Only I Am A Reader

Swish!

With a precise strike, the ugly gargoyle's head flew away. The ignorant monster probably didn't even realize that it had breathed its last.

However, Leo still continued working on its corpse to test the effectiveness of Shadow Armament. He went ahead and gave it the same procedure that he did from its stony friends, the golems.

'Not bad at all.'

The more Leo used the shadow sword, the more he was impressed by it. It wasn't just a convenient weapon replacement ability, just this ability on its own is probably enough to make a Hero or a Villain quite famous!

'I think it's almost there?'

Just the sharpness on its own almost matched that of Sword Qi at the Transcendent level! Moreover, that wasn't the only advantage that Shadow Armament offered!

Thanks to how deeply linked Cassian was with his shadows, Leo didn't feel that he was holding a sword but rather an extension of his own hand. It was like he was using his True Sword Body.

Even if a Transcendent would have a slight edge in lethality over him, Leo believed that he could still overpower him in the end, and this was just one ability!

'It's almost easier to use than the White Tiger.'

Another great advantage that Leo discovered was that the sword's weight could be whatever he imagined. It didn't matter what the size or the shape of it was, it could be a slim longsword with the weight of a greatsword!

Of course, It wasn't like the ability canceled the effect of that weight on him. Leo still had to be able to handle the weight he imagined to properly use it.

'I wouldn't be able to try that now, but…'

In addition, Shadow Armament could be applied to another weapon just like Sword Qi and Sword Breath. However, due to a lack of a proper weapon, Leo couldn't immediately test its effect.

That being said, the possibilities that this ability opened for him were myriad.

Leo's Sword Breath could strengthen his Sword Qi, but that was limited to swords. On the other hand, Shadow Armament wasn't limited by the form of the weapon, just like the broadly usable Sword Qi.

In fact, unlike Sword Qi which was limited to bladed weapons, Shadow Armament could be used on weapons like staves or bats. It was practically limitless!

'If anything, it's extremely convenient.'

After reducing the gargoyle's corpse into tiny pieces, Leo let the sword change shape into a spear. He didn't really get to use the Black Dragon in practical battle after finally getting it, but now he could at least use something similar!

Although this ability couldn't deny the practicality of using actual weapons, it felt like a perfect match for Leo who had experience with so many weapons.

"Let's see…"

Kneeling down in front of the chopped corpse, Leo shrunk Shadow Armament into nail blades as he carefully cut open the center part of the gargoyle's chest.

Even if it didn't show in his Personal Skill list, Enigma Stone extraction was one of the basic skills that were deeply ingrained into Cassian's mind as a former porter.

"Interesting. Its size is pretty good."

For a monster that took him less than a second to kill, the Enigma Stone it had wasn't as pathetic.

Leo carefully inspected it as it was technically his first time seeing an actual Enigma Stone. It did look as pretty as the book claimed, but Leo didn't keep appreciating it for long. 𝐛𝗲𝗱𝐧𝐨𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝐜𝐨𝐦

"Shall we see how it tastes?"

Wanting to get the full experience, Leo went ahead and threw the Enigma Stone into his mouth.

Even for a big Enigma Stone, it was only the size of a mouthful. However, none of that truly mattered once it touched the fresh saliva of an Ability User. It immediately melted into Leo's throat.

'Bubblegum candy?'

The taste was unexpectedly sweet and flavorful, not much different from high-quality candy. Of course, the taste was only secondary, what Leo anticipated was the effect that followed.

'...Nothing? As expected.'

His current body had some kind of expectant reaction when he consumed the Enigma Stone that Leo actually believed that something would happen. However, he was quickly confronted by the cold reality.

[ Book 3 ]

Name: Cassian (Leo Lock)

Age: 26 (18)

Role: Reader

Reading Points: 0

_______________

Personal Statistics:

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- Enigma: 998/999

- Physique: 2.2

- Mind: 2.4 (+2.76)

_______________

'There is no difference here either.'

Aside from recovering most of the Enigma he used earlier, nothing else had changed. This was the state of someone who had already achieved the Peak.

When he was still starting out, even consuming the smallest Enigma Stone would release a certain resonant pulse within Cassian's body, allowing it to achieve some level of change.

Not only would his Enigma increase every now and then, but he would also receive a certain increase in both Physique and Mind!

Despite being unable to see the Personal Book, Cassian realized that his mental processing ability got better on his own. It wasn't just an elevation of Energy, an Enigma Stone supplemented everything!

That was how Cassian achieved a Physique double that of normal humans although he didn't have an ability relevant to body strengthening.

However, once he reached the Peak that he so much desired, Cassian never felt that pulse ever again. To him, an Enigma Stone felt no better than a store-bought candy. Though it did have its uses as an Enigma replenisher.

'Well, that's what I'm here today to change.'

The purpose of this Gate raid was clear and simple, to obtain the Enigma Stone that could break that stonewalling limit!

The numbers in the Personal Book reflected the numbers usually given by Ability Measurement Devices, and 999 points were the highest that anyone could reach, but that was just what the public acknowledged.

The few people who had broken those rules existed. Leo aspired to be one of them and for that…

'Let's keep going.'

Although this Gate exploration was just getting started, Leo was already burning with anticipation to see its end!