Chapter 162: An Unexpected Discovery 2

He then took out two pendants.

This time...

Elena and Lyriana recognized them immediately.

Their expressions turned serious.

Adam handed one to each of them.

"Sacrifice Pendants."

Elena took it delicately.

Lyriana did the same.

They knew exactly what the object represented.

A protection capable of intercepting a normally fatal attack before shattering.

And with the expedition to the Black Abyss approaching...

The timing was particularly opportune.

Elena looked at Adam.

"Thank you."

Lyriana nodded.

"Yes. Thank you."

Adam shook his head slightly.

"No need."

He looked at the two pendants.

"We’re going to a dangerous place."

Then at them.

"You wear them. That’s all."

Selene nodded immediately.

"Good decision."

Astraea seemed satisfied as well.

Especially seeing that Lyriana now possessed an additional protection.

Adam noticed her gaze.

"You can stop worrying a little."

Astraea replied:

"A little."

Lyriana sighed.

Then Adam took out a pair of glasses.

Just one.

At first glance...

Nothing impressive.

Shiora tilted her head slightly.

"Glasses?"

"Yes."

Adam twirled them between his fingers.

"But not ordinary ones."

He explained their function.

Fast reading.

×2.

×4.

×8.

×16.

×32.

×64.

×128.

As he announced the levels...

The expressions changed.

Elaria was the first to straighten up.

Then Vespera.

Then Isadora.

Shiora too.

Adam finished:

"The faster you go, the more mental fatigue sets in."

Silence.

He looked at the glasses.

Then she looked up.

And immediately understood her mistake.

Several women were already looking at each other.

Isadora spoke first.

"They would be extremely useful for administrative documents."

Vespera replied:

"Research takes priority."

Shiora turned to her.

"I have business reports of several hundred pages every week."

Elaria interjected:

"And I have production reports, plans, and technical notes."

Selene raised a hand.

"The Adventurers’ Guild also produces a huge number of reports."

Elena added:

"The Order of the Knights as well."

Lyriana spoke calmly:

"My espionage reports are sometimes longer than anything you just mentioned."

Silence.

Then they all looked at Astraea.

She was still perfectly calm.

Adam turned to her.

His expression clearly posed a question.

Astraea understood.

"I don’t have much administrative work at the moment."

Adam nodded slowly.

"Finally, someone reasonable."

The other six resumed almost immediately.

"Research should come first—"

"The duchy’s documents concern thousands of people."

"Trade reports fund some of your research."

"Manufacturing plans are precisely what allow you to build your projects."

"Guild reports contain important missions."

"Intelligence takes precedence over everything else when a threat is detected."

Adam closed his eyes.

"Stop."

No one listened to him.

He spoke louder.

"STOP."

This time, silence returned.

Adam raised his glasses.

"You will use them in turn." "

Vespera opened his mouth.

"No debate."

He pointed to the glasses.

"And as soon as I get more..."

Then he thought of the Boutique.

"Or if they appear in my shop..."

Shiora understood immediately.

"You’ll buy several."

"Exactly."

Isadora considered it.

"That seems acceptable to me."

Vespera sighed.

"For now."

Adam looked at everyone.

"I’ll take that as a victory."

Astraea smiled.

He then spoke about the Minor Luck Gem.

This time...

The reactions were much simpler.

Elena smiled immediately.

"Another one?"

"Yes."

Adam nodded.

"And I’ve already used it."

Vespera asked,

"So what’s your Luck now?"

"Fourteen."

Shiora smiled contentedly.

"Considering its value in your Shop, that’s an excellent draw."

"Seventy-five thousand PS if I wanted to buy it."

Selene whistled softly.

"For a thousand draw."

"That’s why I was happy."

Isadora nodded.

"And unlike the other stats, Luck seems particularly difficult to increase."

Adam smiled.

"So I certainly won’t complain."

Then he brought up the Function Card.

"This one’s different."

Selene immediately focused when she heard the word:

"Training."

Adam looked at her.

"No surprise there." "

He explained the principle to them.

An outdoor area could be permanently connected to the Bridal Chamber.

This area would then benefit from a specific time shift.

Three hours of training inside...

For about an hour spent outside.

Selene froze.

Then smiled.

Adam immediately pointed a finger at her.

"Don’t start."

"Three times as much training."

"Selene."

"While keeping the same time outside."

"I can count."

She seemed to already be planning her schedule.

Adam continued before she could add anything.

"But there are conditions."

He explained.

The place had to be brimming with mana.

Be clearly structured.

Have a defined entrance.

And not be inhabited by a civilized humanoid population.

Monsters...

They...

Didn’t count towards this restriction.

Silence.

Then several glances met.

Elena was the first.

"The Black Abyss."

Selene nodded immediately.

"I thought of exactly that."

Astraea thought for a moment.

"A high concentration of mana."

