Chapter 244: The Treasure Chest Explodes
Damian left the blacksmith hall and immediately turned toward the system interface.
A shameless grin spread across his face as the translucent screen appeared in front of him.
He was still occasionally rubbing at the front of his clothes, which remained slightly damp from Vulkara’s tears.
Thinking about how much that stubborn girl had finally opened up to him, Damian could not help feeling hopeful.
"Her favorability increased, her destiny changed, and she even cried in my arms... So come on, System. Give me a damn good multiplier."
As though responding to his thoughts, lines of text rapidly appeared before his eyes.
---
[Gift Target: Vulkara]
[Gift Item: King Grade Infernal Forge Tyrant Hammer]
[150x Extreme Multiplier Triggered]
[Reward Return:]
[King Grade Blacksmith Talent]
[King Grade Hammer Talent]
[King Grade Heavenly Forge Tyrant Scripture]
[King-Grade Hammer Art: Heaven-Shattering Tyrant - First Impact: Mountain-Crushing Descent]
[Ten Years of Peerless Comprehension in Each Recently Obtained Art]
---
Damian froze.
His eyes remained fixed on the system screen for several breaths, unable to properly process what he was seeing.
He had expected a good return.
Hell, with Vulkara’s ridiculous 150x multiplier, he had even expected something amazing.
He had not expected something this fucking absurd. Only three words managed to escape his mouth.
"Damn... damn... goddamn."
The rewards were simply too ridiculous.
It had to be remembered that Damian was currently only in the Golden Core Realm.
Under normal circumstances, Noble Grade techniques, talents, and treasures were already appropriate for cultivators around his level.
Yet what had the system just thrown at him?
King Grade.
Every major reward was fucking King Grade.
That was two entire major grades above what he should normally be using at his current cultivation level.
Even ten whole years of Peerless Comprehension for the newly obtained arts had been thrown in on top of everything else.
No wonder Damian was stunned. A second later, however, the shock on his face gradually disappeared.
A familiar shameless smile returned in its place. "Hehehe..."
Damian glanced back toward the blacksmith hall he had just left. "Vulkara, my precious little treasure chest..."
His expression became increasingly pleased. "You really gave Master one hell of a return."
Without wasting another second, Damian turned his attention back toward the system interface. "System, fuse all the rewards with me."
---
[Confirmed.]
[Beginning Reward Fusion.]
[Fusion Starting In: 3...]
---
Damian waited eagerly for the rewards to fuse into him, practically buzzing with anticipation.
A second later, however, he suddenly noticed something very fucking important.
He was standing outside, out in the open, and if he refused the reward now... Damian’s expression changed instantly. "Goddammit! Pause! Pause!"
The system screen flickered.
---
[Unable To Fully Pause Fusion.]
[Emergency Delay Activated.]
[Maximum Delay: 60 Seconds.]
---
Damian froze for half a breath. "Sixty seconds?!"
Without wasting another fucking moment, he spun around and shot toward Selvara’s peak, pushing his movement art to its absolute limit.
His figure blurred across the sect paths as he rushed past several confused disciples.
Damian did not give a damn about maintaining his image anymore. Looking elegant, mysterious, or handsome could wait.
If several King Grade rewards started fusing into his body while he was standing in the middle of the sect... his already battered condition would probably become a hundred times worse.
There was also no telling what kind of commotion the fusion might cause.
In the worst-case scenario, he might even suddenly pass out in the open, which would be incredibly embarrassing for someone like him.
Right now, he only needed somewhere private.
He did not even care whether Selvara was currently on the peak or not. His master could ask questions later.
The only thing Damian cared about was reaching his room before that damn sixty-second delay ran out.
By the time he reached the residence, he nearly crashed straight through the entrance.
Damian kicked his bedroom door open, rushed inside, and immediately slammed it shut behind him.
BANG!
"Made it-"
He barely had enough time to stagger toward the bed before the translucent system screen appeared again.
---
[Emergency Delay Ended.]
[Fusion Resuming.]
---
Damian’s face stiffened. "Oh, shit."
The next instant, overwhelming pain exploded through his entire body as every reward began fusing with him at once. "FUCK!"
Damian could not even finish the curse before his legs gave out.
He collapsed heavily onto the bed, his fingers digging into the sheets as another wave of agony tore through him.
His vision rapidly darkened.
The last thought passing through Damian’s mind was both bitter and helpless.
"Fusing multiple King Grade rewards at the same fucking time... really is crazy."
---
Damian had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but when he finally opened his eyes, his entire body was sore as hell.
It was not the same kind of pain as being sliced apart by sword Qi or getting smashed by Nolan’s attacks.
This was different.
It felt more like every muscle, bone, and meridian in his body had been squeezed to its absolute limit, torn apart, and somehow stuffed back together again.
Damian remained sprawled across the bed for several breaths, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Eventually, a curse escaped his mouth. "Goddammit, System... why the hell is fusing rewards always so painful?"
His expression became increasingly bitter. "Other cheaters get treasures dropped directly into their hands, cultivation poured into their bodies, and techniques mastered without even sweating. Why do I have to feel like I’m fucking dying every time?"
Almost immediately, the familiar translucent system screen appeared above him.
---
[Answer: Host is too weak.]
[Recommendation: Get stronger.]
---
Damian’s face darkened instantly. "Can you answer a question without insulting me?"
The system gave no response.
Damian stared at the silent screen for several seconds before clicking his tongue.
"Damn system. If you weren’t giving me such ridiculous rewards... and actually had a body... I’d kick your ass at least once."
Unsurprisingly, there was still no answer.
As the soreness throughout his body gradually faded, Damian finally began noticing the changes within himself.
His understanding of forging had transformed completely.
Countless techniques, instincts, hammer movements, flame-control methods, and principles from the [King Grade Heavenly Forge Tyrant Scripture] had become deeply engraved into his mind.
The same was true for the [King-Grade Hammer Art: Heaven-Shattering Tyrant - First Impact: Mountain-Crushing Descent].
Thanks to the ten years of Peerless Comprehension, neither art felt completely foreign to him anymore.
Instead, it was almost as though he had personally studied and practiced them for years.
A slow, increasingly shameless smile appeared on Damian’s face.
He suddenly remembered something even more important.
There were still two King Grade weapons sitting inside his storage ring.
Damian slowly sat up despite the lingering soreness. "If gifting just one King Grade item to Vulkara gave me this much..."
His eyes gleamed greedily. "Just what the hell are the other two going to give me when I finally send them out?"
The thought alone made his aching body feel considerably less painful. "Hehe... I really can’t fucking wait."