Chapter 132 Evolution Crisis
Eric confirmed the binding.
The Frost Azure Flame reacted instantly. The docile wisp in his hand erupted into a raging inferno, engulfing his entire hand. A searing pain, like plunging his hand into molten metal, shot through him.
The previously imperceptible heat now bore down on him with full force. He attempted to repository the flame back into his inventory, but it demonstrated reluctance to budge.
Instead, a progress bar materialized, slowly creeping upwards.
Fusion: 3%... 4%... 5%...
"I thought this was supposed to be binding, not fusion! What's going on?" Eric muttered, anxiety gnawing at him. The pain was already bordering on unbearable, and the steadily increasing heat, coupled with the agonizingly slow fusion, promised nothing but prolonged suffering.
Just as he was about to access the pain management system for some temporary relief, the burning sensation abruptly vanished, replaced by a bone-chilling cold that spread rapidly through his hand.
"Did it finish fusing?"
He glanced back at the progress bar. It read 8%, a far cry from completion. With the burning gone, he decided to hold off on tampering with the pain management system.
His relief was short-lived. The coldness intensified, turning his hand numb and stiff, as if encased in ice.
Just as he felt himself nearing his limit, the heat returned, throwing him into a torturous cycle of extreme temperatures. It finally dawned on him—the Frost Azure Flame, true to its name, was a chaotic dance of ice and fire. Unable to bear the torment any longer, he accessed the pain management system, ready to shut it all off.
System: [Reducing pain sensitivity below 20% during Frost Azure Flame fusion will result in fusion failure and potential harm to the player. Are you sure you wish to disable the pain management system?]
"Are you kidding me?!" Eric cursed the system's insidious design.
It was a blatant trap, and the vague warning about "potential harm" did nothing to ease his apprehension.
But he was already 30% through the fusion; giving up now was not an option. With a grimace, he lowered his pain sensitivity from 40% to the barely tolerable 20%.
His ordeal was far from over. At 50% fusion, the Frost Azure Flame erupted outwards, engulfing his entire body in a blazing inferno. He was a living torch, wreathed in ethereal blue flames, bearing a striking resemblance to Ghost Rider.
Unlike Ghost Rider's spectral flames, Eric's burned with an intense, almost tangible heat. The very ground beneath him began to melt.
The forge floor, reinforced to withstand extreme temperatures far exceeding the melting point of Mithril, was no match for the inferno raging around Eric. It was a testament to the sheer power of the Frost Azure Flame.
A Bronze weapon would likely melt into a puddle of slag before even coming close. Thankfully, Eric's high pain tolerance and reduced sensitivity allowed him to endure the agonizing waves of heat and cold.
Finally, after twenty excruciating minutes, the fusion reached completion.
System: [Frost Azure Flame successfully bound to player Kai Blackthorn.]
System: [Frost Azure Flame fusion complete. Player physique enhanced: Strength permanently increased by 10, Endurance permanently increased by 10, Agility permanently increased by 10, Ice Resistance increased by 20, and Fire Resistance increased by 20. The Player gains 100% control over Frost Azure Flame.]
"This is insane!" Eric exclaimed, stunned by the sheer magnitude of the boost.
The benefits to his blacksmithing were already immense, but the permanent stat increases were beyond his wildest dreams. Thirty free attribute points, plus 20 in both Ice and Fire Resistance! Resistances were incredibly valuable in Divine Realms: Legends; even a single point could make a world of difference. A 20-point increase was practically unheard of, enough to make any magic-based class weep in despair. A fire spell that would normally inflict 100 damage would now be reduced to a mere 30.
With a thought, a tongue of blue flame, the Frost Azure Flame, danced to life in his palm, responding to his will with fluid grace.
Frost Azure Flame (Tier 2 Exotic Flame): Increases damage dealt by 20%. Increases damage dealt by ice and fire skills by 40%. Increases success rate of Alchemy, Blacksmithing, and Cooking by 10%.
The attributes were far beyond what he had hoped for.
