The next morning, after finishing his breakfast, Ethan was having a casual chat with Aunt Greta in her cozy kitchen. The aroma of freshly baked bread and herbs filled the air, making it the perfect setting for a relaxed morning. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, filled with lighthearted stories and laughter.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and an unexpected visitor entered.
"Hi Blacky!"
It was Lenora, the red-haired girl from the previous day. She was accompanied by a few companions this time—two boys and two girls, all around her age.
Ethan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why are you here? And don't call me by that name again, please."
"Sure, Blacky!" Lenora replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a soft smile playing on her lips.
Ethan shook his head helplessly. Her persistence was both annoying and oddly endearing.
"Blacky, we are going on a dungeon raid. Do you want to join our party?" Lenora revealed her purpose with an enthusiastic attitude, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Surprised, Ethan asked, "So, you're here to invite me to your party?"
"Yep," she nodded eagerly.
"But why me?" Ethan couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
"Because I know you're special, a perfect fit for our party," she said mysteriously, her tone implying she knew more than she was letting on.
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. "Does she know about my special abilities? But how is this even possible?" He shook his head, dismissing the notion.
Calming his racing heart, he asked, "Where are you planning to raid, Lenora?"
"It's an E-Rank Dungeon, Rock Giant's Cave," she revealed with a reassuring smile. "But don't worry about the difficulty. We will be clearing it with our party after all."
Her confidence was infectious, and Ethan found himself considering the offer more seriously. It wouldn't hurt to go with them, especially since he was stuck in a minor bottleneck.
"Alright, introduce me to your friends," Ethan said, deciding to give her proposal a chance.
Lenora's smile widened as she turned to her companions. "This is Cedric," she pointed to a tall boy with a lean build, his brown hair falling into his sharp green eyes. He nodded at Ethan with a reserved smile. "He's our strategic leader and has a knack for traps."
"Nice to meet you," Cedric said, his voice calm and measured."Lenora had been talking about you a lot."
"And this is Iris," Lenora continued, gesturing to a girl with short, curly black hair and piercing blue eyes. "She's our healer and enhancer."
Iris gave Ethan a warm smile. "I look forward to working with you," she said, her tone kind and welcoming.
"Next, we have Marcus," Lenora pointed to a muscular boy with a confident grin, his dark skin gleaming in the morning light. "He's our front-line warrior, always ready to charge into battle."
Marcus simply nodded, not looking very enthusiastic.
"And finally, this is Yona," Lenora indicated a slender girl with long, velvet hair and striking violet eyes. "She's our scout and archer, with an eye for detail and a steady aim."
Yona nodded at Ethan, her expression serious but respectful. "Nice to meet you," she said simply.
"Alright," Ethan said, feeling a sense of camaraderie building. "When do we start?" He decided to give it a chance.
"Tomorrow at dawn," Lenora replied. "We'll meet at the town gate. Make sure to bring all your gear and be ready for an adventure!"
As they left, Ethan couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. This could be the start of something significant, a chance to prove himself and uncover more about his abilities. And perhaps, he would find out just what Lenora knew about him. Perhaps his bottleneck would be resolved by them.
Turning back to Aunt Greta, who had been silently observing the whole exchange, he found her giving him a surprised smile.
"Ethan, isn't she the Princess of the Fire Crow Clan? How did you two meet?" she asked curiously.
"I just met her at the tavern yesterday and got to know each other by chance," Ethan replied casually.
"Oh, by chance, you say?" Although she remained suspicious of his claim, she wished him good luck regardless.
"Then, looks like you're about to embark on quite the journey, Ethan. Just remember to stay safe and trust in yourself. Don't trust others so easily."
Ethan nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "I will, Aunt Greta. I will."
Afterwards, he went to the blacksmith's shop to buy more iron swords to upgrade his equipment further.
"Young man, you again? How many swords do you want this time?" the old dwarven blacksmith asked, observing him with curious glances.
"I need 10," Ethan replied firmly.
"T-Ten? That's a lot, young man. Are you buying them for your party or something?"
"You could say that," Ethan shrugged.
"Alright then, wait here for a moment."
The short blacksmith went to a back room and soon returned with ten sharp iron swords.
After paying 100 silver coins, Ethan went into an alleyway to synthesize the swords.
"Synthesize!"
"Synthesize!"
"Synthesize!"
.....
[ Ding! Congratulations! Your synthesis was successful ]
[ Congratulations! Your synthesis was successful ]
[ Congratulations your....]
[ Congratulations...]
[ Appraisal: ]
[ Titanium Runic Sword (Sentient) ]
[ Metal Grade: D ]
[ Attack Power: 45 ]
[ Durability: 135 ]
[ Special Effects: Stun ]
The sword had received an impressive upgrade. Its blade vibrated with each motion, as if it could cut through anything effortlessly. It had become a D-Grade Titanium Sword, a highly valuable weapon worth nearly 5,000 silver coins. Such an amount of money was significant in this world; a normal family could live comfortably on that sum for an extended period.
Because of this, not everyone could afford high-quality equipment like this, and not everyone had Ethan's special ability.
Additionally, the sword had gained a special effect: Stun. It could now stun enemies at critical moments, although its activation was random.
Ethan then checked his status:
[ Status ]
[ Name: Aengus Degaro (Ethan Smith) ]
[ Occupation: Hunter ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Level: 4 ]
[ Class: None ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Strength: 17 ]
[ Agility: 15 ]
[ Defense: 18 ]
[ Mana: 120 ]
[ Attribute points: 0 ]
[ Skills: ]
[ Active: Swift Sword Strike - 3 (F), Fire Toad's Leap - 2 (F), Fire Toad's Breath (F), Flame Serpent's Breath (F) ]
[ Passive: Fire Toad's Resilience (F), Fire Serpent's Digestion (F), Fire Serpent's Resistance ]
[ Unique Skills: Appraisal (Basic), Skill Absorption (Mythic), Universal Synthesis (Ultimate) ]
[ Equipments: Titanium Runic Sword (D) ]