World Awakening: The Legendary Player-Chapter 108: Gear Rank

Serian scrambled down the side of the crater, her movements a little clumsy in her excitement, her previous fear gone.

"Nox! We actually did it! That was incredible!" She stopped in front of him, her eyes bright with a mix of awe and relief. "But how did you do that? The mana connection, I’ve never read about anything like it. You took my power and used it as your own!"

He looked at her, then at his own hands, and just shrugged because he had no better answer.

"I don’t know how that bs worked."

He excited expression froze, her mouth hanging open just a little. Her mind tried to process his words, to match the boy who had just wielded the power of the World Tree with the one who had no idea how.

The contradiction was so absurd that a small giggle escaped her lips.

’He really doesn’t know. He’s a walking miracle, and he’s completely clueless.’

The giggle turned into a laugh, a bright, clear sound that echoed in the dead crater. She leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees as she laughed, the tension and terror of the last few days just melting away in that one moment.

He just stared at her, completely baffled. ’Why is she laughing? I was being serious. It was just a desperate move.’ He felt his face get a little hot, an unfamiliar mix of confusion and embarrassment.

"What’s so funny?"

She finally straightened up, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"You," she gasped out between laughs. "You are. You wield powers that could rewrite the laws of magic, and you have no idea what you’re doing." She smiled, a wide, genuine smile. "It is... the most ridiculous and endearing thing I have ever seen."

’Endearing? She keeps using that word. I don’t get her at all.’ He just looked away, focusing on the golden seed that was still hovering in the air.

"Whatever. Let’s just grab the loot and get out of here."

He walked over and reached out, his fingers closing around the Heartseed of the Forest. It was warm and pulsed with a clean, powerful energy. When he put it in his inventory, the whole forest seemed to let out a long, quiet sigh, and he felt a faint warmth spread through the ground, a sign that the healing had already begun.

As they started walking back towards the rot, the forest already felt a little less sick, and the air didn’t feel as heavy.

Serian walked beside him, just humming while Nox was busy looking at his system.

’Time to see what I’ve got.’

He pulled up his inventory, scrolling past the new monster cores and crafting materials until he got to his gear.

’Sunstone Blade, a Rare Sword. The Brutalizers, Legendary Gauntlets. The Heartwood Branch, a Mythic material.’

The ranks were impressive, but his experience with them felt off, so he decided to ask his new best friend for some answers.

’System, I don’t get it, why do these items feel so weak when their ranks are so high? The Sunstone Blade felt like a toy against Lola, and the Heartwood Branch was just a stick until Serian pumped her magic into it.’

[A weapon or item’s rank indicates its ultimate potential, not its base power. A user’s ability to draw out that potential is directly limited by their own level, stats, and mana control.]

’So, it’s like a level requirement?’

[A more accurate analogy would be a bottleneck. A child can hold a master-forged sword, but they cannot wield it with the skill or power of a knight. The sword’s potential is unchanged, but the user is insufficient.]

[The Sunstone Blade’s radiant damage is a latent enchantment that requires a higher level of mana weaving to activate. The Brutalizers’ true power is tied to your fighting spirit and corrupted mana levels, which are still developing. The Heartwood Branch required a massive influx of pure, high-quality mana to awaken, which your own core could not provide.]

’So it’s not just about finding good gear, I have to actually be strong enough to use it. That’s... annoying.’

It made sense, but it was still a pain. He had all these amazing new toys, but he was still too weak to play with them properly.

He scrolled further down his inventory list and his eyes landed on the egg, its description simple and unhelpful.

[Mysterious Divine Egg]

’What about you? What’s your deal?’

[The Mysterious Divine Egg requires a specific energetic catalyst and a stable emotional environment to begin its incubation process. Current conditions are unmet.]

’A stable emotional environment? With me? Yeah, right. This thing is never gonna hatch.’

He dismissed the inventory screen, a new sense of purpose settling over him. He had a clear path now, a goal that was more than just gaining levels. He had to get strong enough to unlock the real power of the gear he already had.

"Are you reading your invisible book again?"

He glanced over at Serian, who was watching him with a curious, knowing smile.

"It’s not a book," he said, deciding to just roll with the lie. "It’s more like... a set of instructions. From my sponsor."

"Do these instructions have a lot of pictures?" she teased, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "You seem to get very distracted by them."

’She’s making fun of me.’

He just grunted, not having a good comeback. "Let’s just get back to the rot. I’m tired of walking."

"Of course," she said, her smile not fading. "It is a good thing I can walk on my own now, or you would have to carry me again." She gave him a playful glance. "Though, I must admit, it was not an entirely unpleasant experience."

He felt his face get hot and looked away, quickening his pace. ’Why does she keep saying stuff like that?’

This elf was going to be the death of him.

He looked over to her, staring at her for a few moments, ’there is still so much I don’t know about her, like why Gorok is obsessed with catching her.’

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