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Chapter 93: The Crystal
After much effort, Brandon finally managed to explain the summoning rules of the Fate Card to Roma, Antietta, and the others. He assured them that he currently lacked the ability to summon Metissa, though in doing so, he inadvertently revealed a portion of his identity as a Planeswalker. Fortunately, the sharp-witted noblewoman had yet to suspect the Rubis mercenaries. Such an idea was simply too outlandish for her to entertain.
But truth be told, Brandon wasn’t particularly worried about them uncovering the truth. The reason was simple: Antietta had no one else to rely on but him. And Brandon was confident in his ability to earn her trust.
Of course, this was almost laughable. Brandon inwardly smirked at himself, thinking how he knew the history of this world backward and forward—five hundred years before and a hundred years after. If he couldn’t fool a young girl like her with such knowledge, then his previous life as a hardcore gaming recluse would have been nothing but a waste.
Putting away the Unicorn Knight card, he ordered two mercenaries to scout ahead toward the temple. Meanwhile, the rest of the group brought him the spoils of battle. The ghost knight Metissa had left behind only two items: a pair of boots and a crystal.
When Brandon laid eyes on the crystal, he nearly thought he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. No, this had to be a dream. How else could someone like him—the infamous “King of Trashpull” from his gaming days—stumble upon such good fortune twice in a row?
It reminded him of when he failed to obtain the Heart of the Tree from the Golden Magic Tree boss. Back then, he hadn’t been surprised at all. Based on his usual luck (or lack thereof), not getting anything valuable was par for the course. If something rare did drop, it was probably just a hallucination.
But after triple-checking, he reluctantly admitted to himself that what lay in the hands of the Rubis crossbowman was indeed a Ghost Knight Crystal.
Ghost Knight Crystal
Enhancement Item [Arm Slot]
Equipping grants +10% output strength.
Brandon pinched Roma’s cheek. She immediately scowled, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. “What are you doing, Brandon?” Though she knew her protest wouldn’t faze him, this time he’d actually hurt her.
Roma winced and let out a loud complaint.
“No, I’m just checking if I’m dreaming,” Brandon replied absently, as if sleepwalking.
“Pinch yourself, you brute!” Roma growled, lifting her round-toed leather boot and kicking him squarely in the shin.
That jolt of pain confirmed it—he wasn’t dreaming.
“Ow…”
“Serves you right.”
“Roma, you’re forbidden from wearing those boots ever again.”
“As if!”
Antietta watched the two of them acting like children and shook her head in exasperation. She noticed the mercenaries snickering among themselves, realizing the young knight must be in an exceptionally good mood to behave this way. Still, she glanced at the crystal and wondered if it was really that important.
“Is this the Ghost Knight Crystal you mentioned?” As she thought about it, she couldn't help but blurt out her question.
It wasn’t just her; others were curious too. Even Tiger Finch waited patiently for Brandon to explain the significance of the crystal. To them, it had become second nature to regard Brandon as a walking encyclopedia. His vast knowledge was simply expected by now.
At Antietta’s question, Brandon paused. He nodded. “Yes, this is the Ghost Knight Crystal.” Then, unable to suppress a grin, he added, “Looks like my earlier joke came true—I’ll definitely be making a day trip to Ampersal.”
The mercenaries cared less about the crystal itself and more about the mention of Ampersal. They didn’t fully understand why their lord was in such high spirits, but they certainly knew what a visit to Ampersal meant. At that, they erupted into cheers.
Though they were beings summoned by cards, they still possessed their own memories and emotions.
But Antietta wasn’t interested in idle chatter. As a child, she’d once accompanied her father to Ampersal, the largest free port in Eruin, though the city’s opulence had left little impression on her beyond its grandeur. Shaking off thoughts of her irresponsible father, she asked pointedly, “Is this crystal truly worth all the fuss?”
“Absolutely,” Brandon replied without hesitation, his tone leaving no room for doubt. In Amber Sword, this item had appeared in earlier versions and remained astronomically valuable well into the mid-to-late game. On trading platforms, it fetched prices upwards of three hundred million torr—equivalent to several thousand in the real-world currency.
