Hinata spent the rest of the night tending to his injuries. Luckily, Albedo had a healing potion inside her storage ring. The glass bottle was oddly shaped, emitting a warm golden light.
Hinata was hesitant to drink it at first, but after the system notified him of its contents, he downed it in one gulp.
Soon after consuming the golden, slimy liquid, his injuries vanished as though they had never existed. Since he didn't understand much about potions, Hinata didn't dwell on its effects.
One thing he did take note of was the potion's rank—Tier Four. The mere fact that it was stored in her dimension ring was enough for him to be certain of her powerful background.
"Whatever," he muttered, leaning against a tree while covering himself with his cloak.
"Why do you seem annoyed, Hina?"
Hinata lifted his gaze to the small dragon, who floated toward him before settling on his chest.
"Nothing. Just… how crazy tonight was."
Goku laughed loudly. "You can say that again." His voice suddenly dropped as he glanced around with a slightly frightened expression. "Though I hope we never run into that woman again."
Hinata smiled faintly, then sighed. He slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out the dimension ring, raising it above his head. The diamond surface glinted under the dim moonlight.
[Tier Five Item: Holy Dimension Ring]
[Description: A ring that can only belong to one person. Once bound, the wearer cannot unbind it, and their other half can locate them anywhere. This ring cannot be broken or lost. Its storage is endless, just like the bond between the wearer and their other half.]
Hinata reread the status panel. He had gone through it over ten times already, yet he still couldn't fully grasp its meaning.
Even so, just because he didn't understand the system's description didn't mean he couldn't use the items inside.
After searching the ring, he had found three items, all incredibly valuable.
With a single thought, the three items dropped from the ring onto his stomach.
He picked up the first one—a small purple orb.
[Tier Three Item: Fog Pill]
[Description: A poisonous fog pill. If consumed by a person or a specific race, all members of that race within the surrounding area will have their stats reduced by 100% for one hour.]
Hinata grinned. 'This will definitely help me finish the quest.'
He set the orb back down and picked up a shard-shaped runic stone. Its rough surface held a glowing red rune etched at the center.
[Tier One Item: Failed Mana Master]
[Description: A failed item created by the first king of Vaeloria. It generates outward pressure using mana, capable of immobilizing weaker targets, disorienting stronger ones, and even suppressing illness and death. However, its flawed design demands infinite mana and affinity with all elements to function fully.]
…
The moment Hinata finished reading, Goku appeared beside him and read it as well.
"This is a good item," he said, sitting on Hinata's head. "If someone had infinite mana, it would be a massive power booster."
Hinata raised a brow. "You said just infinite mana? Isn't it impossible to have more than one affinity?"
Goku shifted slightly so Hinata could see him. "Well, you're technically right. Those with talent-based abilities can't have more than one affinity, and the same goes for gifts. However, some people with bloodline or authority-type affinities can awaken up to two."
"And?"
Goku nodded, as if confirming his own thoughts. "That applies to them. But for you, who wields shadows, you naturally have an affinity for all elements, since the Shadow God was formed from the merging of the seven other gods' residual battle mana by a man named Noctis."
Hinata rested his chin on his hand. 'So the item isn't completely useless.'
He chose to ignore the rest of Goku's explanation. His head was already pounding because of Albedo; he didn't need another complication.
Placing the runic stone down, he picked up the final item.
This one was a black, jagged gauntlet with glowing purple liquid flowing through it.
[Tier Seven: Heavenly King Gauntlet]
[Description: Forged during the creation of a god, this gauntlet conceals its true nature from all but that deity. Weapons wielded through it gain a twofold increase in attack power, scaling further with the user's strength.]
Hinata immediately jolted upright. Even Goku flew into the air to reread the description. Hinata rubbed his eyes once, then twice, but the text didn't change.
"A Tier Seven? A two-times effect? Wait… was this formed at the same time as the Shadow God?" Hinata asked, the description sounding almost too good to be true.
Goku swallowed. "It seems so… Looks like the system wasn't entirely crazy sending you there."
Hinata silently agreed. He immediately equipped the gauntlet. From its material and feel alone, anyone could tell it had been crafted with extreme precision.
Hinata clenched his fist and felt power radiating through it.
Suddenly, he stood up. "I feel like punching something."
"Haven't you fought enough for one day?"
Hinata smirked. "It's about time I finished that quest, don't you think?"
The quest window appeared before him, but he ignored it. Instead, he pulled up his map and searched for a suitable location where goblins might be found.
As his fingers moved across the interface, he noticed a spot tucked behind a mountain.
From what he could tell, the area not only provided a secluded entrance into the forest but also an escape route through the mountain.
Hinata zoomed in, and there it was—several red dots blinking on the screen. At least a hundred of them.
He stretched out his hand and summoned the Fog Pill.
In life, there were times when fighting head-on wasn't the best option. Sometimes, it was better to poison your enemy… and strike once they were weak and helpless.