Kaizen stood amidst the dissipating sparkles of the ascended boss.
Ding.
[ Dungeon Boss Defeated! ]
[ Dungeon Liberated. ]
[ Rewards Calculated. ]
[ Attribute Points: +10 ]
Kaizen pumped his fist. "That's it, baby! We are going to rank up quickly!"
But the real prizes were lying on the floor where Sir Cassiel had vanished.
A black katana, and a white stone that illuminated the slight darkness of the room like a miniature star.
The katana was sheathed in a black lacquered scabbard with gold filigree. It looked expensive. It looked dangerous.
But first, the stone.
Kaizen picked up the beautiful pebble. It was warm to the touch.
[ Item: Sun Spirit Stone ]
[ Rank: C ]
[ Category: Magic Attribute Core (Light) ]
[ Description: ]
A crystal formed from the purest condensed sunlight, said to be born from the Sun God's tear during the fall of the Sun Temple. Contains an extremely refined Light attribute.
[ Effect: ]
Grants Light Magic when embedded into equipment.
Enhanced effectiveness against Demons, Undead, and Dark Races.
[ Additional Info: ]
Resonates with Sun-aligned artifacts.
Dormant spiritual residue detected.
"Sooo cool!!!" Kaizen squealed, his eyes turning into stars. "All I have to do is embed this into the pan, and the Rusty Pan of Doom will become the Rusty Pan of Purification!"
It was too cool to ignore. He now had a Light-attributed object, which was absolutely vital for his survival. Demons were common here, and their one true weakness was Light Magic. With this, he wouldn't just be surviving; he'd be hunting.
'Well, I also can sell it for a hefty amount of crowns… A C-Rank attribute core is very pricey after all… especially Light magic…'
But, of course, he actually didn't need a light attribute core for himself right now. And that was why he was considering selling it.
It was because of the katana on the floor.
Kaizen picked it up. It felt heavy, cold, and hummed with a low, menacing power.
[ Item: Saintsplitter ]
[ Rank: D ]
[ Category: Weapon ]
[ Description: A blade forged in the despair of a Saint. It remembers its past as a Holy Greatsword, but it has embraced the darkness of grief. ]
[ Ability: Heavenflare Trigger - Upon unsheathing, unleashes a blinding flash of Holy Light that purifies the area and debuffs all Dark/Demonic entities. ]
It was because of this ability that he didn't need the stone.
Kaizen's eyes sparkled. He did a little victory dance, spinning the scabbard like a baton.
"Jackpot! Literal jackpot!"
He strapped it to his waist opposite the Rusty Pan.
"Dual wielding!" Kaizen cackled. "D-Rank Pan in the left hand for defense. D-Rank Katana in the right hand for offense. I'm unstoppable! I'm the meta!"
This wasn't just a sword. It was access to Light Magic.
In the Academy, you learned the six elemental magics. But Light? That was Church exclusive. That was Inquisitor territory. And now, Kaizen had a pocket-sized sun attached to his belt.
"Let's see it," Kaizen whispered, his heart racing. "Let's see the glow."
He gripped the hilt. It fit his hand perfectly.
He assumed a cool samurai stance.
"Bankai..."
He slowly pulled the blade out.
Shinnnng.
It was magnificent. The metal was darker than vantablack, drinking in the ambient light. But running down the spine was a beautiful mural of gold streaks that illuminated the room.
It was edgy. It was holy. It was the coolest thing he had ever held.
"So cool..." Kaizen breathed, mesmerized by the reflection of his own grinning face in the blade. "The quest was worth it. Every step. Every lung failure. Worth it."
He was about to swing it, to test the balance, when the air suddenly buzzed.
BZZZT.
It wasn't the sword that buzzed, It was inside his head.
A red system window popped up, overlaying the beautiful katana.
Kaizen's smile froze.
'Another reward? A bonus?'
He read the text.
[ Nonstandard Weapon Authority (NWA) : Activated ]
[ Scanning Equipped Item... ]
[ Alert: Item 'Saintsplitter' is a Registered Weapon Class. ]
[ User Class [NPC] cannot equip Standard Weapons. ]
"What?! What do you mean I can't equip it? I'm holding it right now!"
[ Logic Error Detected. ]
[ Attempting to Resolve... ]
[ Solution: Downgrading Texture Quality. ]
[ Solution: Editing Item Properties to match User Class. ]
"Wait!" Kaizen screamed, trying to sheathe the sword. "Stop! Don't touch the code! It's perfect!"
[ Editing Complete. ]
The beautiful black steel rippled. The gold filigree dulled. The menacing aura evaporated like steam.
The sword didn't physically change shape, but it suddenly felt... lighter. Like a very expensive replica. But then it illuminated again, like nothing had changed.
[ New Item Information ]
[ Item: Saintsplitter ]
[ Rank: D -> F ]
[ Description: A sword that looks really cool, but has the cutting power of a rusty knife. ]
"No!" Kaizen dropped to his knees. "No no no! My D-Rank damage! My DPS!"
He looked at the Ability section. Surely the magic was still there?
[ Ability: Heavenflare Trigger -> Holy Flash ]
[ Effect: Upon unsheathing the weapon, releases an intense burst of radiant light that floods the surrounding area, temporarily blinding all who witness it. Can also function as a powerful light source. ]
Kaizen stared at the text.
"Holy Flash?"
He looked at the epic katana in his hand. He channeled his mana.
Flicker.
The blade didn't unleash a blinding holy purification. It didn't burn away the sins of the world.
He sheathed the katana frantically, his arms shaking. Then he unsheathed it again.
A brilliant, dazzling white-yellow light illuminated the whole area for a moment. It was bright. It was annoying.
It was a flashbang.
He quickly sheathed it back.
"..."
"...."
"This is ass!" Kaizen screamed, shaking the glowing stick at the heavens. "I hiked a mountain for a flashlight?! A melee flashlight?!"
He collapsed onto his back, staring at the ceiling, clutching the F-Rank glowing sword to his chest.
"I hate this system," Kaizen whispered. "I hate my class. I hate everything."
But then, he paused.
He looked at the Rusty Pan on his other hip. It was D-Rank. Powerful.
He looked at the Sword. F-Rank. Useless for killing, but bright as hell.
"Trash items become Godly..." Kaizen realized, a tear rolling down his cheek. "And Godly items become Trash."
He clicked his tongue.
"At least I won't trip on the way down the mountain in the dark."