And that was just for a virtual enhancement gem. Its value spoke volumes.
Enhancement crystals were implants, and a level 20 character could equip up to three: one each for the arm, head, and torso. In past games, these crystals retained their effects even upon death, making them far more precious than standard gear. While that advantage didn’t hold in this world, the crystals’ rarity remained unchanged.
At least, judging by his experience with Lustrous Stinger, enhancement crystals never disappeared.
Output strength referred to explosive power. A 10% increase translated directly to offensive capabilities. With Strength Surge already maxed out at level 10, Brandon’s base burst potential stood at 30 units. This crystal added another 10%, or 3 additional units, bringing his total to 33.
By level 20 standards, 3 extra units rivaled ancient-grade equipment. And considering players could eventually reach hundreds of units later in the game, the implications were staggering.
Brandon could already envision the benefits this crystal would bring.
“If we were to put a price tag on it…” Brandon chuckled, holding up the crystal, “…it’d be worth three hundred million.”
Three hundred million.
The mercenaries turned pale. Had Brandon said three million, they might have gasped. But three hundred million? That was equivalent to the annual revenue of a wealthy duchy. For common-born soldiers like them, the figure was incomprehensible. They assumed Brandon was joking.
Even Roma looked skeptical, letting out a soft scoff and glaring at him. Antietta frowned, convinced he was exaggerating.
But Brandon paid no heed to their disbelief. Grinning, he implanted the crystal into his right arm. Immediately, energy coursed through him. Having grown accustomed to such sensations in-game, he casually picked up the iron greaves next.
But the moment he touched them, he nearly dropped them in shock.
Flesh Greaves
Grade: Brass
+10.5% movement speed, +5 constitution
Required Level: 20
Cost: 20 Oz
Suddenly, the world felt surreal—even more so than usual. Was this some cosmic sign? Surely not. He refused to believe he’d become one of those lucky players overnight.
A Ghost Knight Crystal… and a brass-grade item as a bonus? From a mere elite quest boss—not even a proper boss fight!
He froze, then remembered something crucial. “Who looted the corpse?” he blurted out urgently.
Looted the corpse?
Everyone stared blankly. What did he mean?
Realizing his slip-up, Brandon coughed awkwardly. “I meant, who cleaned up the battlefield?”
Cleaning the battlefield? The mercenaries exchanged puzzled glances. Finally, a cold voice answered, “I did, my lord. Is there a problem?”
Turning, Brandon saw the elder sister of the Elementalists. She met his gaze, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. His urgency made her wonder if she’d done something wrong.
“Nothing,” Brandon assured her with a nod. “From now on, you’ll handle battlefield cleanup.”
“Me?” The elven woman blinked, pressing a hand to her chest in surprise. It was clear this was a rare honor, but she couldn’t fathom why she’d earned it. After racking her brain, she could only think of certain nobles’ questionable tastes, and her gaze grew suspicious.
But Brandon ignored her confusion, quietly pleased. Finally, he’d found someone with “lucky hands”—and a charming face to boot.
---
In the game, Flesh Greaves were standard tank gear. Brandon considered turning Tiger Finch, his most seasoned mercenary captain, into a meat shield. However, summoned creatures couldn’t use items outside the rules. While the mercenaries could wield swords and bows effectively, magical enhancements were beyond their reach.
To properly equip an item, a summoned creature needed to attach it via binding. For instance, Brandon could bind the Holy Sword artifact card to the Rubis Mercenaries card, allowing one of them to utilize the sword’s full effects—at a cost to himself, of course.
As for Roma and Antietta, neither were combatants, so the greaves were useless to them. Reluctantly, Brandon donned them himself, feeling a twinge of guilt. If this happened in-game, he’d likely wake up to a forum thread titled:
"Everything You Need to Know About Brandon the Hoarder—Our Selfish Guild Leader."
Just then, the two scouts he’d sent to investigate the temple returned, running toward the group...
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