NOVEL NEXT Chapter 178: Shroud of the Wailing Horizon
When Zyrus blinked once again, he was already back between the cheering crowd. Not a trace of the star marked tyrant or the ghouls remained in the area.
[Halting the finalization of Ghoul Reanimation]
[Error! The abilities you possess have met the criteria for fusion]
[Please wait until you ascend to the Third ring!]
'The third ring…too many things will change after that,'
Zyrus chugged down a mouthful of wine alongside the others. There was no need for any etiquette or manners when it came to the sanctuary. The rations the players had right now weren't pleasing to the mouth, but what mattered right now were emotions.
"One more left."
"Indeed. After this, we'll reap the fruits of our sweat and blood."
"For Victory!"
*Clank*
"For Victory."
Zyrus clanked his bone cup with Kyle and the rest of the Marshals. What he said about reaping the fruits wasn't just passing words. While he and the players under him were grinding for the past decade, the other players could be said to be having a rather blissful time.
They would be hard pressed to find a lv 50 monster on the Kyros continent, while here, they were common like cats and dogs. It was apparent just how different their fighting experience would be. Besides this, there were other more tangible changes that would occur once they reached the third ring.
The subclass, the weapons of war, various new technologies and blueprints…too many things would change when the Pisces archipelago was connected with Kyros. The upgrades to Zyrus's powers would be even more drastic. Fusion, Finalization of the Flag, new blessings of order, unlocking the onyx crown's fourth authority…there was no end to things he was just a step away from obtaining.
'And then there's this as well,'
Zyrus leaned back on the helm and opened the pending messages. He didn't receive as many rewards as before due to his contribution being on the average side, but still, there was a chance that he'd get something nice from the drops.
[Congratulations! You have killed the Field Boss monster: Star marked Tyrant]
[+4 SP]
Exp + 15M
[Level up!]
[Congratulations! You have reached lv 50]
[You have met the requirements to ascend to the third ring]
[The Flag march will continue until one decade is completed]
After this were the messages about how progress in the flag march will count even though they had met the requirements to ascend and that the players will get extra money as they won't be getting exp from now on. Neither of the two had any impact on his next moves.
After these messages was the main part– Loots from the boss!
It wasn't just Zyrus who was eagerly looking forward to the rewards. Even though the marshals were celebrating, a part of their attention was focused on the faction store. Why did they save up their contribution points? It was for times like these. Unless Zyrus specifically gave an equipment to someone as a reward, the items dropped were open to every player in his army.
Some might think that this was a false hope as the good items would always end up in the hands of the upper echelons, but Zyrus believed in this strategy. Be it greed for power or hope for a better future, both were crucial for advancement. A system like this would make the weak players work harder while the strong ones wouldn't dare to slack off.
[You have acquired the formula for "Oceanic Napalm (Crafting material)"]
[You have acquired the blueprint for "Bone Shells(Rare)"]
[You have acquired an army buff scroll "Meteor mirage"]
[You have acquired "Shroud of the Wailing Horizon (Unique)"]
[You have acquired the Skill book: Judgement Strike]
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The rewards were beyond generous for two reasons– one, the star marked tyrant was the strongest field boss in the entire second ring, and two, Zyrus didn't directly influence the outcome as much as he did in previous times. Even if the system and the administrator wanted to give him a penalty or restriction for erasing the star marked tyrant, they couldn't do it by taking the rewards from other players.
Zyrus didn't waste any time and immediately sent the first two rewards to the main base. Oceanic Napalm was a crafting material formula for a jelly-like substance. To put it into simpler terms, it was a type of incendiary material made up of seaweed and some other crafting items. Bone Shells were as the name said, shells made with all types of bones. It was an item that gave a lot of creative freedom. The combination of the two rewards meant the creation of the production line of a new type of ammunition.
Noticing the burning stares the others were giving him, Zyrus chuckled and sent the information on the next two rewards to everyone.
[Scroll of Meteor mirage]
An army buff spell made from the skin of the Star marked tyrant. It carries the monster's desire to bring down despair and destruction.
