A pillar of light descended, completing the levitation transfer.
"Double D-rank Ghost Swordsman enhancement. I hope you can grow into it."
Under Uchiha Xiu's watchful gaze, surging energy gathered in Kobayashi Yoshito's left arm. His bones groaned under the strain as his muscle fibers were torn apart by an invisible force and reassembled.
His skin turned bright red and began to twist!
His veins bulged and writhed like earthworms, gleaming with an ominous dark-red sheen.
The Ghost Hand was born.
The next moment, the ghostly silhouette of cold metal chains appeared out of thin air, coiling tightly around his arm and biting deep into his flesh.
Complex, bizarre black runic tattoos emerged from beneath his skin like living things, spreading until they covered his entire mutated arm.
A searing, corrosive pain pierced his marrow. It was as if countless ice needles and branding irons were churning through his flesh at once. Kobayashi couldn't hold back a groan, and cold sweat streamed down his face.
Once the pain eased a little, he looked down at his gruesome left arm, which still retained a human shape. The Ghost Hand had finished forming.
With this arm as its energy core, he could now wield a small amount of ghostly power!
For example, Ghost Slash.
There was no need to make an extra exchange with the Main God for this skill. All he needed was a katana or greatsword to use as a vessel, and he could perform it.
It could cut down trees and strike incorporeal beings!
"Main God, show me my six attributes and project them."
Three minutes later, Kobayashi Yoshito, who had no desire to keep secrets, descended smoothly from midair and publicly revealed his stats:
Intelligence: 137, Mental Strength: 129, Cellular Vitality: 152, Nerve Reaction Speed: 148, Muscle Strength: 151, Immunity: 154.
"Not bad for a start." Uchiha Xiu wasn't the least bit bothered by how weak his teammate was.
After all, the investment was right there.
"Leave that remaining D-rank side-story reward alone for now. Spend a hundred points on a sharp, corrosion-resistant blade. Later, I'll take you back to the Alien World to farm points."
Kitagawa Nacai had been thinking about which path to pursue, seeking the best possible return on every point. At the captain's words, she immediately perked up.
Farming?
What a wonderful word.
The captain really was a treasure trove~
"Still, I need to make an initial enhancement. I'm sick of feeling so powerless."
As she pondered, an excited Kobayashi Yoshito enthusiastically recommended, "Why not become our healer?"
"Your starting Mental Strength is 121, higher than mine by sixteen points. You've got a real talent for it."
Oh?
Uchiha Xiu was a little surprised. Meeting his gaze, Nacai immediately chose to reveal her projected stats.
Just as Kobayashi Yoshito had said, the model's innate Mental Strength was a cut above her other attributes.
A mental-strength specialist for the team?
There wasn't much point.
Uchiha Xiu planned to assign intelligence-gathering to his artificial human. He would obtain a Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and combine it with the Uzumaki Bloodline and Mind's Eye of the Kagura, training the artificial human to sense chakra like Senju Tobirama.
As for mental attacks, Uchiha genjutsu was more than enough. Besides, he was determined to get Shisui's Kotoamatsukami eye.
"Before we team up in battle, I only need to get one more skill, something like a Mental Link, so the whole team can communicate telepathically anytime, anywhere."
[Female Priest: One whose heart has been bathed in light receives a new revelation and gradually gains the power of light. From then on, she is no longer an ordinary girl. She exists to purge darkness, the uncanny, and the ill-omened, and to save those who have fallen into suffering...]
A series of new projections appeared.
--This enhancement grants 80 points of Mental Strength, 40 points of Cellular Vitality, 20 points of Intelligence, 15 points of Muscle Strength, 10 points of Nerve Reaction Speed, and 10 points of Immunity.
--Requires two D-rank side-story rewards and 1,200 reward points.
[Starting Skill: Judgment Hammer. Consumes mental energy to gather holy power in a weapon and strike targets along a path in front of the user. Suppresses hostile units with negative energy.]
[Starting Skill: Healing Prayer. Pray to the light to restore the user's and nearby teammates' vitality and heal various injuries. If any spell power remains after the healing ends, it becomes a buff that raises the target's attributes by a certain amount.]
"What do you think? The captain's strong enough, and we're not short on damage. I'm a support DPS, and healing isn't my job. How about you become the healer?" Kobayashi Yoshito pitched the idea with all his might.
Uchiha Xiu could tell now. The guy was a hardcore Dungeon Fighter fan.
"Before entering The Mummy, use the resources you farm to get these two skills."
[Holy Purification: Consumes mental energy to pray to the light, increasing the user's and a designated teammate's resistance to abnormal effects and granting them a shield. It provides special defense against necromantic, dark, and curse-based powers.
Requires one D-rank side-story reward and 800 reward points.]
[Weapon Block: Consumes mental energy to raise a great weapon and gather holy power, blocking physical and magical attacks from the front. It is highly effective against hostile units with negative energy.
Requires one D-rank side-story reward and 800 reward points.]
Basic, but practical.
She would have healing, purification, and a little ability to protect herself. She'd stand out in worlds filled with ghosts and monsters, and once she developed further, she could even deal respectable damage on her own.
Kitagawa Nacai, who clearly didn't have much of a mind of her own, was tempted. In real life, she liked playing support characters in MOBA games best: sticking with the marksman early on, then the jungler in the mid and late game.
"Later, you can advance to Paladin. With skills like Valiant Hymn, Hymn of Rebirth, Weapon Blessing, Guardian Blessing, Honor Blessing, Apocalypse of Holy Light... The whole team will be stuffed with buffs." Kobayashi was lost in his own world.
"Captain," Nacai said timidly.
Her expression showed how tempted she was.
"Next reincarnation world, I'll have two supports from different fields willing to serve me. I'm pretty lucky."
After a casual joke, Uchiha Xiu spoke plainly, without putting on airs. "If you want to, go ahead and get it. Don't worry about your safety in the next world, The Mummy. I'll protect you."
A short-sighted leader wouldn't do. Training a healer to improve the East Sea Team's staying power was indeed important.
And so, a pillar of light descended once more, lifting the tall girl into the air.
Holy runes emerged from the void and etched themselves into her bones and flesh.
The power of light surged through the newly formed channels, gathering and flowing. In the faint distance, Kitagawa Nacai heard a hymn echoing in her ears.
As the pillar of light faded, she opened her eyes and clearly sensed the warm power coursing through her body. The circulation of holy energy was now complete.
"Don't just stand there after stepping into the supernatural. Strike while the iron's hot and practice! Grab a corrosion-resistant weapon to train with. We're getting ready to roll."
"Yes, Captain." Kobayashi Yoshito held a door-sized greatsword.
A delicate scythe appeared in the female Paladin's hand. Full of energy, she called out:
"Okay~"
The scene gave Uchiha Xiu a sense of belonging, reminding him of when he had graduated from the Ninja Academy and joined Team 12: one guiding chūnin and three fledgling genin.
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