"System, upgrade the passive Wind Affinity to level three." Ur's face contorted slightly, a twinge of pain flashing across his expression, but his eyes remained resolute.
This was the result of careful consideration.
Among all types of magic, wind magic was undoubtedly the most directly linked to flight. Even within Storm magic, some techniques could lift a mage into the sky.
If not for Ichiya's Flying Perfume during the battle with Hitsuya, there was no way Ur could have slain the drake. From start to finish, he likely would have been forced on the defensive.
Air superiority was too overwhelming.
Now and in the future, mastery of flight magic was essential for Ur.
Ding!
[Wind Affinity successfully upgraded to Wind Control.]
Ding!
[Wind Control successfully upgraded to Talent: Child of the Wind!]
[Talent: Child of the Wind: You have gained S-Class magical aptitude.]
[Awakening: You have received the blessing of the wind. From now on, you enjoy the same treatment as the Wind's godson.]
Recovering from the intense tremor, Ur wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead and finally turned his gaze to the system panel.
Upgrading skills was great, but it was painful.
Level 1 to 2? Physical discomfort. Level 2 to 3? Pain that pierced both body and soul.
The Child of the Wind talent didn't come with Lava Beast Armor's extra abilities, nor any active skills, but its effects were astonishing.
Consider this: The Wind's godson.
…Ugh, that sounded weird when said out loud.
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Ur had deposited 2,302 gold coins. He spent 200 coins on the draws, 400 on upgrading four passives from level 1 to 2, and 1,100 on upgrading Wind Affinity from level 1 to 3.
In other words, within just a dozen minutes, Ur had spent 1,700 gold coins. It made him wince with every breath. And worse, he still needed to spend more.
Since he hadn't drawn a passive to accelerate mental energy cultivation, he had to improve it through other means.
"System, enhance Mist Meditation Technique," Ur said in his mind.
[Selected skill: Mist Meditation Technique. Spend 700,000 J to enhance?]
Hiss!
Seeing the enhancement cost, Ur inhaled sharply, his heart sinking.
After a moment, he finally steeled himself and said through gritted teeth, "…Yes!"
[Enhancement started… Enhancement successful!]
[Mist Meditation Technique +1 (Special Effect: Spiritual Training +1).]
Seeing the effect, Ur felt a faint relief; at least he was going in the right direction.
"Continue." He forced the words out despite the chill creeping through him.
Over the next few minutes, each "Enhancement Successful" made Ur flinch internally. This repeated until the seventh enhancement.
When he tried to upgrade again, the system panel flashed:
[Insufficient funds, please top-up.]
Ur froze. His eyes darted repeatedly between the message and his remaining balance of barely over 100 gold coins. After a moment, he slowly lifted his head, staring blankly at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, expression vacant, eyes void of light, completely wrecked.
Nearly one billion J… gone.
Natsu, who had been sitting nearby "contemplating life" with Happy, noticed Ur's unusual state. He slowly approached.
"Ur, what's wrong?"
Then his gaze fell on the treasure chest nearby. "Eh? Ur, where's your treasure?" His words struck Ur like a knife to the heart.
Ur's eyes regained a trace of color. He twitched his eyelids, pointed with a trembling hand, and said with effort.
"You go. I want to be alone."
Natsu seemed about to speak, but then saw Ur raise his enormous fist. Immediately, Natsu stepped back, completely intimidated.
Still, he couldn't resist glancing back once more, muttering to himself. "Strange… who's this 'alone' person? I'll ask Levy when we get back. She knows Ur well; she must know…"
Once Natsu had left, Ur slowly brought up his status panel.
Invincible Passive System
Host: Wei Yi (Ur)
Passive Abilities: Dimensional Stomach, Transcendent Equilibrium, Life Body, Sword Spirit, Insight, Godslayer's Might
Talents: Lava Beast Armor, Child of the Wind
Health: 70 (21/70)
Magic Power: 1,084 (367/1,084)
Mental Strength: 37 (20/37)
Magic Resistance: 3%
Armor: 4%
Enhancements:
Meditation Techniques: Mist Meditation Technique +7 (Special Effects: Spiritual Training +6, Magic Control +3, Magic Cultivation +2, Illusion Immunity +1)
Magic: Explosive Flame +5 (Special Effects: High Temperature +4, Burn +4, Destruction +2, Magic Amplification +1, Magic Break +1); Lava Giant Claw +4 (Special Effects: Restrain +3, Harden +3, Magic Amplification +1, Fusion +1); Earth Spear +6 (Special Effects: Haste +5, Impact +4, Sharpness +4, Penetration +3, Casting Speed +2)
The Hogria Mountains expedition brought massive changes to Ur's stats, most notably in his mana. Hitsuya's over 2,000 mana had boosted Ur's own by 200 points, surpassing 1,000 and placing him at mid-level S-Class mage status.
However, his mental strength remained a critical weak point. Fortunately, Mist Meditation Technique +7 significantly accelerated mental energy cultivation, giving Ur hope.
The battle with Hitsuya had left Ur gravely wounded. Even after a full day and night of recovery, he had not improved significantly. Though Life Body granted him triple the normal healing speed, broken bones wouldn't fully heal without proper alignment.
Thus, Ur and Natsu spent roughly two days in the Hogria Mountains, consuming nearly two-thirds of the dragon meat, until their loot became manageable. On the third morning, Ur and Natsu each hauled a massive bark sack packed full of supplies and began their descent.
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Next Chapter: Getting Hung Up
Next Next Chapter: Robbery...
Next Next Next Chapter: Master Dingley With a Weak Heart