Usage left: 5
Effect: For 10 minutes, all allied attacks will accumulate 'Meteor Charge'. Set an attack target/area once the duration is over to activate 'Fallen Stars'
Meteor Charge: Each attack from the allied faction will increase the counter by 0.00001
Fallen Stars: Fragments of the fallen stars will descend upon the designated target/area. The damage dealt will be calculated by average attack power of the allied players multiplied by the meteor charge.
Unaffected by all defense, resistance, and immunity.
Everyone let out gasps of shock when they read the description. This was the first time the players had heard about an army buff spell, and it was the perfect reward considering how they had earned the victory. Some with quick wits were able to figure out how it was similar to the army formations they created. Not only was it a powerful trump card, it also provided them with a valuable reference for their new formations.
Next up was a wispy cloak with faint traces of red starlight. It was by far the best equipment dropped just in terms of raw power.
[Shroud of the Wailing Horizon (Unique)]
A clock woven from the blood of the Star marked tyrant. It is enchanted with the light of the morning star.
Equip effect: 10% chance to ignore an attack. The skill will go into a 5-minute cooldown once the effect is triggered. If no attacks have triggered the equip effect for 5 minutes, then the user will be immune to the next attack.
False Sky: Launch an aerial surprise attack on any target within sight. Once attacked, the target will be unable to sense directions for the next 2 seconds. The target will receive 100% extra damage while under the debuff.
Cooldown: 1 hour
Desperation: Consume 1% HP every second to create a 'Wailing Phantom' that has 10% of the user's HP. Wailing Phantoms will mirror the user's appearance and take damage on their behalf. Once attacked by the Wailing Phantoms, the target will enter 'Berserk' state and attack its allies.
Cooldown: 1 day
Shroud of Misery: For one minute, sets the cooldown of False Sky and Desperation to 0. The user can create more Wailing Phantoms by stacking desperation, and the Wailing Phantoms can also use False Sky.
Cooldown: 6 months
After witnessing the battle prowess of Kyle who had activated Anubis's judgment, no one doubted the power of this equipment. Shroud of Misery pretty much guaranteed a victory when the conditions were right. This was also the first equipment they say that came with a default equip effect. It covered key aspects of the battle like evasion, mobility, debuffs, and burst power. Items like these were bound to change the entire playstyle of whoever owned them.
Even Zyrus would've been tempted to take it for himself if not for it overlapping with his existing skills. He had enough aoe skills and debuffs as is, and his void skills made up for his lack in defense and burst power. What he wanted now was something that could directly improve his basic damage output.
"I'll be taking the final one."
It wasn't like Zyrus didn't want to share the details of the final item, but he knew that even if he did, the players wouldn't understand some things right now. It'd be better if he showed them once they ascended the Befehl mountain.
[Skill book: Judgement Strike]
Upon usage, allows the fusion of any two weapon skills directed towards the Judgement Strike.
It was a very simple description that players in the second ring would find hard to understand. Even though Zyrus had told his subordinates about fusion in the third ring, they wouldn't know all its functions and applications unless they went through it themselves.
Fusion was similar to the skill trees in the RPG games, but a million times more complex and specific. Every decision made during fusion had the potential to change the fate of the user. As it was a form of the blessing of order, it was obvious that the players couldn't use it anytime and anywhere they desired. Something that can allow an additional fusion of two skills was an invaluable item.
If Shroud of the Wailing Horizon was something that had the most raw power, then the Skill book for Judgement Strike was something that had the most latent potential.
The rewards had started to give subtle indications towards the third ring. Be it Zyrus or any other king, all of them were preparing for the final push in the flag march.
<We'll rest for a fortnight, and then, we sail to the last island>
" " Yes, Your majesty. " "
The players once again cheered out loud when they read Zyrus's message. It would be a lie to say that they weren't exhausted. Even a phoenix needed time before it was reborn from the ashes. Once the players recovered from their injuries, their strength was bound to undergo a qualitative transformation.