NOVEL NEXT Chapter 132: Next Step
A kaleidoscope of vibrant colors pulsed and shimmered within the cavern's gloom, the ethereal portal flickering into existence and then vanishing, leaving in its wake a handful of elemental beings.
—
Elemental Tracker
Level: 32
Health: 2114
Type: Elemental Creature
—
Four elementals—one each of wind, water, earth, and fire—materialized, their forms coalescing from raw energy. In the blink of an eye, they locked onto the Nyman Shaman, charging him with singular intent.
Ryan intercepted them, dispatching them swiftly.
Their attacks, while not particularly potent, were magical in nature, prompting Ryan to cast a quick healing spell on himself.
The Nyman Shaman, Agu—his name revealed the instant he was targeted—responded by planting four totems, each pulsating with the essence of an element. These totems bestowed powerful boons upon Ryan:
—
Earth Armor: Reduces magical damage taken by 10%.
Flame Retribution: Grants a chance for your attacks to deal equivalent fire damage.
Azure Tide Protection: Restores 2% of your health when you take damage.
Hurricane Blessing: Grants a chance to increase the speed of your next attack or spell cast by 50% after dealing damage.
—
Beyond these potent enhancements, Agu, with the wisdom of a seasoned Shaman, even wove an Earthward spell around Ryan. This protective magic allowed him to recover health upon taking damage—a mastery typically reserved for Level 40 Restoration Shamans!
A knot of unease tightened in Ryan's stomach. The buffs were undeniably powerful, yet the initial wave of enemies had been laughably weak. If this was indeed a unique quest, it felt like a cruel jest.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a new portal tore open, disgorging a fresh wave of pursuers. This time, two elite elemental creatures, Level 32 Elemental Punishers, materialized, their forms crackling with raw power.
With Agu's unwavering healing from the rear, these two elite elementals posed little threat to Ryan, quickly falling before him.
Once the two elite elementals were defeated, their shimmering corpses reminded Ryan to look around. The bodies of the four regular elementals he'd slain earlier also glowed, indicating loot.
In most kill-the-enemy quests, monsters summoned from other planes rarely dropped anything; they simply vanished upon defeat.
Ryan quickly checked his combat logs, noting the absence of any experience gain. A sudden thought struck him, and he immediately moved to examine the elemental corpses.
Soon, a peculiar item named Elemental Core appeared before him.
—
Elemental Core (Special)
Quest Item
Function: Increases the Shaman's elemental affinity when used.
—
Only a single Elemental Core dropped from the four normal elementals, and another from the two elite ones. Ryan glanced back at Agu, a newfound certainty solidifying in his mind.
He extended a hand, offering one of the cores to Agu, and instantly, the world around them shifted, signaling the start of another cutscene.
"By the Ancestors!" Agu exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. "Elemental Cores! These creatures, born from the very Elemental Font, carry them! Could it be that the ones assailing us are the supreme lords of the Elemental Plane itself?"
"If that is so, then the doom of our Nyman people is surely at hand, unless..."
Agu bowed his head, his brow furrowed in thought, then snapped it up, his eyes blazing with fierce resolve.
"Featherlight," Agu declared, his voice firm, "I thank you for standing with me. The news I have received is dire, but our path is clear: we must overcome every obstacle to claim victory."
"These Elemental Cores possess the power to vastly amplify my elemental perception. Should I amass a sufficient quantity, I could become a living Elemental Font, capable of birthing a multitude of Shamans within my tribe."
"Please help us, Featherlight!"
The cutscene dissolved, and the cavern was instantly bathed in an incessant, flashing light. Without a moment's hesitation, Ryan thrust the remaining Elemental Core into Agu's hand, then positioned himself before the glowing portal, awaiting the next challenge.
Four portals roared open simultaneously, each disgorging a torrent of elemental creatures. Encased in swirling energy, these monsters radiated formidable power.
Each of these creatures unleashed 400 points of magical damage upon Ryan, rendering his high armor value utterly useless. It was only when Agu, positioned behind him, unleashed a skill that the tide began to turn:
Within mere seconds of engagement, Ryan had already resorted to Divine Storm for a burst of healing, and even Radiant Glory, typically reserved for critical moments with its 20-second cooldown, had been expended. Still, his health hovered precariously below half. These creatures, deceptively physical in their attacks yet dealing pure magical damage, were proving unexpectedly challenging.
Thankfully, the instant the Elemental Interruption Zone was active, Ryan's rapidly plummeting health stabilized. Combining the effects of Enchant Weapon – Radiant Light and Hammer of Justice, he managed to claw back a small but significant portion of his health.
An unending torrent of elemental monsters continued to pour from the portals. Agu, focused on maintaining the Elemental Interruption Zone, was unable to directly heal Ryan. Yet, thanks to his array of self-healing abilities, Ryan slowly but surely recovered his health amidst the relentless assault.
"Damn it, this is definitely not a solo quest!" Ryan muttered, his frustration boiling over. He quickly pulled up his quest log, and there, plain as day, was the word "group" in the description. A wave of exasperation washed over him—it truly was a group quest! No wonder he couldn't solo it!
Despite his inner curses, the quest was accepted. He had no idea if abandoning it would make it vanish forever, so he was left with no choice but to press on.
Time blurred. Ryan tirelessly cut down elemental after elemental, meticulously collecting Elemental Cores from their dissipating forms. It wasn't until he had amassed a full hundred that the portals finally flickered and died, and the remaining elemental attackers vanished as abruptly as they had appeared.
—
King of the Nyman - Step One: Repel the first wave of Punishers from the Elemental Plane, complete.
Step Two: Face the wrath of General Eldris from the Elemental Plane!
—
Before Ryan could even fully process what had happened, a new portal roared open before him. The center of the shadowy portal gradually began to manifest colorful patterns, signaling the imminent arrival of a powerful foe!