NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41: Deadly Backlash
Left to face the Goblin Shamans alone, Darien stood still in the smoky fog, watching from the corner of his eye as his party mates disappeared into the goblin village.
Only once they fully vanished did his smirk return.
(Goblin Shaman)
(STR: 20)
(AGI: 25)
(PER: 60)
(Skills: Curse Bolt (1-Star), Spirit Snare (1-Star), Poison Mist (1-Star), Totem Shield (1-Star), Blood Sacrifice (1-Star))
The moment Darien's eyes scanned the full system inspection of the Goblin Shamans, they widened in shock.
'This isn't just ordinary smoke or fog—this is <Poison Mist>, a toxic cloud that reduces visibility, and if the name means what I think, it also inflicts steady damage over time!'
Darien thought, his heart sinking at the realization, and his earlier confidence taking a noticeable dip.
A spell like <Poison Mist> was a battlefield hazard even at low tier.
Such a spell drained the health of Warriors relentlessly over time, while also forcing them to fight half-blind to incoming attacks.
Shamans were notorious for this. Without physical strength, they relied entirely on their arsenal of curses, snares, and sacrificial spells to overwhelm their opponents.
'If I'm not careful, the five of them would cripple me in mere seconds!'
Darien thought as he suddenly leapt into the air, manipulating the gravity around him and escaping most of the fog while trying to secure a slight aerial view of his enemies.
Once airborne, he summoned the Creation Panel without hesitation.
[Skill frame established]
[Name: Totem Bastion]
[Type: Defense / Null]
[Level: (4-star)]
[Description: Conjures a protective Arcane shield around the user. Weakens only under higher-ranked damage.]
[P.E Cost: 5 P.E per minute]
[Cost: 800 SP]
Darien had basically stolen the idea straight from the Goblin Shamans' arsenal, but unlike theirs, his was an evolved tier.
[Are you sure you want to spend 800 Skill Points to create the skill: <Totem Bastion> ???]
'Yes.'
[Successfully created a new skill!]
[You have acquired new skill: <Totem Bastion>]
The Goblin Shamans didn't even give him breathing space.
Still midair, Darien suddenly found himself the target of several <Curse Bolts>, each ripping through the fog in streaks of deadly purple light.
'Darn it.'
He managed to dodge a few with sharp twists of <Gravion Control>, but the rest were unavoidable.
Just as he fully absorbed the new skill, the remaining spells slammed into him head-on.
The goblins hurled several more <Curse Bolts>, but every attack fizzled uselessly against the thin, shimmering veil now encasing the warrior.
The <Curse Bolts> were simply too weak against Darien's newly forged magical shield. With <Totem Bastion>, he could withstand their curses without losing even an ounce of durability.
Satisfied with the shock spreading across the goblins' hideous faces, Darien descended swiftly, bringing his fiery weapon roaring to life.
But the Goblin Shamans had surprisingly sharp perception for low-level Rank 1 monsters, able to sense the <Perfect Stealth> Darien had just activated in an attempt to carve through them unseen.
'Huh?'
Darien frowned when his blade cut through nothing but smoke.
The first Shaman ducked beneath his hot crimson slash, then another dodged, and another, each of them skittering away with eerie laughter that echoed through the mist.
Every time they evaded, their staffs pulsed, lashing back at him with <Curse Bolts>. Yet Darien's shield held strong, protecting him without falter.
'Hmm. It seems they really do have high perception. What else should I expect from ritualistic monsters…?'
Darien thought as he slashed several more times just to be sure, his flaming arcs slicing wide through the fog, but catching nothing except empty air.
With that, he ascended back into the air once more, summoning the Creation Panel.
[Skill frame established]
[Name: Energy Bolts]
[Type: Offense / Discharge]
[Level: (4-star)]
[Description: Fires condensed bolts of Arcane with improved accuracy, range, and piercing power. Neglects below Epic armor defenses, and pierces through low-level manifested shields. Consumes negligible P.E.]
[Cost: 550 SP]
Making a cliché shooting skill like this wasn't really on Darien's list, but when faced with these heinous monsters, it was the first practical solution that came to mind.
His Rare weapon could indeed pierce through the goblins' arcane shields, but their perception allowed them to slip away from every close-range strike, mocking him with their laughter.
On the other hand, <Solar Scour> wasn't a viable option because its massive fifty-meter radius would likely engulf his party mates still caught within the goblin village.
Besides, even in the skill's description, it wasn't specified that it could shatter magical shields.
