CHAPTER 175: LIFELINE—READY!

Leon gazed at the item, a faint sigh of relief passing over his face, and purchased it without hesitation.

Phoenix Feather Amulet (Legendary – Item)

Revives the wearer upon death, once.

Price: 2,500,000

Vendor: Resurrecto Maximus

A transparent, square-shaped glass materialized in front of him, emerging from a glitch in reality. Inside, a single feather was draped in golden-crimson fire, its flames swirling but never consuming the vibrant crimson feather. The feather bore a sun symbol near the bottom, close to its golden tip, where a fine line stretched through the center. The glass refracted light at impossible angles, scattering fragmented rainbow patterns across the floor.

Leon took the glass container holding the Phoenix Feather Amulet in his hand, surprised by the sensation—a gentle, almost contradictory cold warmth radiated from the surface. He had expected the glass to be searing hot, but instead, only a faint, nearly imperceptible warmth prickled at his skin.

He opened the case. Instantly, the heat intensified tenfold, but still, it did not burn him. Instead, he felt an odd, cool heat emanating from the feather itself. Any ordinary person would likely have been scorched, but Leon, with his rank 7 Fire affinity, remained unaffected.

As the lid opened, a strange voice echoed in his mind, the tone rasping, as if whispered through a closed door, with a cold, grating laughter at the end.

Drop your blood on the feather and keep it close to your body. If not, you won’t even get the chance to complain about the feather. Kek kek!

Leon understood the message, but that laugh—worse than James’s—had to be an achievement in itself.

A dagger appeared in his hand from his inventory. Fwoosh. With a small cut to his finger—shink—the blade drew a bead of crimson, which dropped onto the Phoenix feather.

He did not flinch.

As his blood touched the golden-crimson fire, the flame swallowed the drop, merging it into the feather until it vanished completely.

The feather in his hand remained warm, yet now he sensed a profound connection to it as if it stood ready to defend him and send him a message.

Drop dead and I’ll just hit "respawn."

The message had told him to keep the feather close. His inventory, directly linked to his soul, was the closest place possible, so he tried storing it there.

But the moment it entered his inventory, that connection disappeared.

Hmm, that won’t work; I have to keep it physically close to me.

He took out a string crafted from the best material he could find within his inventory. Stretching the cord with force, he found it brittle—the fibers creaked, then snapped with a soft crack. It failed immediately.

"Useless," he muttered, watching the brittle fibers scatter. If I use this, even strong winds might take my precious lifeline away

He needed something far better.

With a thought, Leon opened his cosmic shop and browsed the selection of monster parts. He quickly found monster spider silk, ranked epic, for 10,000 causality. Cheaper options existed, but he had no intention of cutting corners—not after spending 2.5 million causality on the Phoenix Feather.

The spider silk appeared in his hand. Unlike a thin web, it was a solid strand, gleaming white with a metallic luster. The silk was smooth, unexpectedly heavy, with a texture reminiscent of woven steel. He only needed a small length, but the coil in his hand measured over ten meters. He tried to break it with his strength, but the silk did not yield. Even at his strongest, he doubted he could snap it.

Whatever monster this came from must have been formidable.

He summoned his blade of convenient sharpness. Unsheathing it, he sliced through the silk. Snick. The blade parted the strand effortlessly, as if slicing tofu. He had braced for resistance, but there was none.

A satisfied grin tugged at his lips; even the blade seemed pleased. Both items were epic ranked, yet the blade cut through the silk with absurd ease, confirming his suspicions about the weapon’s unusual nature.

He stored the rest of the spider silk and the scattered techniques littering the ground, selecting only a few to study for the formation of his mana heart. Time pressed on him; he had just over four years to solve his problem and refused to risk himself in a weakened state.

There was another path—practicing the holy element, now that it was no longer repulsive. Still, he hesitated; he didn’t want to rely on it yet. He wanted to conquer it on his own terms.

Abandoning his mana or affinities was unthinkable, especially since he had no idea what his strength would become if he did. He aimed to harness holy energy along with every affinity at his disposal.

The holy energy’s tremendous power and healing properties were vital—while not as fast as his life affinity, it was essential for shielding his mind. He knew well how devastating mental attacks could be, and holy energy would cover that vulnerability. He refused to give up anything and intended to have it all.

He clenched his fists, knuckles whitening with determination.

The Phoenix Feather Amulet now hung from his chest. Leon sat cross-legged in meditation, wearing a fresh outfit in place of the one soaked with blood. His hair and face were washed clean—he had used water from his emergency supply, since his mana was still sealed. The experience only deepened his appreciation for the elements he wielded.

Once more, he formed a protective pillar of golden holy energy around himself. Then, he drew out the white jade from the box given by the Moon Celestial. Nineteen other boxes, each with its own unique mark, lay scattered around him.

He held the white jade, instantly soothed by its tranquil, moonlit energy. Without mana, he poured holy energy into the jade, attempting to connect. It took sixteen attempts before the energy was finally accepted—the jade had resisted, even within the golden pillar, as if allergic to it.

Now, the white jade slip hovered before him, humming with intensity—a sign that he had succeeded.

Leon’s expression hardened with resolve. What was coming next would be on a completely different level from any technique he’d faced before.