Chapter 18: Chapter 18 : Gear-Up

After finishing his meal peacefully, Arthur pushed the tray aside and leaned back.

“Alright, system,” he said. “Now show me what types of artifacts we possess.”

The air in front of him rippled.

One by one, four items began to pour out of his inventory.

Among them, one thing stood out immediately.

A black map.

It released an enormous amount of magic power, the space around it warping ever so slightly.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

He reached out and picked it up.

The map was made of some dark, leathery material, etched with symbols that looked like jagged scratches at first glance.

To anyone else, the letters would have been nothing more than strange, alien markings.

But as Arthur’s gaze traced the lines, the symbols… shifted.

Clarified.

Words formed in his mind.

A system message appeared.

[ A-Rank Artifact Detected: ????? ]

“Why can’t you translate what’s written on this?” Arthur asked.

[ Host, I’ve been trying, ] the system replied. [ But there are no records of this language in the Nexus database. Or, if there are, they are classified beyond my access. ]

Arthur squinted at the map.

“What are you talking about?” he said. “I can read it just fine.”

At the top of the map, a title burned clearly in his vision.

“The Black Inheritance,” he read.

Only a single location was marked.

“It says to go to… ’The Lawless Land.’”

A chill crawled down Arthur’s spine.

“That place is inside the Null Realm itself,” he muttered. “Going there is suicide for sure…”

But the markings didn’t stop there.

Just below the location, another line of text shimmered into focus.

A short verse.

He read it slowly.

“Reach the One the gods denied,

Break the chains that fate entwined.

Take the crown, endure the cost,

And rise from all that heaven lost.”

Arthur stared at it for a moment.

“Wow,” he said dryly. “Another mysterious poem. Just what I needed.”

[ Host, forget that for a second, ] the system said. [ You’re telling me you can really read that? ]

“Yes,” Arthur replied. “I can. Even though I’ve never seen this language in my life.”

[ It looks like that S-rank skill, Language, is doing the work for you, ] the system said. [ That must be why you can read it. ]

“So that’s what it’s used for, huh…” Arthur muttered.

[ It seems so. ]

“Looks like it’s useful after all,” Arthur said. “But still, a bit too much to call it an S-rank skill if it’s just going to work like a translator…”

He set the map aside carefully.

His attention shifted to another artifact.

It looked like a black blob of thick liquid, coiled on the floor like a sleeping shadow.

Arthur picked it up.

It pulsed in his hand.

A system window materialized.

[ S-Rank Artifact Detected ]

[ Name: Voidmorph Carapace

Type: Living / Body-Bound Armor

Status: Unbound

Visibility: Concealed

Description:

A semi-sentient defensive artifact appearing as an amorphous black mass.

Upon contact, the Carapace dissolves into the host’s body and spreads beneath the skin, bonding to flesh, bone, and core.

Once bonded, the armor becomes completely invisible and cannot be removed by conventional means.

Primary Effect:

• Total Defense +400%

Secondary Effects:

• Automatically reinforces vital organs and skeletal structure

• Damage drastically reduces on impact, thickening at strike locations

• Greatly reduces penetration, shock, and internal damage

• Greatly resistant to armor-piercing attacks

• Suppresses and isolates harmful toxins within the body, preventing their spread

Passive Traits:

• Undetectable by perception skills

• Activates instantly with no cast time

• Semi-sentient threat response (auto-defense)

Warning:

The Voidmorph Carapace exhibits protective instincts.

Prolonged use may result in increased dependency as it can also affect the host’s mental condition.

Compatibility: Unknown

Removal Condition: Host death ]

Arthur’s mouth hung open.

“Now this,” he said slowly, “is what you call an artifact people will kill for.”

He grinned.

“System, how do I get it bound to me?”

[ A drop of blood is enough, ] the system replied. [ Once it recognizes you as the host, it will bond. ]

Arthur pricked his finger with a small knife.

A single drop of blood fell onto the black mass.

The reaction was immediate.

The Carapace quivered.

Then surged up his arm like living ink.

Arthur’s eyes widened as the black mass climbed over his hand, wrist, and forearm, then sank into his skin, disappearing beneath the surface. Threads of cold energy slithered up his arm, across his chest, down his back, wrapping him from the inside.

In seconds, it was gone.

No mark.

No trace.

But he could feel it.

He flexed his fingers.

The sensation was strange—like wearing armor that wasn’t there, a second skin under his own.

“Incredible…” Arthur whispered. “I can feel it… like it’s waiting.”

He reached back into the pile.

Two more artifacts remained.

A pair of boots.

And a ring.

The system windows appeared as soon as he touched them.

[ B-Rank Artifact Detected ]

[ Name: Electric Pulse Boots

Type: Utility / Mobility

Rank: B

Description:

A pair of speed amplification rune-etched boots that release controlled kinetic pulses through the wearer’s legs.

Effects:

• Movement Speed +35%

• Stamina consumption reduced by 25%

• Short-burst dash available every 10 seconds

Passive:

• Reduces fall damage

• Improves balance and terrain control

• Reliable, efficient, and favored by scouts and assassins. ]

[ B-Rank Artifact Detected ]

[ Name: Ring of Steady Renewal

Type: Recovery / Sustain

Rank: B

Description:

A simple silver ring housing a slow-cycling regeneration core.

Effects:

• Energy regeneration increased by 3% per minute

• Accelerates recovery from non-lethal injuries

• Reduces fatigue accumulation by 20%

Passive:

• Continues functioning during sleep or unconsciousness. ]

Arthur read both descriptions carefully.

A smile crept onto his face.

[ Both are very useful for us, ] the system said. [ We don’t have many other ways to get stronger like the other players. ]

“You’re right,” Arthur said. “They’re all very useful to me—for now.”

He slipped the Electric Pulse Boots on.

They tightened around his feet perfectly, runes along the soles glowing faintly.

Then he slid the Ring of Steady Renewal onto his finger.

A gentle, steady warmth settled in his hand.

He pulled his black hoodie back on, flipping the hood over his head to shadow his face.

“Alright,” Arthur said. “Now it’s time to head to the Hunter Association… for registeration, and gain some battle experience.”

A devilish smile spread across his lips.

“I’m already excited,” he murmured. “I wonder who else we’re going to face.”

The system flinched internally.

[ Host, why does it seem like you’re enjoying all this instead of being scared? ]

Arthur chuckled.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said. “But you know… my last life was endlessly boring. Nothing interesting. Nothing that could keep my attention.”

He stretched his arms with quiet delight.

“But this world,” he said, eyes gleaming, “this world is something else entirely. There are endless possibilities for me here.”

“And I’m going to shatter every limit placed on me… and sit at the top of the food chain.”

Determination burned in his red eyes.

As if declaring to the world he said softly, “from now on, it’s going to be a funeral for my enemies—and everyone who stands against us.”

The system replied, voice steady.

[Now that’s the spirit… I’ll be with you at every step of our journey. ]

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