A huge screen appeared in front of Eryx. It showed three rewards, each with a short description.
He carefully looked at them one by one.
[Dark Fragment: A broken piece of a weapon from a great war in the universe. This weapon was once so strong that it destroyed entire worlds. However, only a fragment of this weapon remains.
Ability: Corruption & Soul Erosion
﹂ It gives power but slowly changes the wielder's mind and soul, making them lose control over themselves.]
Eryx frowned. This item was dangerous. It could make him strong but at a terrible cost.
[Storm Lion Blade]
﹂ A sword made from the strongest bone of a Storm Lion, also known as the Golden Lion.
﹂ The Storm Lion was a legendary beast that could control thunder and wind.
﹂ Ability: Storm-Splitting Slash – The sword releases golden lightning and hurricane winds, cutting through mountains and destroying enemy attacks.
Eryx's eyes lit up when he saw the Storm Lion Blade as a reward. This blade was definitely a powerful weapon.
Finally, he turned his attention to the third reward, which he already knew well.
[Third Treasure: Aegis Core]
﹂ A small advanced armor system that instantly activates when placed on the chest. When turned on, it spreads like liquid metal over the body, forming a strong exosuit in seconds. This armor can block strong attacks, and energy blasts, and even survive in extreme conditions like fire and radiation. It adjusts defense depending on the enemy's attack type. It boosts strength, agility, and senses, reacting instantly to the user's thoughts.
Eryx felt his heart beat faster. All three rewards were incredible, and now he had to make a choice.
After giving the three rewards a little thought, Eryx chose the Storm Lion Blade. He lacked a weapon, and this blade came timely.
The moment he chose the Storm Lion Blade, the lion statue in front of him opened its mouth. Light gathered deep within its throat, slowly building up like a rising storm. Then, with a sudden flash, a golden beam shot out from the statue's mouth and landed gently in front of Eryx.
Shua~
When the light faded, Eryx saw a long blade. Its hilt was wrapped in black leather, and the blade itself was shimmering with golden lightning that crackled softly along its edge. Thin wisps of wind circled around it, as if submitting to a mighty creature.
Eryx took a deep breath and stepped forward. Then he reached out to grab the blade.
The moment his fingers touched the hilt; a surge of power rushed into his arm. His hair lifted slightly as the wind spun around him, and a faint thunderclap echoed through the hall.
The surge of power vanished almost as quickly as it had come. It shot through Eryx's arm like a lightning bolt, and then it was gone, leaving only a faint tingle in its place.
For a few seconds, he just stood there, gripping the blade and staring at it in silence.
There was no roar of thunder now and no howling wind. The golden lightning that danced along the edge of the blade faded instantly as well. It now looked very quiet.
At the same time, a strange sensation rose in Eryx's heart. He seemed to have a strange weight settling in his heart.
This feeling... He could not quite explain it in words, but he almost felt the disappointment of the blade. He felt as if the Storm Lion Blade was telling him that he was too weak to hold it.
He hadn't heard a voice. There were no words. But the message from the blade was clear.
The Storm Lion Blade was his, but he wasn't strong enough to wield the blade, at least not the way it was meant to be wielded.
Eryx let out a slow breath. He didn't feel insulted or think too much. He understood very well.
The Storm Lion Blade is a weapon born from the remains of a beast that had commanded the storm and lightning itself. It was created from the bone of one of the ancient beasts.
There is no way someone as weak as he could wield this blade. If he wants to display the blade's full potential, he must increase his strength first.
Eryx tightened his grip on the hilt and muttered, "Then I'll catch up to the level you'll obediently submit to me."
He didn't need the blade to roar yet. He just needed it to wait. He believed he could not only catch up to that level but surpass it. And that time is not too far away from him.
Suddenly, golden lightning flashed on the blade once again. Following that, the blade transformed into a golden bolt before entering Eryx's body.
At the same time, Eryx felt the presence of Storm Lion Blade inside his dantian.
Before Eryx could examine the Storm Lion Blade's presence inside his dantian, the mechanical voice echoed once more.
[Additional reward for achievement rating S+: Triggered.]
[Reward: 10% recovery of the Divine Body that originally belonged to the challenger.]
[Awarded: 10% Divine Treasure Body.]
Eryx's eyes widened, but he didn't even have time to react as a mysterious energy burst through his body like a silent explosion all of a sudden. This energy was cold and hot at the same time.
And then came the pain.
"Arghhh!"
The pain hit him like a hammer as his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, clutching his chest and groaning.
His every bone felt like it was being hammered to dust before reshaping again. He felt his every cell being rewritten with some unknown code as countless small symbols slowly manifested in each cell. He could even feel every drop of his blood boiling, burning with a new fire.
His muscles tensed and started twitching without control. At the same time, his skin glowed faintly. His breathing grew harsh. As he inhaled air, he felt like swallowing fire instead of oxygen, and every time he exhaled, he felt like pushing out lightning from his nose.
He did groan in pain at the start, but later, he stopped screaming. His jaw clenched hard and sweat poured from his face due to pain, but he held on. His body trembled as the unfamiliar force forced itself into every part of him.
His body was changing, and this change was due to the integration of ⧼Divine Treasure Body⧽. Although the rate of integration was only 10%, this divine body originally belonged to him. So, in one sense, it can be said that he was recovering a part of his lost physique.
Very soon, the pain dissipated, and Eryx felt his physique had become stronger.
It was also at this time that the mechanical voice sounded once more.
[The extra reward given as compensation due to the unexpected error: Triggered.]
[Reward: Aegis Core!]
[Awarded: Aegis Core!]
Just like that, Eryx obtained Aegis Core, an armor so powerful that even Saint Origin Realm warriors could not make scratches.
Eryx quickly placed the Aegis Core inside his storage bag. But just as he did, the ground beneath his feet trembled. The entire hall began to shake violently.
Cracks appeared and spread across the floor and walls, and even the three giant pillars and the stone lion statue began to break apart.
"Shit!" Eryx cursed under his breath and turned around. He didn't wait. He didn't think and just ran.
He knew exactly this whole structure was going to collapse at any moment. If he stayed here even a second longer, he would be buried alive.
So, running was the only option out from here.
Bang! Bang!
He rushed through the hall, dodging falling pieces of stone and jumping over wide cracks that had split the floor. The sound of stone breaking and crashing filled the air behind him.
Eryx moved as fast as he could, and soon, he reached the exit. The moment he stepped outside, a loud BOOM echoed from behind.
He turned around and watched the entire ancient structure crumble into dust, collapsing completely.
Now, he was standing in the forest again as the cold wind brushed past his face.
He looked at the now-destroyed entrance and sighed in regret, muttering: "What a loss of energy points."
Indeed, it was a loss of energy points.
He remembered that the entrance itself had some High-Level Energy Points he could have extracted. But now that it was reduced to rubble, that chance was gone forever.
Still, Eryx didn't complain too much. He had gotten great rewards and too many Energy Points.
More importantly, he was alive.
-----
[Eryx Xylaris]
[Cultivation: Core Formation Realm, First Layer.]
[Physique: Elemental Spirit Body, Divine Treasure Body (10%).]
[Bloodline: None.]
[Cultivation Technique: Heavenly Life Breathing Method.]
[Skills: Phantom Spirit Concealment Art, Mountain Piercing Finger.]
[Weapon: Storm Lion Blade (1/15 Ancient Beast Weapons).]
[Energy: 1,022,140.]