 1

*Sword Proficiency Lv. 2

*Blunt Weapon Proficiency Lv. 1

*Heavy Weapon Proficiency Lv. 1

Major Category Missing:

*Weapons with Distance

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Adam closed the interface.

He was eager to test his new skills.

But he also knew he couldn’t rely solely on the knowledge imparted by books.

Having a skill gave him a foundation.

Training was still necessary to adapt the techniques to his own body, his stats, and his fighting style.

A slight movement against him caught his attention.

Shiora was beginning to wake up.

Her fingers slowly slid across his chest.

Then her golden eyes opened.

She remained still for a few seconds, as if trying to remember where she was.

When she saw Adam, a smile appeared on her lips.

"Hello..."

Her voice was still slightly sleepy.

Adam replied softly:

"Hello. How are you feeling?"

Shiora shifted slightly.

Her expression tightened for a second before relaxing.

"Tired."

She raised a finger.

"But extremely satisfied with my investment."

Adam chuckled.

"No unusual pain?"

"No. Just the feeling of having traveled several trade routes without stopping."

"That’s a very accurate comparison."

"I’m a trader. Comparisons are important."

Adam briefly used Eyes of the World to check his condition.

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Eyes of the World

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Target: Shiora Crimsonhorn

General Condition: Good

Fatigue: Moderate

Physical Tension: Minor

Injury: None

Recovery: Normal

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Reassured, Adam conjured the Ring of Promise.

The silver jewel rested in the center of his palm.

The runes engraved on its surface emitted a faint glow.

Shiora’s smile gradually faded.

She sat up slightly against the pillows.

"It’s..."

"The same type of ring worn by Elena, Isadora, Lyriana, Selene, and Elaria."

Shiora examined the jewel with an almost uncharacteristic attentiveness.

Adam continued:

"My power has recognized you as my mate. This ring is linked to that recognition."

He explained its function to her.

Storage space.

Long-distance communication.

Mutual location tracking.

Light mental protection.

Connection to other Rings of Promise.

And the Mutual Growth bonus, which had now reached sixty percent.

Shiora remained silent throughout the explanation.

Then her gaze returned to the ring.

"A rare artifact, personally linked to its owner, currently impossible to replicate, and offering several strategic functions..."

Adam stared at her.

"Are you actually estimating its value?"

"I’m trying."

She slowly shook her head.

"But its commercial value is impossible to calculate. Its personal value, on the other hand..."

Her expression softened.

"It’s even greater."

Adam gently took her hand.

Then he slipped the ring onto her finger.

The moment the jewel reached its place, the runes glowed.

A faint wave of mana rippled through the room.

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Bound Ring of Promise

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Recognized Owner:

Shiora Crimsonhorn

Connection Established with:

*Adam

*Elena of Valoria

*Isadora of Valoria

*Lyriana Noctis Sylvermoon

*Selene Arkwell

*Elaria Sylverleaf

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Shiora raised her hand to her face.

Her golden eyes followed the light of the runes.

She immediately tried to use the storage space.

A gold coin disappeared from the nightstand.

Then reappeared in her hand.

Her smile returned.

"Perfect."

Adam sighed.

"Naturally, the first thing you put away is a gold coin."

"We needed to test the artifact with an important item."

Before he could reply, there was a knock at the door.

Knock. Knock.

Adam and Shiora turned their heads.

The door opened almost immediately.

Vespera entered.

The black dragon wore a long, elegant, dark robe. Her black hair fell freely down her back, and her red eyes already seemed wide awake.

Her gaze shifted from Adam to Shiora.

Then it settled on the Ring of Promise on the oni’s finger.

A slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Hello."

Adam replied:

"Hello, Vespera."

Shiora raised her hand to better show the ring.

"Hello. As you can see, the business transaction has concluded successfully."

Vespera observed Shiora for a few seconds.

"I see."

Her tone remained calm.

But her gaze held a subtle amusement.

She approached the bed.

"Breakfast is ready. Everyone is waiting for you."

"We’ll be downstairs soon," Adam replied.

Vespera nodded.

Then she turned her full attention to him.

Her smile became slightly more pronounced.

"Now it’s just me."

Adam remained silent.

Shiora barely suppressed a laugh.

Vespera leaned towards Adam.

"I can’t wait for tonight."

She placed a kiss on his cheek.

Then she straightened up as if she had simply delivered some ordinary information.

"Don’t be long."

She then left the room.

The door closed.

A long silence followed.

Adam stared at the spot where she had been standing just moments before.

Then he turned his head towards Shiora.

The oni was smiling far too broadly.

"What?" "Nothing."

"Your smile says exactly the opposite."

"I just thought even Vespera could be impatient."

Adam ran a hand over his face.

"This is going to be a long evening."

Shiora gently placed a hand on his arm.

"A very long one, probably."

"You’re not helping."

She burst out laughing.

A few minutes later, they got out of bed and took a quick bath together in the new spa.

This time, they really just washed and relaxed.

Shiora spent a lot of time testing the different functions of the Promise Ring.

She put away some towels.

Some toiletries.

A bottle.

Then she established a mental connection with Elena even before leaving the pool.

Elena’s voice echoed through the ring.

"Shiora?"

"Hello."

"Are you already testing the ring?"