"Sure, it's only fifty points—fifty billion. That's quite a bit, but whatever. Worst case, I'll just take down two more of those black-marinated eggs next time and earn it all back."
"Also, can the Hunter Suit and Elemental Bow still be upgraded?"
[Based on optimal calculations," the system replied, "the current Hunter Suit has reached the most suitable level for the host. If you wish to enhance it further, you must perform a priority upgrade using special materials.]
"The Elemental Bow, however, can still be upgraded."
"Ascending Order?"
Blaine frowned at the unfamiliar term. He didn't understand most of what came after, but he caught the word "upgrade."
"Upgrade? You mean it requires materials to strengthen the equipment again?"
"Yes. The host must select the materials manually, and there is a chance of failure during the forging process."
In other words, his +40 Hunter Suit was already sufficient. If he wanted something stronger, he'd need to gather the right materials himself.
"Then let's upgrade the Elemental Bow first. Bring it up to level forty as well."
[[Elemental Bow]: current level 25. Upgrading to level 40 requires 5,000,000. Proceed? Yes/No?]
"Yes."
Only five million—barely a drop in the bucket. Compared to the 500 billion he'd spent earlier, this was pocket change.
"System, check my balance and list my expenses."
"Today's income totals 535 billion. Adding 3.8 billion and 2 million from earlier, the total stands at 538.8 billion and 2 million.
Expenditures include:
• [Copy Eyes] upgrade
• [Diamond Body] upgrade
• [Soul Tracking Technique] upgrade
• [Hawkeye] upgrade – 5,000,000
• [Boots of Urgent March] upgrade
• [Mind Pendant] upgrade
• 50 physique points
• [Elemental Bow] upgrade – 5,000,000
After applying the 20% discount from the host's B-level Hunter rank, total expenditure equals—remaining balance: over 200 billion."
"Over 200 billion left? Good. Let's keep going. I'll see if there are any new skills."
In the skill menu, all previously viewed options had been automatically filtered out, leaving only new ones. With just over 200 billion left, Blaine knew he had to spend carefully.
Then, a particular skill caught his eye.
[Magic Depiction]
Price: —
A non-upgradable skill. It allows the host to inscribe or depict their existing magic onto another medium, granting that object the same magical effect. The skill's potency increases with the host's spiritual power.
Isn't that basically drawing magic arrays?
A spark of excitement ran through Blaine. Deep down, a little voice whispered, 'Buy it. Buy it. Buy it.'
"System, add that skill to my inventory."
The moment he saw it, a bold idea had already formed in his mind.
A few days ago, he had accidentally used the Elemental Bow's arrows to draw formations over Sokovia. With this Magic Depiction skill, he could pre-draw those same arrays onto objects—ready to activate instantly whenever needed.
And since its power scaled with spiritual strength, it meant that as long as Blaine's mental power continued to grow, he could inscribe even higher-level magic—time stasis, or maybe something even stronger.
It was like wielding a universal pen capable of anything.
Imagine: a million-dollar pen in a child's hand would only produce messy scribbles, but in the hand of a true calligrapher, it became art—an instrument of mastery.
If he'd had this skill during the Sokovia incident, he could have avoided the chaos of acting on impulse. Instead of firing random shots, he could've prepared in advance, avoiding that reckless scramble.
The Magic Depiction technique was designed precisely for that—eliminating the need for brainless improvisation.
With it, Blaine could store all his drawn arrays in advance—five-element star formations, flaming meteor storms, or the frozen thousand-mile array. He could prepare them all, ready to unleash instantly when needed.
It reduced casting time, eliminated backswings, and streamlined combat—simple, fast, and devastatingly effective. "Buy it."
After scanning through countless other options, Blaine's eyes were starting to blur. Nothing else caught his attention. One by one, the rest just seemed underwhelming.
"I need to buy a weapon."
He had already chosen one—the same weapon he'd bookmarked last time but couldn't afford. This time, there would be no hesitation.
[Flood Dragon Trident]
Price: —
Upgradeable weapon, forged from the spine of an ancient deep-sea dragon in Atlantis. Said to cut mountains, shatter stars, and split the earth itself.
With it, Blaine would gain another powerful ability—a new trump card for survival.
The Flood Dragon Trident was unlike the Cursed Blood Knife or the Elemental Bow. The knife specialized in vicious strikes, the bow in precision attacks. Both were powerful, but neither had overwhelming destructive burst potential.
Take Sokovia, for example. Back then, Blaine had been helpless. The Cursed Blood Knife was perfect for killing, but useless against something on the scale of an entire floating city.
How long would it take to slice Sokovia apart piece by piece? Even with the knife's venomous curse, it couldn't corrode a city in fifteen seconds. Impossible.
And the Elemental Bow—sure, it could bring down buildings, but an entire city? That was like giving a gourmet chef a single peanut. The skill was there, but the means were too small.
If he'd had the Flood Dragon Trident then, a weapon capable of shattering everything in its path, he could've taken to the skies and brought Sokovia down in a single sweeping strike. In an instant, the entire city would have been obliterated.
That was its power.
But back then, he didn't have the funds to buy it. He'd been forced to rely on luck and improvisation—and somehow, that gamble had worked.
This time, though, there would be no regrets.
This trident had to be his.
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