Chapter 18: Chains


    Louise woke up together with the sun.


    Her eyelids trembled gently, slowly revealing her sleepy and mesmerizing blue eyes. She rolled onto her back, her fire tails twisting slightly, and her handnded on the spot next to her. In a normal scenario, Louise would have hit her master and woken him up.


    However, she''d hit the empty spot, frightening herself.


    "Master?" Louise whispered, looking to the side and naturally finding no one. Knowing that without her master, she wasn''t ready to be alone in the world, Louise became scared and flustered.


    pAn,Da-n0v e1,c She wasn''t the only one needing someone else — Leon was the same. Didn''t he say he doesn''t like being alone and wants to adventure with her? Together with Louise, Leon would adventure and find her crystal memories. Moreover, Louise was ready to support Leon''s Monster Collector path, striving to be a chef.


    Louise didn''t know whether their paths would be the same for a lifetime, for that would mean pretty boiling and an exciting topic she didn''t want to think about for now. Instead of thinking pointlessly, Louise decided to act really fast.


    "Ah."


    But after jumping out of bed to find her master, Louise suddenly heard the shower from their bathroom, her heart slowly calming down, and strength leaving her body. She dropped onto the bed, sprawled, then her master''s smell assailed her little nose.


    Twitching uncontrobly and sucking Leon''s smell as though it was medicine to utterly appease Louise''s chaotic heart, Louise extended her hand for Leon''s pillow, burying her face within his scent.


    She tightly hugged the pillow, recalling how she''d done the same to Leon yesterday while telling him about her problems, which made her only embrace the pillow tighter, her fox tails waggling rapidly around her curves.


    Fortunately for her, Louise''s fox ears detected her master leaving the bathroom, allowing her to quickly throw away the pillow and act like nothing had happened.


    "Morning. I''ll order something for us while you take your time in the bathroom. Then, we''ll do some light warm-up and training, alright?" Leon didn''t waste his time and closely stuck to his schedule.


    Louise nodded and swore to do her best today.


    She had more energy than yesterday already, heralding another day of chaos in the kitchen.


    -


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    -


    -


    [A weekter.]


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    Leon and Bou, the master cksmith from the vige, were alone in the smithy. Everyone else went home, for it was past their working hours, and the night was about to start. Of course, it was always dark in the smithy, so young cksmiths sighed at theck of stars above them, looking forward to their holidays.


    Returning to Leon and Bou, these two were in the process of doing something unique.


    Leon held a hammer, striking down the metal pieces, while the older man did the tasks of striker, primarily tending to billows and passing other resources. Leon''s cksmith master deeply scrutinized his movements, enhancing his knowledge.


    Moreover, Leon had an odd blueprint about some chains, which easily outlined mana passages.


    "Looks like we''re done." Leon nced at his chains, feeling their mana passages with his keen eyes, then took them into his hands, sensing an indescribable connection with them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Unaware of Leon''s talent and ss, Boumented in a friendly tone, "I''ve never seen such a blueprint, Leon. If I am correct, it should be impossible to even imbue a drop of mana into those chains."


    Mana passage is a concept that allows even normal metal to carry some mana and enables a user to use techniques through items. Depending on the ore, cksmiths either draw many of those passages or none — it''s all about the quality of resources at hand.


    Leon used a cheap andmon ore toplete his quest.


    "It''ll work." Leonpleted his quest, received the reward, and saw through his chain''s system information. Because he owned the blueprint and knew what those chains were for and who could use them, Leon''s eyes shed legit and full information about them.


    In Bou''s mind, those chains were Leon''s attempt to create something his own, and he''d failed. He didn''t voice it aloud because Leon''s talent helped Bou improve, too, and his work became of higher quality in just a week, to say nothing of his speed in mending broken tools of the vigers.


    Leon didn''t bother correcting the man.


    When Bou went to change clothes, Leon stared intensely at the chains.


    [Monster Collector''s Four-Legged Monsters Fire Chains(Common)(Durability: 100/100) - Those chains can carry fire mana and skills to punish enved monsters. Inbination with a cor of the same quality, the user can envemon four-legged monsters ranging from level one to forty.]


    With those chains, Leon could create a link with monsters of higher levels to ensure their consciousness and bodies stayed intact. For instance, if Leon had the chains and cors to enve skeletons, he''d be able to keep their consciousness and learn more about their group.


    But because he just used his skills without sufficient level and items, Leon managed to turn them into his cards with clear ws. Additionally, it was only possible because those were skeletons. If he were to try the same method against monsters with higher levels and proper bodies, Leon''s cards would have even more mistakes.


    It''d be weird for him to get a monster without a head. That monster would be only avable as food, wouldn''t it be?


    Leon got a different idea for those chains, however.


    He wrapped them around his right arm. They were lengthy, for some of the chains hung out from Leon''s wrist, reaching his calf.


    "Nine me Spirits Art," Leon whispered themand, his system helping him with his skill.


    After summoning nine empty fire spirits, Leon ordered them to enter the chains. Because everything was connected to his ss, the process was smooth but not without another problem. First, the chains evolved; it was a sess indeed.


    [Your chains'' grade has be unique.]


    [New stats have been updated.]


    [Monster Collector''s Four-Legged Monsters Fire Chains(Unique(Durability: 99:100) Att: 340 ~~ 369]


    [Passive effect: Scarlet Fox Ignition - burns upon contact for five seconds, taking down 5% of maximum HP]


    Secondly, the chains could ignite monsters and Leon''s enemies far easier than if he were to use them without any material, which was a great concept to explore. Leon didn''t know whether the damage was high or not, but he was already excited about new concepts to explore.


    [Your chains'' durability has fallen by one.]


    It was the new w.


    Leon believed it was an understandable w since not every metal could endure the fox mes, let alonemon stuff from a low-level vige. That w didn''t diminish his excitement!


    "And I have even better chains, right?" Leon nced into his inventory, deeply gazing into the crimson chains that had been used to enve Louise.


    Those legendary chains were the real weapon in his hands.