In the end, Athena attended the victory banquet. As the commander of the operation—or "captain," as so referred to her—it was essential for her to be present. Such occasions were vital for boosting morale.
The atmosphere was jubilant, a stark contrast to the recent battle they had survived. Revelers drank excessively, their voices resonating with laughter and lively conversation. Starshine Five, who hadn’t ceased talking since the event began, was moved to tears by the food. It was so delicious that it evoked mories of als he hadn’t had in years, the taste of proper sustenance that had long eluded him.
Around him, many participants were visibly exhausted, their energy spent. Yet they too partook in the feast. A few, however, seed distracted, their thoughts preoccupied with other matters.
Athena, having been persistently approached with drinks and conversation, quietly withdrew from the banquet halfway through. The chanical dragon’s carcass, massive and imposing, was far too valuable to be left unattended. With skilled technicians on hand, breaking it down through conventional thods was out of the question; the potential loss of materials was too significant.
Unconsciously, she found herself wandering to the dissection area. There, several burly n were asuring and analyzing the dragon’s remains with tools whose purposes were unclear. As Athena approached, one of the n—a middle-aged individual with a white cloth tied around his head—imdiately strode towards her.
“Commander Athena! Hahaha, in all my years, I’ve never had the chance to dissect such a colossal beast. Today, I can truly say I’ve learned sothing new!” he exclaid, wiping his hands on his clothing as he drew nearer.
“Rest assured, we’ll handle this swiftly. The dragon’s body contains countless precious materials. Once we’re finished, everything of value will be delivered to you,” he assured her.
After a brief exchange, during which Athena was updated on the progress, she quietly returned to her quarters, the weight of exhaustion settling over her.
The recent departure of the forr leader had left the estate vacant. Athena, having earned universal respect through her accomplishnts, was encouraged to reside there. She had no objections. The estate was vast, with many rooms to choose from, yet she opted for one of the rarely used guest rooms instead of the master suite. Traces of the forr owner’s life lingered faintly, remnants she planned to address later.
The most excited inhabitants of the estate were Paopao and his companions. After their “friendly exchanges,” they had, under Mikmik’s leadership, claid the largest and most luxurious master bedroom. The three little ones turned the room into chaos, rolling and tumbling within it.
Athena reclined on her bed and opened her system panel. Despite the completion of several group-oriented tasks, she hadn’t received imdiate rewards. However, the missions had yielded valuable results. The monsters she had slain, though not entirely by her hand, still contributed to her experience thanks to her allies’ efforts. The recent defeat of the Dark Minion’s clone had also granted her a significant experience boost. Even the weaker monsters added enough experience to make a noticeable difference.
[ Experience: 3453 ]
With each close call and subsequent survival, Athena felt herself growing stronger, her ability to endure improving through every trial. She enhanced her attributes again and focused on upgrading her skills. Just as she prepared to level all her skills to ten, she realized she could only upgrade two.
[ Skill Breakthrough lv10 requires 1000 experience ]
After so consideration, Athena chose two skills: Attachnt and Hunter.
[ Skill Breakthrough in Progress... Combining player-related information... Skill changes successful! ]
...
Na: Athena Ravencroft
Experience: 513
Title: Proactive Warrior
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Attributes:
Strength: 10 (Up by 2.7)
Speed: 10 (Up by 2.7)
Agility: 10 (Up by 2.4)
ntal Power: 10 (Up by 1.6)
Skills:
Attachnt lvmax: Attach strength to a weapon, adding 10 points of damage per attribute point. When ntal power is infused, rge with the weapon, controlling it freely within a 50-ter radius.
Hunter lvmax: Exceptional dynamic vision with advanced tracking and counter-tracking abilities. A natural hunter, instilling fear in prey. Based on a strength comparison, a successful judgnt stuns the enemy for one second.
Boneless lv10 (Up by 5): Greatly enhances body flexibility, enabling complex movents and subtle facial bone adjustnts.
Tranquility lv10 (Up by 5): Instantly calm yourself, resisting ntal negative effects in combat, and increasing efficiency by 45% in non-combat periods. Cooldown: 2 hours. Duration: 2 hours.
Queen of War: Cannot be upgraded. Grants teammates (exceeding three) 10 ntal power and courage. When commanding an army of 500 , soldiers gain immunity to 50% of ntal attacks, a courage buff, and 1 strength.
[ Attribute points can no longer be increased through experience! ]
...
This was the most significant enhancent Athena had experienced, yet it occurred without backlash. Unlike the usual agonizing transformation of bones or ridian awakening, this process felt almost mundane, leaving her with a warm, pleasant sensation and no discomfort.
Curious, she picked up a silver cup without using any skills. With a light tap, two small holes appeared in the cup. Her newfound strength was evident, a combination of her intense combat experience and the high-quality food she had consud.
Over 500 experience points remained, yet she found no imdiate use for them. “Attributes can no longer be increased through experience”—a statent she hadn’t encountered since her attributes reached five points. Could the sa limitation apply at ten? The possibility seed likely. Previously, she had unlocked further progression with the golden card’s challenge. But upon checking, that path was no longer available.
She had intended to enter a simulation for combat practice to solidify her strength but realized she had only a handful of silver coins remaining, the rest entrusted to Grey as a deposit. Though she had collected many World Stones, only one remained, and she couldn’t afford to waste it.
Athena retrieved the Heart’s Desire from her bag. The mirror’s surface glead brightly, its clarity undiminished. Yet as she stared into it, her eyes widened in shock. The reflection staring back was unmistakably hers—but her hair was now silver.
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