So no matter how weak a Shaman's barrier might appear, the spell at its current level wouldn't even scratch it.
[Are you sure you want to spend 550 Skill Points to create the skill: <Energy Bolts> ???]
'Yes.'
[Successfully created a new skill!]
[You have acquired new skill: <Energy Bolts>]
Darien's lips curved into a sharp grin, clenching his fist with satisfaction after acquiring his second ranged skill.
Convinced they had the Warrior cornered at last and that his bag of tricks had run dry, the Goblin Shamans attacked in unison.
From the foul smoke of <Poison Mist>, five ghastly spirits wailed into existence, each one manifested by a separate goblin.
'They think they're clever…'
Darien thought coldly as the twisted smoky apparitions, bearing skeletal claws, rushed upward toward him to bind his limbs and sap his stamina.
But with a mere point of two fingers, a glowing sphere of energy sparked to life at his tips before bursting forth in a deadly streak of violet-white brilliance.
The <Energy Bolt> rippled clean through the nearest spirit, dispersing it into a spray of fading wisps, then veered onward to punch through the shaman behind it, shattering its flimsy shield in a single flash.
"Gyaaaak—!"
The goblin shrieked in agony, imploding on the spot and leaving nothing but charred, smoking remnants.
Without pause, Darien twirled in the air, sharply shifting his pinpoint aim toward the next shaman and its spirit.
He fired more <Energy Bolts> without mercy, and every streak tore through the ghastly summons like paper before slamming into their vile casters.
"Krrghhhk!"
"Skkrrraahhh!"
"Ghhiiieeekk!"
"Rrrraaakhhh—!"
One by one, ugly howls echoed as the Shamans fell, combusting violently under the relentless onslaught until silence finally claimed the poisoned fog.
[You slayed a Rank 1 Monster! You get 490 XP!]
[You slayed a Rank 1 Monster! You get 520 XP!]
[You slayed a Rank 1 Monster! You get 510 XP!] x3
[Knight Rank: Intermediate 3240/15000]
Darien exhaled as the last traces of violet-white sparks, still crackling faintly at his fingertips, dwindled under his control.
The Shamans were gone, their foul spirits dissolved into nothingness.
Descending through the thinning poison haze, Darien landing upon the scorched ground and the charred remnants of the monsters.
[You can retrieve:]
[Mana Pebble (Uncommon) Goblin Ritual Staff (Uncommon)x2 Mortal Incense (Uncommon) Skill Book (1-star) Life Core (Lv.1)x3 ]
'A skill book? That's new,' Darien mused, inspecting the loot dropped by the Shamans.
He hadn't encountered any skill book that wasn't one of his own, so his curiosity naturally led him to take a closer look at this one.
(Skill: Earth Grasp)
(Type: Offense)
(Rank: 1-star)
(Description: Summons rocky hands from the ground to clutch at the target's feet, slowing them for 5 seconds.)
After reading the description, Darien stroked his chin thoughtfully.
'So, it's <Earth Grasp>… interesting. But that means it isn't compulsory for a monster's loot to always align with its own abilities. Drops like these can apparently pull from a wider pool of skills entirely.'
Unknitting his brows, Darien released the skill book, moving instead to the next piece of important loot.
He didn't need it.
Not only because he had already agreed with his party mates on what loot he would claim, but also because the skill was far too low in tier and weak for his use.
Instead of settling for a 1-star skill, Darien could choose to forge an evolved version right this instant, one that would be far more powerful and superior in every aspect.
There was also no immediate use for it yet, so there was no reason to clutter his arsenal by absorbing every low-tier skill book that crossed his path.
Ignoring the rest of the loot, Darien reached for the life cores, retrieving them as his share.
The Goblin Shaman drops were generous, for three life cores had fallen out of a possible five.
(Energy Core)
(Lv.1)
(Neutral)
(Stable)
Without wasting time, Darien resolved to absorb all three life cores at once, knowing he would be granted valuable attribute points that would bolster both his physicality and vitality.
[Level 1 Core absorbed!]
[Level 1 Core absorbed!]
As he absorbed the first and second cores, he received the crucial AP and also more Energy for better spell-casting performance.
However, upon absorbing the third, Darien's chest clenched violently under an excruciating backlash, his veins searing as though his body was rejecting the foreign power.
"Arghhhh!!"
He roared in agony as a sharp spasm tore through his tissues and muscles, almost forcing him to regurgitate his own blood.