Galen Yu hadn't expected the enchanting to go so smoothly.
Looking at the Beacon again, a sense of security washed over him.
His luck attribute was finally paying off!
As expected, the rewards for being the first to kill the Wither and establish a Beacon were top-tier.
The success rates for transferring between Proud Soul Tiny Fragments, Proud Soul Fragments, Proud Soul Ingots, Proud Soul Orbs, and Proud Soul Trapezohedrons were all different.
Specifically: 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, and 25%.
With his luck attribute bonus, Galen Yu felt these probabilities could at least double.
Not only did he finish the enchanting, but he also reached the highest levels.
[ADVANCED SHARPNESS IV, SUPER FIRE ASPECT II, SUPER UNBREAKING III.]
One 'Advanced,' two 'Super.'
While his damage output had skyrocketed, the durability of the weapon had also reached its peak.
This was further complemented by the blade's three states: default, Inscribed, and Bewitched.
The Inscribed state only required the weapon to be enchanted and not be sealed; its effect was to unlock the SA.
The Bewitched state was entirely different. It required the blade to be in the Inscribed state and to be named.
Some blades, like the Inen this time, were already named and possessed Bewitched power, which provided various additional effects.
Unlocking Overflowing Blades, self-repair, teleportation, enemy-step jumping, wall-kicking...
To put it simply, it meant more Phantom Blades, Mending via experience points, the ability to teleport a short distance, and wall-jumping...
It sounded like a lot, but these unlocked traits would provide immense convenience for his future adventures.
Take the teleportation trait, for instance. It required a moment of focus while gripping the SlashBlade.
Then, a forceful draw-and-strike toward a distant point.
*Whoosh!*
With an Iai slash, Galen Yu's figure vanished from his spot and reappeared three blocks away.
It might not be ideal for long-distance travel due to the wind-up and recovery time, but it could work miracles in certain tactical situations.
While he mused to himself, the audience watching the screen had already exploded with excitement.
"Am I seeing things?!"
"Damn, I'm not even asleep yet. How did I start dreaming?"
"Can the block world even lag? This connection is terrible!"
"The guy just lagged three blocks away. I've never seen anything like this before!"
"Yeah, and only God Yu lagged. The Architect and the Snow Queen didn't move an inch!"
"It looks the same from Soren Park's perspective. How can only one person lag?"
"Wait, no, it's the same from Oakmoor's view too?"
It was getting late, and many viewers initially rubbed their eyes, thinking they were hallucinating.
But once they began discussing it and comparing the surrounding environment, the truth became clear.
If the screen were lagging, it wouldn't just be Galen Yu; the entire Sky Island, and even the Alliance, would be lagging.
After all, they were in the same world using the same system.
But right now, only Galen Yu was showing this abnormality, while everyone else in the frame remained unchanged.
What did that mean?
"This isn't lag... it's Galen Yu, isn't it?"
Fries realized, his eyes wide with sudden clarity.
Moving from one block to three blocks away instantly—if it wasn't lag, then what was it?
Teleportation!
Flight, invincibility, and teleportation—the 'Big Three' of hacking.
Was he just going to use it openly in front of the global audience?
"He's not even hiding it anymore. He's hacking!"
Fries couldn't help but blurt it out.
Even he was losing his composure, convinced Galen Yu was using cheats.
"In my opinion, this isn't hacking in the traditional sense. It's likely a change to the SlashBlade."
Headmaster Quill was more composed, frowning as he observed closely.
Tsukumo and Tsukumo Kai didn't look very different, but a close inspection revealed the subtle changes.
Pointing to a pattern on the blade, Headmaster Quill pulled up the previous footage for comparison.
"Look here. This pink line wasn't there before. It appeared just now. Those Proud Souls must have done something."
"I suspect this SlashBlade was upgraded. It's no longer the same weapon as before."
This was the only way to explain why Galen Yu could suddenly teleport despite nothing else changing.
It was a trait resulting from the SlashBlade's upgrade!
Though Fries felt Headmaster Quill's words made sense, he didn't calm down.
"If this isn't the previous Tsukumo but an upgraded version, then they technically aren't the same weapon."
"That means Galen Yu's progress isn't just five SlashBlades anymore."
As a fellow citizen of the Nine Provinces, Fries found this realization both awe-inspiring and terrifying!
Once the topic was raised, eagle-eyed viewers quickly picked up on this detail as well.
Across various media platforms, they reached the same conclusion.
"You mean Galen Yu can teleport because he crafted a new SlashBlade?"
"Tsukumo upgraded again? Bro, you've got to be joking!"
"Didn't he just finish Muramasa? How did he make something new already?"
"Is there no law? No justice left in this world!"
"How are we supposed to catch up? Just jump off the map, boys!"
"Kira Oakmoor is watching from a distance. The shock... damn!"
"Someone calculate the psychological damage to those two guys!"
After the initial shock, many people's thoughts turned to Kira Oakmoor.
After all, seeing it through a screen wasn't nearly as intense as witnessing it firsthand.
Rubbing her eyes, Kira Oakmoor asked with a trembling voice.
"Those Proud Souls and SlashBlades... where did that blade stand come from?"
"Lag? How did Galen Yu teleport so far!"
"The block world... it can have lag bugs too, right?"
With a heavy sigh, Soren Park's silence was the loudest answer.
Where would lag bugs come from in the block world?
It had been said countless times—those were 'traits,' never bugs!
As a veteran player, Kira Oakmoor couldn't have been unaware of this. Asking was simply a way to avoid facing the truth.
As a veteran player, Kira Oakmoor couldn't have been unaware of this. Asking was simply a way to avoid facing the truth.
Reading the answer in Soren Park's expression, Kira Oakmoor seemed to lose all her strength.
She collapsed to the ground, her eyes dull and lifeless.
This was no longer just a matter of jealousy.
When someone is a few steps ahead, you feel jealousy or envy. But when they are miles ahead...
All emotion vanishes because you realize the two of you are no longer on the same level. Comparison becomes meaningless.
"Do we... still have a chance to catch up?"
Kira Oakmoor asked a question that she herself didn't believe.
Even without a close look, her familiarity with the SlashBlade lineage allowed her to judge.
Tsukumo was a product of an upgrade; there was a fundamental difference from its previous form!
A sixth SlashBlade. His progress was literally double theirs!
And the mod only got harder as it progressed. The gap between the third and fourth isn't something one-plus-one can bridge; the difficulty doubles. It's not as simple as making two more White Sheaths or Marionettes.
To put it bluntly, those two weapons might take them a lifetime to achieve...
After all, they only had thirty days. Kira Oakmoor had no confidence they could finish it in time.
*Crack!*
An emerald accidentally slipped from Kira Oakmoor's hand, falling onto the Sky Island.
It happened to be spotted by a nearby Guard Villager. As a protector of the chunk, he didn't step forward to pick it up like a normal villager would.
Instead, he immediately grew alert and called for the Architect.
"Why is there an emerald here? Wait, look at the tower!"
Ten Guard Villagers appeared instantly, surrounding the mob farm and closing in.
"Oh no, we've been spotted!"
Soren Park's face paled as he hurriedly grabbed Kira and used an Ender Pearl to flee.
Galen Yu, who had come over upon hearing the commotion, arrived just in time to see this, his brow arching.
He hadn't expected someone to have actually sneaked into his home.
He didn't give chase. Instead, he saw a line of small text appear in his vision:
[THE FOURTH CRISIS!]
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