Chapter 409 409. UPGRADED
"So what did you say you had for me?" Noah\'s voice rang out, his words directed at a sitting Riveta who had a wide smile on her gorgeous face.
She giggled mischievously before resting her back on the one-sitter couch she sat on. Both of them were within a relatively large room, that only had two lavender-colored chairs and a small glass table featuring many inscriptions.
The room was painted white and had grey-colored tiles. Apart from that, there wasn\'t anything that could be considered eye-catching in the whole room.
Truth be told, Noah had considered it a waste of space when Riveta had led him to that place on the thirtieth floor.
"So this what it feels like to have someone literally at the edge of their seats," Riveta chuckled and Noah almost blushed when he realized that he had leaned forward sitting on the edge of his chair.
He heaved a deep sigh while placing his hand on his forehead. Riveta burst into laughter at that point, but she quickly cleared her throat and suddenly went serious.
\'Her ability to switch moods makes me want to flip a table,\' Noah thought, more annoyed than glad that she had decided to take him seriously.
She stared at him for a few seconds, weirding him out, before her mouth eventually opened to voice words.
"I don\'t know if you\'re worth this, but my conscience won\'t let me leave you as you are," she started, shaking her head at herself.
Noah once again felt confused, but when an orb suddenly appeared in her right palm it caught the entirety of his attention.
At the immediate appearance of the object, an aura Noah had never experienced unfolded to fill the entire room.
"Tier 4?" Noah muttered glancing at the silver object and back at Riveta, who also had her gaze on him.
"I\'m giving this to you," She announced and it immediately floated toward an utterly perplexed Noah.
"Why!... why?" Noah exclaimed, partially startled by the event. The shining silver orb landed softly on his palm, and he immediately tried to inspect it.
[Skill orb]
[Grade: Special]
"I\'ve already told you the reason, you\'ll come to understand when the time is right," Riveta explained crossing her legs.
"It\'s an orb that contains a very wonderful spell or skill. Whichever you like. Even I would want it, but my tower and its assets make it almost useless," she continued, gaining most of Noah\'s attention.
"It\'s called the Three Musketeers. When you shatter the orb you summon three beings within the fourth tier and their presence lasts for a whole hour."
"These beings are called the three musketeers. The spell can only be cast once at a time, but when the hour has elapsed, or by some weird event they are killed, the orb re-forms and begins to siphon mana from the world around it until the required amount has been stored for a recast."
"It\'s a skill that\'s known for its uniqueness due to its ability to be cast without tasking the caster. The orb usually travels deep into the ground to refill. But in the case where the caster is capable of refilling it, it returns to the owner." She explained never removing her gaze from Noah\'s figure.
"So all I need to do is crush it," Noah commented.
"Well yes, but you\'ll need to create a bond with it. And all you need to do is make your blood touch it," Riveta explained lightly.
"Only when the bond of the skill dies does the orb completely shatter. Until then you can use it for as many times as you can." She shrugged with a proud smile.
"I see," Noah muttered before falling silent.
"Is it really okay that accept something this grand?" Noah asked still hesitant about the whole thing.
"Where is the confident young man I\'m used to?" Riveta teased but nodded when Noah\'s serious expression refused to waver.
Noah nodded also and his black dagger appeared in his hand. Unfortunately, that was the only thing that was portable enough to cut him, and it even still required force.
He had already reached a level where the items in the third tier were beginning to become useless.
Riveta caught sight of his strange dagger releasing a powerful aura. Although Noah simply used the dagger to cut himself, it still had the capability of killing him since it could absorb energy within the third tier.
Quickly squeezing his thumb after allowing a portion of it to wither, Noah clenched his teeth at the sharp pain that registered in his mind. However, he watched his thumb return to its peak merely seconds after it had bled.
\'Only one drop,\' he shook his head inwardly while the silver orb started to float on its own. Its aura intensified and began to morph until it mimicked Noah\'s aura.
[You have gained a new skill: Three Musketeers]
[Grade: Special]
[Tier: 4]
[Current power output: Middle-stage[Upgrade-able]]
[Rank: S]
[Tree Musketeers[Special]: A unique skill that allows you to summon a group of three entities titled the "Musketeers" to fight your enemies. The skill does not require energy from the caster, and only needs to be in the presence of energy to refill its cost]
[Cost: Independent, Duration: 60 minutes, Cool-down: Until reserves have been replenished]
Immediately that panel appeared in Noah\'s eyes, the orbs silver light grew blinding, then it shot into his chest, but caused no pain.
A weird feeling unfolded in Noah\'s mind at that point, and he saw silver runes appearing all over his body after which a strange heat rose up from deep within him.
Noah began to feel light-headed and had to hold on to the chair to keep himself from falling.
His breathing quickened and his heartbeat became rapid and loud. So much so that it was audible and didn\'t require even him to feel it.
Noah\'s face grew red as though he blushed excessively, then he finally lost it by passing out.
Gasping for air, Noah returned to being, but found himself on a bed.
"Again," he grunted getting up without the slightest hitch. He felt normal now, and the shining silver panel that told him the process of gaining the skill had been successful reassured him.
All he had to do was think about the skill and an orb similar to the one that entered his body would appear in his grip then he would need to crush it to fully activate it.
"Pretty simple," Noah remarked approaching the exit, only for the door to burst open and reveal Riveta, this time in a new outfit.
"You were asleep for two days," she announced before he could say anything, and he froze in surprise, before heaving a sigh. What had he expected? Only a few hours?
"I know this is out of my lane, but I couldn\'t help it," Riveta began, startling Noah a bit since he didn\'t expect any other words until a certain period had passed.
"What do you mean?" He inquired, and Riveta replied to him by making a white blanket appear on her joined palm and she unwrapped the white fabric to reveal a pair of spectacularly looking daggers.
"I might have upgraded your dagger," she revealed in an apologetic tone.