Chapter 471: Get a Life

Chapter 471: Get a Life

Pareth’s signature skill was also designed by Sofia and Creation, as Pareth could hardly communicate anything. Either way, Sofia’s choice of hunting the Chimera in particular when choosing Pareth’s keystone had not been random. She had spotted four different creatures with Keystone imprints as she ranked up her heart, and knowing that ‘signature skill modifiers’ were a thing, she had specifically decided to hunt the three-headed beast.

Sofia couldn’t contain her smile as she read Pareth’s signature skill description again and again. “It’s perfect.”

[Chimeric armaments]: /SSS rank Signature Skill/

The Hero slew the foul beast; the summoner stole the bones, and he stole the soul.

Imbue your weapons, armor, and shields of light with a soul aspect each, granting them new abilities depending on the chosen soul.

Souls can be swapped between slots.

Imbued souls cannot be swapped in combat except by absorbing a new soul.

Soul slots:

Weapons (EMPTY; no ability)

Armor (EMPTY; no ability)

Shields (EMPTY; no ability)

Pareth will finally be able to fly!

“Now even the skeleton is a necromancer...” Kyle commented.

It’s not as good as I hoped, Clint mumbled in his beard.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com

Kyle rolled his eyes at the God’s comment, “What more did you expect? This is already among the best manaless signature skills we’ve made.”

Clint fiddled with the hammers in his forge, visibly annoyed. I thought it would be possible to quick-swap in battle. I built the architecture for it, but I suppose it was too heavy to keep, he explained.

Kyle laughed. “Maybe with an EX rank heart it would have gone through. I wonder if we’ll ever get another one of those. Hopefully not.”

“It’s not as if the Lords just go around giving essence left and right,” Sofia agreed, “but who knows. Speaking of which, I did not feel safe bringing that up earlier, but now, things seem pretty final so I might as well ask, did we not technically lose the wager?”

Kyle shrugged. “Yeah, you technically failed the trial. But we can only retrieve the essence when the mana heart breaks or sets without a host. Breaking your mana heart is not something we are allowed to do.”

“So you would do it if you were allowed to?”

WHEN?! The old woman pressed her, causing Sofia both and Pareth an involuntary jolt, and making even Bookie disappear in fear as he returned to hide within Sofia’s soul. Clint stepped in, holding Life back with a hand on her shoulder.

Calm down Lina. Let her speak. He said to snap her out of it.

Calm down? CALM DOWN?! Life repeated, trembling. Her appearance started to warp as she yelled, she grew taller and wider, empty, soulless eyes appearing and disappearing at random all over her. The sound of her shifting voice shook the forge and the very reality around her. WE MIGHT HAVE HAD A LEAD TO SAVE ANNA RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSE ALL THIS TIME AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!

The Goddess emanated so much mana that Sofia was starting to suffocate, it was a sensation she had never felt before, even next to Erredis in her Dragon form. She was clearly feeling herself starting to fade. In a state of panic, she activated the ring of Zar.

Sofia lost control of her arm as it was attracted by an irresistible force toward the source of the boundless mana, like a tsunami, the mana rushed into the ring. For the first time, there was so much mana that it was not instantaneous, the ring sucked all the mana out of the forge. It was so much that it left the Dragon-scale armguard glowing red hot from the intense transfer of energy, something it never did even with the strongest of Angel bolts casts.

The mana in the room was quickly replaced by the presence of the two Gods, but the sudden interruption had stopped the Goddess' violent transformation, snapping her appearance back to that of a kindly old woman.

All eyes were on Sofia after her unexpected stunt, she felt that she needed to choose her next words very carefully.

“I can lead you there,” she told them after swallowing her saliva.

Life narrowed her eyes. You will. She ordered, before turning to Kyle with an accusatory glare, And you! How could you let this slip through?! DID YOU HIDE THIS FROM US?!

Kyle raised his hands in surrender, “I knew nothing about it. I swear on my soul. It must have happened after she was disconnected,” he guessed.

Is he lying?

Sofia decided not to correct him. Maybe he was lying for some reason, but she felt that Kyle had looked truly surprised just like Clint when she had announced what she had found. Moreover, considering the current situation, she doubted that Kyle would have not been waiting for her when she left the Admins’ house, had he known at the time.

I suppose the house was even more well hidden than it looked.

Calm down, Lina, Clint repeated, his voice firmer now. Have the last three thousand years dulled your sense? Is this how you treat a bringer of good news? Stop your shit right now or I’m pulling your wrinkly ass back to our plane. He said with an absolute seriousness, lightyears away from how he normally presented himself.

Life took a deep breath, the continuous flow of mana emanating from her softening considerably. Very well, she said, You’re right. I let my emotions get the best of me. She turned to Sofia, I apologize, child. This was an unsightly display. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive this old mother. But such a situation... It hurts to see you so distant, Clint.

Mother?

Clint shook his head, What distant? I’m worse than you are, Lina, but lashing out on an outsider isn’t how we will bring her back.

You know, Mr Scribe, I am beginning to think that it was very fortunate that we did not end up using the original plan...

Kyle stepped in again, “Sofia, Pareth, I’m sorry that this comes to interrupt your trial reward, but can you lead us there right now?”

“This is nothing, I was the one who brought it up in the first place,” Sofia answered, “Had I known the people here considered Anna their family I would have reported it earlier. But yes, I can lead you there if you can take me to the IPS we landed at at the start of the trial. I have to warn you, though, there is not much to be found there, and most of the things that seemed of interest I already have with me right now just like the papers I just showed you.”

I will buy it all from you. Life declared without hesitation before Sofia even showed anything. Just give me your price.