Villain With The Strongest System

Riva was beyond elated when Rocky informed her that the team had decided to allow her to keep Crystal, as the little dragon had grown attached to her, only sleeping soundly when Riva snuggled it to sleep, and otherwise spending the entire day hanging out on her shoulder.

If Rocky tried to pick Crystal up, she resisted his touch vehemently and only acted calm around Riva.

Both of them had become an inseparable pair, and hence the news that their pair would not be broken up, came as a relief to both.

"I\'m sorry I did not meet your friends when they came to our house. I still have some anxiety about meeting new people, but they seem like really nice guys.

If they come next time, I\'ll surely offer them some food and snacks" Riva promised, as she decided to be more brave in the future and open to meet a few people.

Currently, whenever she met someone she did not trust fully, it instantly put her in a state of hysteria and hence when Rocky\'s team visited their place, Riva simply stayed shut in her room, refusing to meet any of them.

"I\'m sure they\'ll like meeting you" Rocky said with a kind smile on his face, as he felt sure that his team would love meeting Riva.

It was for her sake after all that they were taking such big risks, hence seeing her progress and getting better wasn\'t such a bad idea.

"So, will you leave for another mission soon?" Riva asked, as Rocky nodded his head and informed her that he was going to leave early the next morning.

The team needed to get a move on floor24 as early as possible, and hence, once Erin and Buhara were prepared with the supplies and rations needed for the next raid, they would move immediately the next morning.

"I\'m sorry ….. I know that the missions you go on aren\'t easy. But it\'s only because of you that I\'m sane–" Riva said, as she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Rocky.

He was a real brother to go to such lengths for her, as if it were someone else, they would probably have discarded Riva long back, viewing her as nothing but an unnecessary burden.

"It\'s okay, it\'s like father always said…. Hardship builds character, so I\'m just taking this as the rapid growth opportunity of my life" Rocky said, as he tapped Riva on the head and dismissed her concerns.

"Okay, I\'m heading to bed now, as I need to go out early tomorrow morning….. So, I guess this is good-bye till next week–" Rocky said as he waved Riva an enthusiastic goodbye, before rushing to his room.

Rocky knew that if he dwelled any longer on that conversation, Riva would probably break down in tears and hence he cut the topic as fast as he possibly could.

Stay tuned with empire

Once alone, he opened the system shop, as he decided to purchase the items up for sale before the new floor raid began tomorrow.

*Shua*

The familiar digital interface flickered to life, revealing a fresh selection of items. Each of them was brand-new, more potent, and more dangerous than the last:

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[ System Shop ]

Phantom Strike Elixir - 10 SP

(Temporarily allows the user to phase through physical attacks for 30 seconds. Does not work against magical attacks.)

Arcane Detonation Orb - 5 SP

(A throwable orb that, upon impact, releases a burst of raw arcane energy, dealing massive damage to enemies within a 5-meter radius.)

Void Trap Rune - 5 SP

(Creates a temporary, invisible trap that when stepped on, drags enemies into a pocket dimension for 3 seconds, incapacitating them.)

Shockwave Bomb - 3 SP

(A one-time use explosive that releases a shockwave, knocking back enemies in a 10-meter radius and disorienting them for 3 seconds.)

Infernal Flame Grenade (Weekly Special) - 1 SP

(Upon detonation, flames spread across a 10-meter area, causing continuous fire damage to all enemies caught in the blaze for 15 seconds.)

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Current SP Balance: 30 SP

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All the items in the system store had been refreshed, giving Rocky a hard time on what to choose for the next floor raid. He scrutinized each item carefully, weighing the potential benefits and dangers they presented.

The Phantom Strike Elixir was the first item he grabbed. Phasing through physical attacks for 30 seconds could give him a significant advantage in any close-quarter combat. He purchased it for 10 SP.

Next, Rocky\'s attention moved to the Arcane Detonation Orb for 5 SP. An area-of-effect explosion could help when dealing with multiple enemies at once, so he added it to his cart.

With 15 SP left, Rocky decided to invest in the Void Trap Rune for 5 SP. The ability to trap enemies temporarily in a pocket dimension could be useful for stalling stronger foes, giving his team time to regroup or set up their next attack.

He then purchased two Shockwave Bombs for 6 SP in total. Knocking back and disorienting enemies within a 10-meter radius would be useful for crowd control, especially if things got overwhelming.

Finally, with 4 SP left, Rocky picked up four Infernal Flame Grenades for 1 SP each. The continuous fire damage could help soften up enemies or create a barrier of flames to slow them down.

After spending all 30 SP, Rocky felt well-prepared for the next floor raid. He had stocked up on a range of powerful offensive and defensive items, ensuring that his team had a much better chance of surviving the challenges on Floor 24.

"I have bought everything…. Praise Lord Gemini, I\'m sure that he has specially put all these items up for sale to maximize my chances of success" Rocky muttered, as he offered a silent prayer to Gemini before he slept.

Somehow, he was growing more and more pious as the days progressed, with his faith in Gemini Gods improving massively everytime they helped him in a pinch.