Vespera added:

"An internal structure clearly separated from the outside."

Lyriana:

"A marked entrance." "

Elaria finished:

"And mainly monsters inside."

Adam nodded.

"That’s it."

Isadora frowned slightly.

"Provided the dungeon itself is considered a compatible space."

"Exactly."

Adam didn’t want to get carried away.

"We’ll test it when we get there."

Selene was smiling far too much.

Adam looked at her.

"Why do you look even happier than before?"

"Because if it works..."

She calmly put down her cup.

"I can triple your training."

Adam remained silent.

The others burst out laughing.

"I already regret that card."

Adam waited for the laughter to subside.

Then he took a breath.

"I still have two important things to do."

The women calmed down.

"Two new skills."

This time...

Vespera focused immediately.

Elaria did too.

Adam started with the first one.

"Stomach That Digests Everything."

Several phrases sounded strange.

Selene repeated:

"Stomach that... what?"

"I know."

Adam sighed.

"The name is ridiculous."

He explained how it worked, though.

His body could now transform a wide variety of assimilable substances into energy.

This energy could support his ordinary needs.

Help restore his stamina.

His mana.

Or accelerate his physical recovery.

Dangerous substances recognized by the skill could also be neutralized during assimilation.

Elaria frowned.

"So it all depends on what the skill recognizes as assimilable." "

"Exactly."

"And it scales with her level?"

"Yes."

Selene crossed her arms.

"So if we run out of food in the dungeon..."

Adam smiled.

"I’ll probably be the last one to have a problem."

Astraea nodded.

"Extremely useful for exploration."

Adam continued.

"And the second one..."

He raised a hand.

"Effortless Movement."

Vespera tilted her head slightly.

Adam explained.

Moving objects without touching them.

Attracting them.

Repelling them.

Holding them in the air.

Spinning them.

And possibly...

Managing himself.

"Basically..."

Adam searched for the simplest term.

"Telekinesis." "

Elaria immediately considered the possibilities.

"Manipulating tools remotely."

Vespera added:

"Simultaneously holding multiple components during runic training."

Selene:

"Range-based weapons without projectiles?"

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Potentially."

Lyriana added calmly:

"Moving an object without leaving traces of direct manipulation could also be useful. »

Adam looked at her.

"Of course that’s what you see first. »

Lyriana smiled slightly.

But then...

Adam noticed something.

The smiles disappeared.

Gradually.

Vespera looked at Elaria.

Elaria had just turned her head towards Astraea.

Astraea looked at Isadora.

Isadora met Shiora’s gaze.

Then Elena.

Then Selene.

Even Lyriana didn’t say anything anymore.

Adam waited.

One second.

Two.

Three.

Nobody spoke.

Adam frowned.

" Again ? »

No response.

He sighed.

" All right. »

He looked at the eight women in succession.

"It’s exactly the same silence as when I spoke to you about Desire. »

Vespera finally blinked.

Adam continued:

"Is there something weird about these skills?" »

This time...

The women seemed to come out of their stupor.

Astraea looked at Adam much more seriously.

"Do you remember what we explained to you about Kamasutra and Desire? »

Adam nodded.

" Yes. »

He counted mentally.

"Kamasutra, Desire and Fertility Control belong to the same origin. »

He looked at Vespera.

"Lust. »

"A Mythical Red skill linked to one of the Seven Deadly Sins. »

Vespera nodded slowly.

" Exactly. »

Adam looked at the two new skills.

" And ? »

A new silence.

Then Elaria replied:

"Effortless Movement..."

She pointed to Adam.

"belongs to a branch of Sloth. »

Adam froze.

Selene continued:

"And the Stomach that Digests Everything..."

This time, it was Astraea who finished.

"belongs to a branch of Gourmandise. »

Adam didn’t answer.

He looked at the women.

Then his own invisible status.

Lust.

Laziness.

Gluttony.

Three names.

Three branches.

Three of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Slowly...

Adam understood why all the women had remained silent.

This was no longer an isolated coincidence.

He now possessed skills from three different branches of the Seven Deadly Sins.

And suddenly...

The two awards whose names had seemed ridiculous to him a few minutes before no longer seemed trivial to him at all.

Adam remained silent for a few more seconds.

Three branches.

Out of seven.

He glanced once more at his invisible status, as if the names would change simply because he was observing them longer.

Obviously...

Nothing changed.

Finally, he looked up.

"So..."

The women waited.

Adam thought for another second before articulating the thought that had just naturally crossed his mind.

"If this keeps up... I might end up acquiring skills from the Seven Deadly Sins."

Silence.

This time, the women didn’t seem surprised by the question.

They simply looked at each other.

Vespera met Astraea’s gaze.

Then Isadora’s.

It was Isadora who finally answered.

"No."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"Not at the moment."

This clarification immediately caught her attention.

"What does that mean?"