Days had passed. Today was the day—the opening of the cocooned knives and honing steel.
Unlike the first awakening, he wasn't overflowing with excitement, but impatience still gnawed at him.
"How much time is left?" He activated Eyes of the Observer.
> [Remaining Time: 02:23]
He let out a long sigh.
"Please… no failures this time."
---
A Glimpse into Awakening
Holding one of the cocoons, he watched the unraveling closely, observing how the threads of mana detached and dissolved into the air.
For a moment, curiosity took over.
"Is there some logic behind this? Maybe if I—"
He abruptly shook his head.
"Ugh, what am I doing? I'll never understand. This isn't just out of my syllabus—it's out of my entire universe."
As the first knife finished awakening, he used Eyes of the Observer.
Chef's Knife
(Awakening Successful!)
Passive Abilities:
Strength +2
Dexterity +1
Agility +1
Active Ability:
Professional Slash – Deals 2x damage
Cost: 2 Durability Points
Durability: 500
---
His eye twitched.
'Why 2 why not 1? It's give me only 250 shots. I battle it's not nearly enough.
"HEY, SYSTEM! What's with this durability nonsense? Why is it so low?! And why do I have to spend durability just to use a skill?!"
His frustration exploded, and before he could punch the wall—
> [System Information: User has inquired about durability.]
[User's power is based on mana resonance. While performing assigned tasks, surrounding mana resonates with the user's own, gradually forming a mini-core inside the object. This process takes 100 days to complete. Upon final transformation, the core undergoes restructuring, awakening buffs and abilities.]
His glare darkened.
"And what does that have to do with the damn durability limits?!"
---
> [Mana stored in the object's core is finite. It strengthens the gear, provides passive abilities, and powers active skills. However, the core does not regenerate mana after depletion.]
His annoyance shifted to curiosity.
"Okayyy… then why do some items have way more durability than others?"
---
> [The core must balance among structural reinforcement, passive abilities, and active abilities. Weak and cheap materials require more mana to strengthen, reducing the amount left for durability and skills.]
A vein nearly popped on his forehead.
'There was no need to add cheap.'
He exhaled deeply, grumbling curses under his breath.
"So buffs and durability drain the same mana pool. Makes sense… annoying, but it makes sense."
After thinking for a moment, another realization hit him.
"Wait—you said the object absorbs mana from the surroundings, right? So if I did my cherishing in a high-mana density area, the core would develop stronger?"
---
> [Correct. Gear cores are entirely made from surrounding mana. Higher mana density and elemental attributes influence durability, buffs, and awakened abilities.]
His eyes lit up for a second, but then he facepalmed.
"...Meaning I wasted 100 days in a regular dorm room instead of somewhere useful."
For a brief moment, he questioned all his life choices.
---
While he had been arguing with the system, the rest of the cocoons had fully unraveled.
Realizing he'd been distracted, he quickly turned back to his new weapons.
---
Santoku Knife
(Awakening Successful!)
Passive Ability:
Attack Speed +10%
Active Ability:
Slice and dice – Increases attack speed by 100% for 30 seconds (Cooldown: 10 minutes)
(Cost: 5 Durability Points)
Durability: 200
---
"Only 200 durability and it costs 5 per use?" He sighed.
"I swear this system is out to scam me."
He casually stored the knife in his inventory and reached for the next one.
---
Carving/Slicing Knife
(Awakening Successful!)
Passive Abilities:
Dexterity +2
Agility +2
Active Ability:
Precision – Increases accuracy by 200% (Cost: 3 Durability Points)
🔹 Durability: 300
---
"Accuracy, huh? No idea how that's useful right now, but I'll figure it out…"
He tossed it into the inventory and grabbed the next item.
---
Honing Steel
(Awakening Successful!)
Passive Abilities:
Strength +1
Agility +1
Active Ability:
Blade Resonance – Boosts all abilities of sharp weapons by 50% (Cost: Varies)
Durability: 400
---
No excitement. No thrill.
Just another piece of reality smacking him in the face.
"This world treats me like an RPG side character."
Suppressing the existential dread, he grabbed the last two knives.
---
Paring Knife
(Awakening Successful!)
Passive Abilities:
Strength +3
Dexterity +4
Active Ability:
Molecular Peeler – Peels through any surface for 10 seconds (Cooldown: 5 minutes)
(Cost: 10 Durability Points)
Durability: 100
---
"Oho… this one's actually decent."
But then his eyes narrowed.
"Except I can only use it 10 times before it's useless."
With a heavy sigh, he picked up the final knife.
---
Bread Knife
(Awakening Successful!)
Passive Ability:
Strength +5
Active Ability:
Soft Cut – 3x damage against unarmored or organic targets.
(Cost: 3 Durability Points)
Durability: 360
---
"Soft? Soft?! Who needs extra damage on soft surfaces?! We need damage to break through tough defenses, not slice tofu faster!"
His shout of despair echoed through the room.
---
He slumped into his chair, staring at his new arsenal.
"I have everything I need to clear a Stage 1 dungeon…"
A dark expression crossed his face.
"But I have no way of getting into one."
Combat branch? Locked out.
Monthly expedition? Out of the question—his past self never signed up out of fear of dealing with Alpha elites.
Professor? …Unlikely.
He clicked his tongue.
"Damn it, that only leaves sneaking out."
---
A Failed Backup Plan
The next day, at the lab, the professor was completely immersed in his work.
His hair was even messier than usual, his coat was filthy, and deep bags sagged under his eyes.
He looked half-dead.
"Has he been pulling all-nighters again? If he's this deep in a project, he won't be leaving for a while."
With a gloomy expression, he hesitated before saying:
"Professor, you look exhausted. Maybe you should rest a little."
The professor barely glanced at him.
"Idiot, I'm in the middle of groundbreaking research. Don't distract me. Go fetch that mana stone."
---
That settled it.
"He's not going anywhere anytime soon."
MC sighed.
"That means my only option is sneaking out."