Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 428: Nereid’s Whisper

”Thank you, Astrea,” Alex said with a smile. ”Next time I get some treasure chests, can I ask you to open them again? Don’t worry, the same conditions apply. Also, please take this as a bonus.”

Alex handed Astrea the Lyre-shaped pendant, which he believed the young lady could put to better use.

”You’re welcome. I look forward to opening more treasure chests in the future.” Astrea grinned as she accepted the young man’s gift. ”To be honest, I was a little intimidated by you at first because of your reputation. Turns out you’re actually a good guy, Alex.”

Warmth spread inside the young man’s chest after hearing one of his Queens call him a good guy.

For a long time, he had been wondering how he could form a connection with Astrea without making it look forced.

Alex knew that aside from singing, she also liked to open treasure chests, unaware that it was only so fun for her because she was blessed by luck.

For Astrea, opening treasure chests was exciting. For one, she never knew what she was getting from them. Two, not once had she been disappointed.

Out of necessity, Alex could only open treasure chests by himself in the past. But now, he had secured a sure-fire way of getting great items by convincing the person with the highest Luck Stat to open treasure chests for him.

The contents of the last three treasure chests Astrea opened were also Super Rare items.

One of them was a Slime Pill, which would transform whoever consumed it into a slime for an entire day.

Many people would think that the Slime Pill was useless, but Alex wasn’t so naive.

For him, the Slime Pill was like a lifesaver. In Arcana, slimes were protected by the world itself.

If he turned into a slime, he could also go to places that only slimes had access to.

Alex had even joked in the past that all he needed was a baby slime, and he could walk through the battlefield unharmed. No one would dare to risk injuring or killing the sacred creature just to take him out.

The Slime Pill definitely had its use, but for the time being, he would keep it safely stored inside his ring.

The next item that Astrea received from the treasure chest was a fan.

————

< Nereid’s Whisper >

”Said to echo the sighs of sea nymphs who once sang beneath the moonlit waves.”

Item Grade: Super Rare

Type: Magic Fan

Stats: Magic Power +62, Water Resistance +35%, Water Attribute Skill Damage +40%

Active Skill: Water Ball [EX], Summon Water Snake.

Passive Skill: Grace of the Deep — Enhances the user’s control over water-element spells. While holding this fan, it is possible to breathe underwater and swim like a mermaid.

———

< Water Ball [EX] >

— Summon three Water Balls that deal 100 Water Elemental Damage each to the target.

— Deals 300% more damage against creatures of the Fire Element.

— Great for creating puddles on the ground.

———

< Summon Water Snake >

— Summons a three-meter long Rank 2 Water Snake that will last for ten minutes.

———

This was also a good item. Alex even considered making it a gift, certain that anyone who received it would be delighted.

The last item from the treasure chests was a treasure map.

Alex and Astrea both wondered what location the map was depicting. No matter how much they tried to scrutinize it, they were unable to get any leads.

Fortunately, Dim Dim was there and told them that this was a map of the Whispering Valley in Solara.

Astrea exclaimed that this sounded like an adventure and that she would gladly accompany Alex to the Whispering Valley if she had the chance.

Sadly, her brother, Cassian, would never allow her to go anywhere dangerous without him.

”Make sure to tell me what kind of treasure you will unearth by following this map, okay?” Astrea insisted.

”Of course,” Alex replied. ”If I get some treasure chests, I’ll bring them to you, and you can open them yourself.”

”Good!” Astrea nodded. ”We have a deal!”

The young lady then raised her pinky finger and waited for Alex to do the same.

The young man didn’t hesitate and made a pinky promise with Astrea.

Dim Dim also joined the promise, which made her giggle.

After making that promise, Astrea finally bade Alex goodbye and left the room to return to her dormitory.

”Dim Dim, should I give the fan to Fran?” Alex asked. ”This fan can produce water, which she might find useful in watering her garden. What do you think?”

”Dim Dim!”

”You think it’s a good idea, right?”

”Dim!”

Fran had helped him many times in the past, and even fed him lunch from time to time.

Since he had already decided to give Nereid’s Whisper to her, he decided to drop by the farm.

For a brief moment, Alex even imagined the dependable dwarf lady turning into a mermaid while holding the fan.

That was the start of it all. The young man wasn’t able to stop himself from imagining all the ladies that he knew turning into mermaids!.

”Hmm... Fran, Astrea, and Evangeline will probably look good as Mermaids,” Alex muttered as he walked towards Fran’s farm. ”Lavinia too... And Latifa. Oh no, Lapiz will also look incredibly cute as a mermaid. Wait... is there a way to create a replica of this fan?! Or many replicas?”

Dim Dim blinked. ”Dim?”

Alex coughed lightly because his ”impure” thoughts had conjured up a scene of the ladies transforming into beautiful mermaids.

He wouldn’t want to admit it, but he would love to see that scene if possible. Because of this, he entertained the thought of creating a replica of Nereid’s Whisper, conveniently forgetting that while it gave its wielder the ability to breathe underwater and swim like a mermaid, it didn’t have the power to turn his fantasy into a reality.

”I will look good as a mermaid?”

The sudden voice that came from behind almost made him jump out of fright.

When he saw Fran, the young man patted his chest to calm himself down.

”I’m sorry, I was just thinking of nonsensical things,” Alex apologized to Fran, who had happened to see him while he was walking towards her farm.

”I’m sorry too,” Fran replied. ”I didn’t mean to surprise you like that. I was just curious, you know? After all, I can’t swim.”

”You can’t swim?” Alex echoed.

”Most dwarfs can’t,” Fran stated. ”Water and Dwarves don’t mix well. So it’s a little surprising to hear you say that I would look good as a mermaid.”

Her innocent gaze made Alex clutch his chest because she looked so endearing in his eyes.

”Fran, perfect timing! I came here to give you something nice. I hope you’ll like it,” Alex said as he took out the blue fan. ”This fan is called Nereid’s Whisper. It can produce water, conjure Water Balls, and summon a Water Snake.”

To prove his claim, Alex pointed the closed fan to the ground in front of him.

At first, a drizzle of water emerged from the tip of the fan. But the more magic Alex applied to it, the stronger it became. Eventually, the fan was shooting water out of its tip like a hose.

”Wow!” Fran immediately took a liking to the fan, for it would be incredibly useful while gardening. If she had the fan, she would no longer have to draw water from the well when watering her fields.

”It can also do this.” Alex opened the fan and gave it a wave.

Three Water Balls, each the size of a basketball, flew in the direction that Alex had waved.

They splashed harmlessly against the ground, but had they hit a human, their mass and speed would’ve shoved that unlucky soul so forcefully that they would have staggered and fallen.

”Last but not least,” Alex said as he gave the fan another wave and summoned a three-meter-long Water Snake. ”This Water Snake will obey your command and fight for you if need be. It only lasts for ten minutes, though.”

After showing how the fan was used, Alex closed it and handed it to Fran with both hands.

”This is a gift for you,” Alex said. ”I got it from one of the chests from Slime Paradise. You have helped me many times in the past, so please accept my gift, Fran.”

”Thank you, Alex.” Fran didn’t reject the gift and gratefully accepted it. ”I’ll treasure it.”

Alex smiled faintly after seeing that Fran liked his gift.

”Well then, since you’ve given me this, would you like to have lunch with me?” Fran asked.

”Dim Dim!” Dim Dim raised its hand as if to remind Fran that it was also there.

”Of course, you’re also invited, Dim Dim.” Fran giggled.

Naturally, Alex accepted the invitation and had an enjoyable lunch before Lumi found him and dragged him to the clock tower so that he could help her with something.