Chapter 56 - The Way Forward

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Xiao Ling could not help but ask, “Are there restrictions imposed on the wielder for every Legendary or Artifact magical item?”

“I think so. The more powerful the item, the greater the restriction and the higher the requirement on the wielder. At the very least, that’s what I can say for the few items I’ve come across. I don’t think there’ll be any item that upsets the balance,” Tian Kuang added after some deep thought. There were no exceptions to the Legendary items or Artifacts he had seen. They all came with restrictions. Although he had only seen two of them before, he could make a good guess.

“Why aren’t there any restrictions imposed by my Hilaire’s Demon Ring, then?” Since he found out that Legendary items and Artifacts had certain limitations, Xiao Ling had harbored the question in his mind.

Tian Kuang mused for a while before answering, “Maybe the Hilaire’s Demon Ring hasn’t manifested its restrictions yet. Or perhaps it’s more subtle, but I can roughly deduce one restriction.”

“What’s that?” Xiao Ling asked.

“Holy attacks deal 150% of damage to demonic creatures. When you’ve entered into a contract with a demon, that should apply to you as well,” said Tian Kuang. He then added, “Compared to the Hilaire’s Demon Ring’s effects, this restriction is almost nothing. Maybe you’ll have to carry out some duty after entering into the contract with the demon.”

“Duty?”

‘What duty would that be?’ Xiao Ling wondered. He glanced at his Hilaire’s Demon Ring which was still burning with black flames. He knew that he would not be able to figure it out by himself. He would have to wait until the time came.

“Also, like my Redra’s Staff, your Hilaire’s Demon Ring allows you to learn the skills of several classes. However, you must remember this, learning many skills but mastering none is fatal to any player. We can only learn 20 skills, at most, but every class has seven to eight passive abilities meant to improve their unique abilities. You Mechanical Alchemists have more. I think the number is around 10. If you don’t learn the passive skills, your mechanical puppet’s strength will be greatly diminished. If you learned them, you can only pick up 10 active skills. So, you’ll have to decide on a direction. Do you want to be a Mechanical Alchemist or a General Warlock? If you want to be a Mechanical Alchemist, you’ll have to cut down on the Warlock skills. If you want to be a General Warlock and have your mechanical puppet support you, you’ll have to learn the passive skills of the Warlocks,” instructed Tian Kuang.

He knew that Xiao Ling did not understand much about the game. He was worried that Xiao Ling would proceed down a wrong path. Fortunately, it was possible to choose to forget the learnt skills. The only issue was that leveling up the skills would take a long time.

Xiao Ling had never thought about this before. With Tian Kuang’s reminder, he could not help but start thinking. Did he want to be a Mechanical Alchemist or a Warlock? That was a difficult decision to make. Feelings-wise, Xiao Ling was inclined to choose a Mechanical Alchemist. After all, he had spent so much time on this class. However, comparatively, becoming a General Warlock seemed to have a brighter future.

“Kukikuki.” The mechanical gargoyle seemed to have read Xiao Ling’s mind. It rubbed its small head against Xiao Ling’s sideburn. It tickled.

Regardless of the class he would decide on, the mechanical gargoyle would accompany him for a long time. He looked at the bizarre mechanical gargoyle and was filled with a strange emotion. Perhaps he had been on his own for too long. Before he knew it, the bizarre mechanical gargoyle seemed to have warmed his lonely heart.

Tian Kuang could not help but say, “My suggestion is for you to take the path of a Mechanical Alchemist because it’s rare. You might even discover something different. Of course, the choice is up to you. I’m just giving you some suggestions.”

Xiao Ling looked at the mechanical gargoyle on his shoulder. The mechanical gargoyle’s light blue eyes were brimming with naughtiness. Then, he thought about the Titan’s Heart and the Goblin Treasure Map in his vault. He also had four life skills which were basically meant to complement a Mechanical Alchemist. If he gave up on the class of Mechanical Alchemist, his life skills would be useless. Xiao Ling nodded. “Alright.”

“Then I won’t have to worry about you competing with me in the future,” Tian Fei said with a smile.

Xiao Ling knew that Tian Fei meant this as a joke. He smiled faintly.

“You can pick up some Warlock skills in the early stage for leveling purposes,” Tian Kuang said.

Xiao Ling responded with a nod. “I know.” When his level was up, he could forget some Warlock skills and leave some suitable skills. Then, he could focus on becoming a Mechanical Alchemist. Xiao Ling knew the path he wanted to take.

Since Xiao Ling had his own ideas, Tian Kuang did not have to say any more.

“Beep, beep.” Tian Kuang’s voice channel sounded. He glanced at it; it was from Lin Fei! Tian Kuang looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly. A cold gleam flashed past his eyes. He said, “It’s starting.”

“Kukikuki.” The mechanical gargoyle seemed excited. After all, this was its first time joining a battle. Xiao Ling calmed the mechanical gargoyle down, and it quieted down quickly. It glanced all around itself with its pair of huge eyes.

The four of them sprinted further into the Boar Mine. There were flashes of light up ahead, accompanied by sounds of intense fighting. The four of them were not in much of a hurry. They knew that Bosses such as the Demon Boar King would not die that easily. Also, once the Boss’s health bar was lowered to a certain threshold, it would unleash a more terrifying power.

The four of them stood at the end of the tunnel and peered ahead.

It was a wide space ahead. The Demon Boar King was at the center of the space. It was more than three meters tall, and had spikes all over its body, while its pitch-black hide made it blend seamlessly with the darkness. Only its scarlet eyes were glowing with a peculiar glare as if they were a demon’s. Its long tusks were snow-white and sharp, just like curved blades. It reminded them of a mammoth.

The Demon Boar King roared. The low-level undead swarming it like tides were infuriating it to no end. It swept its long tusks around and sent three skeleton soldiers flying. It fixed its eyes on the humans who had just entered. The Demon Boar King had a certain level of intelligence. It knew that these humans were the cause of all this.

The Necromancer controlled the low-level skeleton soldiers to boggle the Demon Boar King. His other party members quickly took up positions. The Shadow Wizard and Poison Wizard stood at the back. The Shadow Wizard set up a Spying Eye beside himself and covered the others in its detection range. This was a standard procedure. With the Spying Eye in place, they could effectively guard against sneak attacks by other players, especially Rogues. Moreover, they were in Brakada’s heartlands. They had to be more careful.

The Rogue chose to go into Stealth and hung around at the edges. He did not dare charge at the Boss just yet. The Demon Boar King’s strength was truly shocking. He could not hold it down alone. He needed to work in harmony with the Orc Warrior and the Necromancer’s skeleton soldiers.

“RAWR!”

The Demon Boar King howled. The entire Boar Mine shook as if it was crumbling. The powerful sound wave washed over the low-level skeleton soldiers. They froze. The Demon Boar King charged at them and sent them flying with the strong impact.

“It’s coming.” The Necromancer looked at the Demon Boar King that was charging toward him. There was no concern in his eyes, nor were there any signs of being flustered. He remained calm and composed. He was used to such situations already.