“Tell me your name.”
The water spirit's expression shifted from dorky to dignified.
“Brad Bill.”
“Then, Brad Bill.”
“In the name of the water element, I grant you my blessing.”
The water spirit extended her hand. Multi-colored flowing water transformed into a long staff, which she held in her grip and pointed at Brad.
Brad’s body slowly lifted off the ground, floating in midair.
Then, as if freed from the bounds of gravity, the flowing water floated toward Brad and coiled around him.
Finally, all the water gathered in front of his chest, condensing into a teardrop-shaped rune that sank into his body.
Only then did Brad’s body slowly descend back to the ground.
“I bestow upon you the water of the Spirit Spring. May you be free from illness and suffering.”
A water sphere the size of a quail egg separated from the Spirit Spring and floated over to Brad.
Brad hurriedly pulled out a bottle and caught the iridescent spring water.
Watching from the side, Li Xiuman felt that the Spirit Spring—which had seemed immensely high-class just moments ago—now looked like a free promotional gift.
Like a box of tissues handed out for spending a hundred gold coins at a supermarket?
“Captain, how do you feel?”
“Do you feel ridiculously strong, like you could shatter stone and split metal?”
Everyone eagerly crowded around him.
Brad felt his own body.
“My Constitution has improved.”
“And... I think I can use water magic now?”
Brad raised a hand, condensing a ball of flowing water in his palm.
“Though it doesn't even seem to reach Tier 1.”
“Everyone receives a different blessing. With proper study and training, you will be able to use higher-tier magic.”
“However... cough cough, since you're not an Elementalist, you probably don't have much mana in your body.”
The water spirit was phrasing it very tactfully.
Brad’s mana pool was probably enough to cast one and a half Tier 1 spells. After training, maybe two.
“Next!”
“Your name...”
“...”
“I think I can spit out waterballs! Amazing!”
Just on the level of a Water-Spitting Fish from Floor 21.
“I can breathe underwater!”
A magic item costing eighty gold coins could do that.
“I can chug a month's worth of water in one sitting and not drink for the rest of the month!”
“Gulp, gulp...”
...No comment was even needed anymore.
As Li Xiuman watched each person receive their blessing, he began seriously considering the possibility that this water spirit was an impostor.
Thinking about it this way...
Countless years ago, back when the water spirit was still young, a party of adventurers overcame countless obstacles to reach this place, only to receive...
Blessings like "farting underwater produces no bubbles," "being able to drink seawater directly," and "skin never dries or cracks even in the coldest winter."
The young water spirit got beaten black and blue.
Only after that did she add the free Spirit Spring water to the process.
It was basically a consolation prize for failing a skill gacha pull!
This wasn't a Spirit Spring.
This was a skill gacha pool!
Back then, the Crystal Hero must have pulled an overpowered skill from this spring, launching his cheat-like hero life.
“Xiuman, aren't you going to get a blessing?”
Brad came over, striking up a conversation with a touch of bashfulness.
That expression and bashful tone—is this kid trying to romance me?!
Damn it, for the sake of ten thousand gold coins, I'll endure it.
“I'll wait until you're all finished.”
Having fought across multiple anime and gacha worlds, Li Xiuman had once held many titles.
Sensei, Doctor, Traveler, Captain...
Those experiences had taught Li Xiuman an eternal truth: pulling from a gacha pool required sacrifices to get a high-tier hit.
Let these guys build up the pity for him.
Every time someone pulled a trash card, his own chances of pulling a top-tier card would increase!
“This is destined to be a bloodbath without smoke.”
Everyone had finished.
Li Xiuman stepped forward, bearing the gazes of the entire group. He could not lose.
At this moment, the stars aligned!
“Your name.”
“Xiuman Pound Li.”
His body slowly floated up as the rainbow-colored water gently seeped into him.
[Strength +5, Constitution +5, Spirit +5]
[Strength] 56/50
[Constitution] 62/60
[Spirit] 72/60
[Skill Acquired...]
The war has begun! Reveal yourself, card forged from my wisdom and experience!
[Water Spirit's Wisdom Lv1]
[Water Spirit's Wisdom Lv1]: You shall possess the wisdom of the water spirit.
“...”
Li Xiuman snapped his head up to glare at the water spirit in front of him.
The water spirit blinked her large, colorful eyes, tilting her head as she looked at him.
Then, her lips curled into a smile, and she flashed a thumbs-up.
As if saying, Not bad, right? A blessing personally granted by this spirit!
“...I failed. I lost completely.”
“Is this curse... the price of losing this gamble?”
[Ding! You have met the requirements for evolution.]
Heh. What is this, a consolation prize?
Then again, I can't let this drag me down. My journey was never smooth to begin with. So what if I bear such a vile curse?
How could a despicable curse lock away my brilliant talents? Dancing in chains only proves my true strength, doesn't it?
Li Xiuman came to terms with it.
He raised his head, the soul fire in his eye sockets flaring back to life.
Time to leave this tragic place that inflicted the world's most heinous curse upon me, return to my sewer to lick these venomous wounds, and evolve.
“Here is your Spirit Spring water. Catch.”
Even though this spirit had placed the most malicious curse upon him, refusing free benefits would make him a total fool.
Li Xiuman swiftly pulled out a bottle and caught the small globule of Spirit Spring water.
He stared at the colorful liquid inside the bottle.
Supposedly, this water could bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on bones, but as a literal skeleton, he didn't hold out much hope for that part.
“I can feel that you've received a significant portion of my power.”
“Back then, that Crystal Hero received a blessing from the power of my eyes.”
“What you received seems to be...”
The water spirit closed her eyes to sense it, and then her eyes lit up—quite literally shining brightly.
“Woah! You actually got the power of my brilliant mind!”
“That's even cooler than what that crystal bullshit hero got!”
“With this spirit's wisdom, your future will be smooth sailing!”
“Just a tiny fraction of this spirit's wisdom boost will let you see through any conspiracy or scheme!”
Looking at the beaming water spirit, Li Xiuman felt utterly baffled.
Does she really have zero self-awareness?
She literally got schemed out of everything by the Crystal Hero back then—reputation included.
“As expected of Miss Xiuman, to receive a blessing even stronger than the Crystal Hero's.”
Don't listen to her nonsense! This is a curse!
“Well, the blessings are done, and I'm a bit tired.”
“Haa~”
The water spirit let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes.
“I'm going back to sleep, so it's time to send you away.”
“Don't forget your task!”
“Wait—”
Before Li Xiuman could finish shouting, the crystal beneath everyone's feet shattered, dropping them into an underground whirlpool.
They were flushed away like toilet water...
“Ah, seems like there's still someone...”
Just as she was about to fall asleep, the water spirit turned her gaze toward the deep water outside.
It was Number Zero, holding two electric eels and staring blankly around.
What happened? Why did Master's aura suddenly disappear?!
“What a strange golem... the aura seems to belong to... that weird, smart skeleton?”
The water spirit muttered to herself.
“I'll give you a blessing and toss you out too.”
The water spirit extended her water staff and pointed it at Number Zero from afar.
“I bestow upon you the blessing of the water spirit.”
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