"Damn it! I didn't make it in time... My Flame Attribute Magic Crystal...!"
Hiding his presence with the [Stealth] skill, Isaac watched the exchange between Skull and Yugo’s group from the shadows. He stomped his feet in a fit of rage, his heart filled with bitterness over losing his target: the Flame Attribute Magic Crystal.
He had been knocked unconscious by the impact of the Bull Golem’s charge, and though he had regained his senses and used recovery items to rush to this spot, it was already too late.
He had traveled all the way from Luminous Academy to these distant plains, yet if he couldn't secure the quest reward, the entire trip was meaningless.
While meeting Anhel had been an unexpected bonus, it wasn't nearly enough to offset the crushing blow of losing the attribute-imbued magic crystal he had come for.
For Isaac, failing to obtain the Flame Attribute Magic Crystal was a setback of devastating proportions.
(This is bad... This is really bad! How am I supposed to fight from here on out without attribute attacks?!)
As previously noted, the twin swords Isaac wielded were weapons designed for a flurry of light, consecutive strikes to compensate for their low base power.
Consequently, they had a glaring weakness: they struggled to deal significant damage against high-defense opponents like the Bull Golem.
However, there was a way to bypass this flaw. By dealing damage through means other than physical force—namely, attribute attacks.
For example, if he imbued his twin swords with the flame attribute, every slash would deal magic damage on top of the physical cutting damage.
This would allow him to consistently damage monsters with high physical defense, providing a much-needed level of stability to his combat style.
To craft such a weapon, one needed the corresponding magic crystal.
Isaac had joined this quest specifically to obtain the materials for an attribute weapon to cover his weakness... but he never imagined his entire plan would vanish like mist due to a single lapse in judgment.
(Damn it! I knew I shouldn't have let the Skeleton Horse go just to raise Anhel's Affection Level. Tougher enemies are going to start appearing soon—how am I supposed to fight them with this junk?!)
Isaac was a gamer who lived by the creed of solo play, a philosophy that hadn't changed even after he was reincarnated into this world.
In solo play, where one cannot rely on the strength of allies, the quality of one's equipment is exponentially more important than in a standard party. Being stuck without sufficient gear put Isaac in a truly precarious position.
He briefly wondered if he could persuade Yugo to hand over the crystal, but the chances were non-existent. Yugo was sentimental enough to name a Skeleton Horse; there was no way he would part with a gift that served as a token of friendship.
He considered challenging Yugo to a duel, but the likelihood of Yugo accepting was slim to none. Besides, Isaac currently owned nothing of equal value to wager against the crystal.
His final option was a dark ambush to steal it by force, but that carried immense risk.
If he were ever exposed as the culprit, he would suffer the same social execution as Zenon. Furthermore, if he were seen wielding an attribute weapon immediately after the crystal was "stolen" from Yugo, the finger of suspicion would be pointed straight at him.
Isaac ground his teeth, his chest tight with smoldering frustration. No matter how he looked at it, he had no choice but to give up. The realization that he had to abandon the very weapon that would have been his greatest asset in the "game" ahead felt like a physical weight.
Gazing at the red magic crystal resting in Yugo’s palm, he muttered in a voice thick with obsession.
"I need a weapon... something even stronger than an attribute weapon. I need gear with enough power to let me see my solo play through to the very end...!"
To a man dreaming of becoming a Solitary Hero, his only true partner was a powerful weapon.
As long as he had the right gear, he wouldn't lose to anyone. He had the status, and he had the knowledge.
He craved a stronger weapon. These twin swords were insufficient. He had to find something better, something far more overwhelming...
As a solo gamer and a reincarnator striving for heroism, Isaac clenched his fists, driven by a thirst for absolute power.
That single-minded desire would eventually trigger a catastrophic incident and lead to his own personal tragedy... but in this moment, Isaac was oblivious to his fate. He simply stood there, his fists trembling with an unquenchable rage.