Imbuement

【Imbuement: 10,000P】

"I'll buy it."

"Yes."

I selected Imbuement.

【Purchase Imbuement?】

【Required Points: 10,000P】

I confirmed without hesitation.

【You spent 10,000P】

【You acquired the Unique Skill Imbuement】

【Your points: 190P】

"...It's all gone at once."

Felicia looked at the display.

"We're down to 190P, after all."

Even so, I'd saved up to buy this.

I opened the newly added option.

【Imbuement】

【Target: Person/Equipment】

【Imbuement Type: Skill/Enhancement Effect】

"So you can use it on equipment as well as people."

"Looks like it."

First, I selected Skill.

【You have no learned Skills available to imbue】

"...Huh?"

"There's nothing?"

Another message appeared.

【You must have learned the Skill you wish to imbue before you can imbue it】

"I see."

Apparently, I couldn't give someone a Skill I didn't have myself.

I opened the Gold Member Unique Skills list.

【Physical Enhancement: 5,000P】

【Presence Detection: 5,000P】

【Night Vision: 5,000P】

【Accelerated Thought: 5,000P】

【Magic Control: 5,000P】

【Swordsman: 5,000P】

【Regeneration: 5,000P】

【Storage: 5,000P】

【Stealth: 5,000P】

【Magic Detection: 5,000P】

"I'll have to start saving again."

"But what about this one?"

Felicia looked at Enhancement Effect.

I selected it.

【Select a target】

【Person】

【Equipment】

"Shall we try it on a piece of equipment?"

"Which one?"

Felicia looked at the knife at her waist.

"How about the one we bought yesterday?"

The Mithril Knife.

"That seems like a good one to test it on."

However, we wouldn't know how much of a difference it made unless we compared it before and after imbuing it.

"Wait here a moment."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back."

I left the room.

◇

I walked around behind the Silver Wheat Inn for a bit.

I picked up a branch about as thick as my wrist from among the ones lying on the ground.

This should work for a test.

I returned to the room.

"What's that?"

"It's for comparison."

Felicia looked at the branch.

"Are you going to cut it in here?"

I looked around the room, too.

"...Let's do this outside."

"Good idea."

We went around behind the Silver Wheat Inn together.

I placed the branch somewhere stable.

"First, try cutting it with your knife as it is now."

"All right."

Felicia drew her Mithril Knife.

She swung the blade at the branch.

Thunk.

The blade went in quite deep.

But it didn't cut through in one stroke.

"About halfway through."

"I'll try imbuing it now."

I opened Imbuement.

【Target: Mithril Knife】

【Available Effects】

【Sharpness Enhancement】

【Durability Enhancement】

【Magic Conduction Enhancement】

"There are a few options."

"Let's try just one first."

I selected Sharpness Enhancement.

【Imbue Sharpness Enhancement】

I confirmed.

I felt a little Magic drain from my body.

The blade of the knife in Felicia's hand glowed faintly.

"Did it change?"

"Let's try it on the same branch."

I pointed to a spot a little farther along from where she'd cut before.

Felicia readied herself.

"Here I go."

She swung the knife.

Snick.

The tip of the branch fell to the ground.

"...It cut through."

Felicia looked at the cut surface.

I went over to take a look, too.

The difference was obvious.

"That makes quite a difference."

"I could use this if an enemy got close, too."

I removed Imbuement.

The faint glow faded from the knife.

The feeling of Magic draining from me stopped, too.

"It seems to keep using Magic while it's imbued."

"It'd probably be best to use it only when we need it."

"That's true."

Felicia returned the knife to its sheath.

"Shall we try it in a real fight tomorrow?"

"That's the plan."

◇

The next morning.

We looked for a C-Rank request at the Adventurers' Guild.

We chose a request for the twelfth floor.

【Subjugate Two Metal Scorpions】

【Target: Belgrant Western Dungeon, Twelfth Floor】

【Reward: 280,000 Jenny】

We took it to reception.

"You're going to the twelfth floor today?"

"Yes."

The receptionist didn't seem nearly as surprised as she used to be.

