[Stats: Stamina]

"Now it finally feels like I'm wielding a sword."

Emerging from the subspatial pocket, I first examined the newly acquired traits. Some names were familiar from my time playing Dimension World 1, but there were definitely a few I'd never seen before.

Vmmm—!!

I lightly gripped Tesaro's sword and swung it along the flow of my consciousness. Faint glowing points appeared ahead of the blade's trajectory, connecting like a line.

My sword connected the fifteen points floating in the air, and as the tip reached the final one, milky-white energy condensed along the blade and surged forth.

Kwaaang—!

Kwang—!!!

The sword aura exploding from the blade scattered in all directions, kicking up a deafening roar and sending the piled snow flying everywhere.

"Whoa... what the hell?"

I couldn't help but be startled by the unexpected power of the skill. But my awe at the swordsmanship's might was short-lived. My breathing grew ragged right after, and a ringing in my head made me stagger involuntarily.

'...Stamina cost of 60? Even for level 1, isn't this way too much?'

I summoned the skill window and frowned.

HP and MP stats, absent before my first job change, were now integrated into the comprehensive info post-change. Unlike MP, which rose with magic mastery and levels, stamina stayed fixed at 100 even after leveling.

The reason? High-class magic drained massive mana, while weapon techniques like sword skills required less stamina as their skill levels increased.

'It's a Mythic skill, sure, but this makes it tricky for real combat. Gotta prioritize leveling it up.'

Thanks to the Chilya Sword Master job, my stamina hit 120, enough for two casts. But dropping to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠zero imposed a one-minute penalty on weapon techniques, crippling my fighting ability. Effectively, I could only use it once right now.

"Can't be helped, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guess..."

I gave a wry smile. Learning a Mythic skill—the pinnacle content—at just level 40 was absurd to begin with.

"Time to find a quiet spot to grind sword levels."

Not just for mastering Chil-ya, but I needed to leave the Northern Plateau for the next leg anyway.

'Among the new traits, Sword Specialization boosts sword skill success rates with levels. It rises purely from using swords a lot—nothing special there...'

The new sword techniques mattered, but one trait in particular caught my eye.

'Sword's Austerity and Boundless.' Both Legendary traits.

Unique traits beyond base stats were rare even at Rare grade, acquired via special quests or conditions. Nabbing three at first job change? Truly worthy of a Mythic class.

"Hmm..."

Reading Sword's Austerity, I clicked my tongue unwittingly. I'd hoped for more from a Legendary trait, but the effect felt ambiguous.

'Boost attack and EXP after burning stamina...? Levels might change it, but even at half HP, the bonus seems underwhelming.'

In hunts or PvP—life-or-death fights—HP management was key. Risking damage for marginal gains was idiotic. Better to treat it as passive extra power when HP naturally drops.

'Game over wipes any benefits. For now, best use is grinding sword levels.'

Maybe because of the Mythic skill hype, but it fell short of expectations, leaving me disappointed.

'Huh?'

Scrolling down revealed one more line at the trait's end.

[+1 Sword-Related Skill Slot]

[Additional Skill Slots on Level Up]

"..."

My eyes widened massively.

'Holy shit...!! Skill slots increase?!'

Only then did I realize that despite using Memory Borrower in the subspatial pocket, my skill slots hadn't decreased.

'They stayed the same, so I didn't notice.'

One corner of my mouth twitched upward.

'And that's not all. Leveling the trait grants even more slots.'

For someone pursuing both sword and magic, this was perfection incarnate.

'Invest Sword's Austerity slots in sword skills, level-up slots in magic...'

A big reason magic swordsmen lagged was cramming both into limited slots. Not every skill needed a slot—mages could chant from grimoires for unregistered spells—but instant-cast slotted spells ruled arenas where seconds counted. Unslotted ones were dead ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weight.

'Slot choices make or break fights.'

Occasional upsets beyond levels stemmed from skill synergies. In arenas, predicting enemy slots was strategy.

'But only for public skills. The eight major clans' Legendary+ hidden class exclusives? Unpredictable.'

I smiled faintly. Who among players even knew of Mythic skills?

'They probably don't know they exist.'

In Dimension World 1, Rerto Karen's space-time sword or Kabala Clan's Itsuki Minami's flame domain topped at Legendary.

'My exclusives, Nute and Musori, were Legendary too.'

No one found higher grades, so they assumed that was the ceiling.

'I'd be the same without knowing Chil-ya existed.'

Even the eight clans, backed by wealth and power dominating Dimension World, couldn't buy time. It all boiled down to who gathered intel fastest within limits.

'Now I'm one step ahead of the eight clans.'

Maybe even ahead of him...

I gritted my teeth thinking of that bastard.

[Sword's Austerity... a fine trait, but as hard to level as it is good. Too soon to celebrate.]

Then, Gulak—no, Black Eye's voice echoed in my mind.

Hwaaaak...!!

The wind rippled, blue flames tracing its currents, gradually forming a human shape.

[Hmm, still not used to maintaining form.]

Black Eye clenched and opened his flaming giant-like palm awkwardly.

"...Not thrilled or anything. But how'd you know my traits?"

Hearing an NPC mention traits and stats puzzled me. Those were player domains.

[Who knows. Probably our pact. I've got new stuff popping up too.]

"No way?"

Woooong—!!

He extended his hand, and a status window appeared in midair.

"..."

The densely packed traits and resistances stretched endlessly. I was speechless.

'Insane... this make any sense?'

Revived as a divine beast from spirit form, his stats were lower than in life, yet this monstrous.

'What kind of life did he live?'

My glee over a few traits felt pathetic now.

[No need for surprise.]

Our pact seemed to share emotions; Black Eye addressed me directly.

[My traits exist in this world. Means you can acquire them too.]

I shrugged at his words.

"Damn... calling this a familiar feels wrong."

[Good subordinates are fortune. Especially ones who'll never betray you.]

Thud—

My heart tingled this time.

'Contractors share familiar emotions too?'

Beneath the tingle, faint rage. Betrayal.

'Nothing's known about his death. Related to betrayal?'

Curious, but I wouldn't pry his past. He'd abandoned "Gulak" for "Black Eye"; I'd honor that resolve.

"Feels solid just hearing it."

Tamers and summoners in Dimension World shared EXP with summons, making early weak phases tough—often shunned jobs. But Black Eye's absurd stats made that irrelevant for me.

'Might even tackle higher-level zones or dungeons thanks to him.'

I nodded.

"You know about Boundless too?"

I'd spotted it in his info, also at Lv1—unlike his other maxed traits.

[Of course. Didn't expect you'd inherit it. Luck? Coincidence? ...]

Black Eye regarded me.

[Boundless was my master's trait. Thought I'd mastered it lifelong, but looks like I barely scratched it.]

What trait stymied even him?

"Your master?"

"Yeah."

Black Eye nodded slowly.

Hwaruruk—!!

Spirit power ignited in his palm, forming a sharp sword of soulfire.

[The sword I wielded in life.]

Then, a cheerful chime rang as Black Eye spoke.

[The one who forged White Night.]