In his previous existence, there had been no reference to exotic flames that could augment combat proficiency. The very possibility of such an occurrence represented a groundbreaking development. The only explanation was that players who had acquired exotic flames in the past had kept it a closely guarded secret, quietly reaping the benefits for themselves.
The ability to boost blacksmithing and alchemy alone was enough to make any major guild in Divine Realms: Legends drool with envy. If word got out about the combat enhancements, the competition for exotic flames would reach a fever pitch, leaving blacksmiths and alchemists out in the cold.
While it was commonly believed that exotic flames primarily benefited crafting professions, Eric realized that the true victors were Elementalists who dabbled in alchemy. Elementalists already possessed devastating damage output akin to walking artillery. Amplifying their ice and fire skills further would make them truly unstoppable. With the Frost Azure Flame's inherent 20% damage boost, an Elementalist could potentially increase their damage output by a staggering 60%, capable of obliterating even heavily armored tanks in a few hits.
However, the Frost Azure Flame was no slouch in boosting Eric's own combat capabilities.
With this newfound power at his disposal, he decided to focus his future skill development on fire and ice-based skills, maximizing the synergy with the Frost Azure Flame.
He then retrieved a pile of sturdy stones and began crafting Advanced Whetstones of Precision, steadily increasing his blacksmithing proficiency.
Each successful craft had a 60% chance of granting 1 proficiency point. While not as efficient as crafting Bronze equipment, it was significantly faster. With the Frost Azure Flame, he could churn out whetstones at an astonishing rate.
Crafting Glowing Chestplates was no longer profitable, as all the major guilds were already mass-producing them. Purchasing advanced Bronze and Dark Iron equipment from Blackstone Town for forging wasn't cost-effective either. His best course of action was to reach Intermediate Apprentice first, further increasing his success rate before tackling those higher-tier items.
As Eric honed his craft, tensions in Willowbrook Town continued to escalate.
The mutual bounties between Eric and the Martial Alliance were only one facet of the growing unrest. The recent evolution of Divine Realms: Legends had plunged the town into a state of crisis.
Stronger Wilderness monsters and an influx of new players, coupled with Eric's massive buying spree, had sent prices skyrocketing. In a matter of hours, the cost of goods had doubled, leaving many players struggling to keep up.
With their daily earnings dwindling, players were forced to choose between purchasing essential supplies like food, water, return scrolls, healing potions, and mana potions and investing in decent equipment.
The price of equipment, in particular, had reached astronomical levels. Level 2 Common equipment, once obtainable for a measly twenty copper coins, now commanded a price of over forty. Bronze equipment prices had soared even higher.
But without adequate gear, surviving encounters with the strengthened monsters was practically impossible. Many players opted to forgo potions and consumables, prioritizing equipment upgrades to improve their chances of finding parties and efficiently farming monsters, hoping to recoup their losses.
This, in turn, fueled the ever-increasing demand and inflated prices.
Wealthier players, unfazed by the rising costs, began converting their real-world currency into credit points and subsequently into silver coins, further driving up the price of in-game currency.
Faced with this economic turmoil, many players in Willowbrook Town saw the bounties on Eric and the Martial Alliance as a glimmer of hope, a chance to escape their financial woes. Even those who had initially remained neutral were now enticed by the promise of easy money. Expert players commenced a thorough search of the town and the Wilderness, with some endeavoring to locate Eric and his teammates, while others focused on preying upon the unwary members of the Martial Alliance.
"Forming a team to hunt Kai Blackthorn's squad. Must be level 6 or above, fully equipped with Bronze Equipment. Meet here if you meet the requirements."
"Martial Alliance members wanted, dead or alive! Level 5 and above, don't miss out on this opportunity!"
Willowbrook Town Square became a hotbed of recruitment, but the targets were no longer monsters—they were fellow players.
Suddenly, the entire player base had become embroiled in the escalating conflict between Eric and the Martial Alliance, turning the once peaceful town into a hunting ground.
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