"Metal Scorpions have hard carapaces, and their tail attacks are fast. Be careful."

"Understood."

We accepted the request and headed to the dungeon.

◇

We used the teleportation stone on the first floor to reach the tenth.

From there, we passed through the eleventh floor and descended to the twelfth.

The passages on the twelfth floor were narrower than those on the eleventh.

The rock walls were studded with dark-colored ore.

After we'd gone a little farther, we heard a metallic scraping sound up ahead.

"It's coming."

Felicia pointed her staff forward.

A giant scorpion appeared from behind a rock.

It was over two meters long.

Its body and legs were covered in black carapace, and a sharp stinger tipped its long tail.

"It's a Metal Scorpion."

"I'll go in front."

I drew the Flamefang Sword.

The Metal Scorpion swung its tail.

Fast.

I dodged to the side.

Its stinger plunged into the rocky floor.

I used that opening to get in close.

I swung the Flamefang Sword.

Clang!

Hard.

But not as hard as the Iron Golem.

I activated the magic stone in the hilt.

Whoosh!

Flames wrapped around the blade.

"Screee!"

Its tail came at me again.

I dodged.

I slashed at a gap in its carapace.

Slash!

The blade sank deep.

One more strike.

The Metal Scorpion crumpled to the ground.

【You acquired 1,000P】

【Total P Acquired: 20,900P】

【Your points: 1,190P】

"One thousand P."

"That's a lot, as you'd expect on the twelfth floor."

We collected its magic stone and carapace.

There was one more target left for the request.

◇

The second Metal Scorpion was around the bend in the passage.

"I'd like to try the knife this time, too."

"Don't take any unnecessary risks."

"I won't."

I went forward first.

The Metal Scorpion swung its tail.

I dodged and drew its attention.

"Magic Bullet!"

Felicia's shot hit one of its legs.

The Metal Scorpion turned toward her.

It moved closer to Felicia.

One of its front legs swung at her.

Felicia dodged backward.

But it was close.

"Felicia-san!"

"I'll try it!"

Felicia drew her Mithril Knife.

I immediately used Imbuement.

【Target: Mithril Knife】

【Imbue Sharpness Enhancement】

I felt Magic drain from my body.

The knife's blade glowed faintly.

The Metal Scorpion's leg stretched toward Felicia.

Felicia dodged to the side and swung her knife at it.

Slash!

"I cut it!"

The blade had bitten into a thin gap in its carapace.

One of its legs was badly wounded.

The Metal Scorpion's movements faltered.

Felicia immediately put some distance between them.

"Magic Bullet!"

The glowing projectile struck its wounded leg.

Its movements slowed even more.

"Now!"

"Right!"

I charged in.

I activated the Flamefang Sword.

I slashed at a gap in its carapace.

One more strike.

The Metal Scorpion fell.

【You acquired 1,000P】

【Total P Acquired: 21,900P】

【Your points: 2,190P】

I removed Sharpness Enhancement.

Felicia looked at her knife.

"It worked on the twelfth floor, too."

"Looks like buying it yesterday was worth it."

"Though the Imbuement helped, too."

"That was part of it, too."

We'd defeated both targets for the request.

We explored the twelfth floor a little longer, then decided to head back for the day.

◇

We returned to the guild and presented proof of our kills.

"I've confirmed it. The request is complete."

【Request completion confirmed】

【You acquired 100P】

【P Acquired Today: 2,100P】

【Total P Acquired: 22,000P】

【Your points: 2,290P】

The reward was 280,000 Jenny.

We sold the materials from the two Metal Scorpions and the other things we'd collected. The appraisal came to 620,000 Jenny.

"That's 900,000 Jenny in total."

Split between us, that was 450,000 Jenny each.

◇

That night.

I opened Membership in my room at the Silver Wheat Inn.

【Your points: 2,290P】

I looked at the Unique Skill list.

【Magic Control: 5,000P】

【A Unique Skill that lets you control Magic quickly and precisely】

I needed another 2,710P.

I'd decided what to buy next.

Total P Acquired: 22,000P