Looking at the giant sword in front of him, Torres found its size was even more exaggerated than his own shield.
"From now on, you'll be using this sword for your training and combat," Ye Chuan said.
"Yes..." Torres instinctively went to lift the greatsword, but its extreme weight made his eyes widen in shock. As a Paladin, his physical constitution was undoubtedly robust.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to haul that massive shield around to protect others all day. Yet, with this greatsword, he found that a casual tug wouldn't even budge it!
"What's wrong? Can't pick it up?" Ye Chuan asked.
"N-No, that's not it." Torres took a deep breath, gripped the hilt with both hands, and heaved with all his might. He finally managed to hoist the greatsword, though the exertion turned his face beet red.
"Alright, use this sword to kill monsters in a bit," Ye Chuan said.
"Lord Xi Xi, this sword is too heavy. I don't think I can actually kill magical beasts with it," Torres forced a bitter smile. The weight of the weapon was simply terrifying.
"Is it heavy?"
"Yes..."
Hearing this, Ye Chuan nudged Torres aside. He then grabbed the greatsword with one hand and lifted it. He looked as relaxed as if he were holding a piece of Styrofoam, showing absolutely no sign of strain.
Torres was dumbfounded. Wasn't Lord Xi Xi a mage? Why did he possess such terrifying physical strength?
Ye Chuan set the greatsword down, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
"This sword possesses the power of attribute amplification. That means the more times you swing it, the more your stats will increase."
"Such a divine artifact exists?!" Torres hadn't expected Ye Chuan to possess such a treasure.
Gaining power just by training?
"Something like that." After all, it was just a gadget Ye Chuan had forged on a whim. Each swing provided a bonus of 1 Strength attribute point.
To Ye Chuan, a 1-point strength increase was too low—it didn't even count as a crumb. He'd be better off using the Human Emperor Banner to refine some soul attributes. So, this was just a throwaway weapon he could forge with ease.
Furthermore, there was a cap to this power increase.
"Alright!" The muscles on Torres's arms bulged as he finally managed to swing the sword with great effort.
*Clang!* The greatsword smashed into the ground, kicking up dust once more.
Torres panted heavily, his face covered in sweat.
Seeing this, Ye Chuan snapped his fingers. A dispel magic spell landed on Torres, instantly washing away all his fatigue.
"Thank you, Lord Xi Xi."
"You're welcome. It's all going on your tab."
"Uh..."
Whether it was psychological or not, Torres found the greatsword in his hands seemed a little lighter. This boosted his confidence significantly. "Lord Xi Xi! I feel like I've gotten stronger!"
"Oh, really? Keep it up then." Ye Chuan scanned the area, his gaze finally landing on a slime not far away. It was currently attached to a rotting corpse, wobbling as it moved.
Compared to goblins, this kind of weak slime should be easy to deal with.
"Go get it."
"Understood!" Torres dragged the greatsword and walked toward the slime-infested corpse.
*Gurgle gurgle.* The slime corpse sensed Torres's presence—or rather, the ear-piercing sound of the dragging metal was so loud that even a near-mindless monster like a slime could perceive it.
The slime squirmed its mud-like body, manipulating the corpse to walk straight toward Torres.
"Hah!" Seizing the moment, Torres mustered all his strength to hoist the greatsword and brought it crashing down on the corpse!
The massive blade crushed the corpse, splattering the slime's body everywhere. Its magic core shattered, resulting in an instant kill.
After all, Torres was at the third tier. Dealing with a first-tier monster was naturally a stomp. Even so, seeing that he could kill a monster with such a weapon brought an excited smile to his face.
"Yes!"
"Lord Xi Xi, I did it!" Torres exclaimed.
"Congrats, congrats," Ye Chuan said in a monotone voice. "You keep working at it. I'm going back to rest."
"L-Lord Xi Xi, you're going back?"
"What else?" Ye Chuan replied lazily. "You don't expect me to stay here with you forever, do you? Come on, this is only the first floor of the dungeon."
"I understand." Torres nodded. "Please, go back and rest!"
"Mhm."
However, just before leaving, Ye Chuan looked at Torres in the distance. After a moment's thought, he cast a blessing on him. "A gift for you."
Torres noticed a golden glow radiating from his body. His wounds healed, and not only that, he felt his strength increase significantly!
"A blessing?!"
"Something like that. It boosts your healing ability and increases your strength," Ye Chuan explained.
"How long does it last?!" Torres asked excitedly.
"How long?" Ye Chuan pondered. "Hmm... probably forever."
"Forever?!"
"You can think of it as a type of curse. By simply reversing the spell formula for blood-draining and weakening curses, you can create an effect similar to a blessing." Ye Chuan waved his hand dismissively.
"Just a boring parlor trick."
Ye Chuan's words left Torres stunned.
A... a boring parlor trick?
He increasingly felt that Lord Xi Xi's magic defied all logic. Not only did he require absolutely no chanting, but he also mastered so many elemental attributes. It was as if he wasn't from the continent of Aether at all.
"Alright, good luck." Ye Chuan couldn't be bothered to explain further and vanished from the spot the very next second.
"Lord Xi... Xi?"
Ye Chuan's aura was gone from the dungeon. Torres had wanted to ask how he was supposed to get back himself, but he quickly calmed down.
It's fine. Lord Xi Xi surely has a plan.
He definitely wouldn't just abandon me. He'll probably be back tomorrow, right?
Probably...
"Time to get to work!"
...
...
The next day, inside Count Kan Gong's manor.
During a peaceful afternoon tea, Irena learned from Ye Chuan that Torres had gone to a nearby dungeon for special training.
"Torres is just a Paladin. Is it really okay to leave him alone in the dungeon? Lord Xi Xi."
"What problem could there be?" Ye Chuan ate the pastries Irena had prepared. "The first floor of that dungeon is full of tier-one and tier-two monsters. Torres is a big boy; surely he won't get mobbed to death?"
"That is true..." Even so, Irena was still a bit worried.
"If you're worried, shall I send you over there too?"
"T-That won't be necessary. I'd only be a burden to him." Irena waved her hands frantically.
Speaking of Torres...
Has he eaten?
...
...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
