Chapter 148 The Stygian Alliance
With CelestialParagon's demise, his body dissolved into motes of light, leaving behind only the echo of his frustration.
Eric examined the dropped dagger, its blade so sharp it seemed to slice the air itself.
"Blade of Shadows..." he murmured, reading the weapon's description. It was, as he suspected, a top-tier Assassin weapon.
[Blade of Shadows: Dagger, Mithril level, Equipment Level 8, Class Restriction: Assassin.
Attack: 51
Strength +5
Agility +12
Attack Speed +2
Durability: 35/60
Passive Skill: Blade Edge - 15% chance on attack to ignore 50% of the target's defense for 10 seconds. Cannot stack.]
'No wonder he was hitting so hard,' Eric thought, impressed.
The dagger was designed for speed and lethality, perfect for an agile Assassin like CelestialParagon. He estimated its value to be at least 1 gold.
"Well, that's CelestialParagon taken care of. He'll be licking his wounds for a while," Eric said, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
He had been apprehensive about the constant menace posed by the Assassin; however, subsequent to their encounter, and subsequent to demonstrating the true might of Frost Azure Flame to CelestialParagon, he harbored doubts that the Assassin would be keen on a prompt rematch. Not only had he lost a level and all his equipment, but he had also provided Eric with a new toy.
"Eric, that was incredible! You were like a god of fire! I felt the heat all the way over here! I never knew Swordsmen had it in them. Maybe I should have been a Swordsman..." Tonny gushed, rushing over to Eric, his eyes wide with awe as he stared at the fading embers of Frost Azure Flame. "You could use that move to pick up girls, you know? They'd be all over you!"
Tonny seemed oblivious to the fact that they had just killed another player.
For him, CelestialParagon was just another name, one of the many elites in the Martial Alliance. It was only natural that Eric had won. What truly captivated him was the sheer visual spectacle of the azure flames.
Eric shook his head, a wry smile on his face. Tonny's priorities were... unique.
"It's not a Swordsman skill, Tonny. It's an Exotic Flame. It boosts my attack power," Eric explained patiently.
"Exotic Flame?" Tonny's brow furrowed.
He might not have understood what an Exotic Flame was, but he knew that anything capable of boosting attack power had to be incredibly valuable. He wasn't jealous, not really. He was happy for Eric, genuinely so. The stronger Eric was, the safer they would be. No one would dare to mess with them.
Ezio, who had finished gathering the loot, approached them. He, too, was stunned by the sight of Eric wreathed in azure flames, the heat radiating off of him. For a moment, he had thought Eric possessed some hidden class. Tonny's explanation, however flawed, had clued him into the true nature of Frost Azure Flame.
This was Eric's trump card, a secret weapon. If word got out, everyone would be after it. And yet, Eric had shared this secret with him. It was a sign of trust, a bond that Ezio wouldn't betray.
"We should get moving. That Riverbeast won't be the last one we kill today. And once CelestialParagon respawns, he'll likely call for reinforcements," Eric said, his gaze shifting towards the Steelhide Riverbeast in the distance.
Tonny concurred with a nod, knowing delaying was not an option. He commenced the recitation of incantations, readying his magical constructs to aid Eric in subduing the creature.
The Steelhide Riverbeast might have had high defense and health, but its poor eyesight made it easy to manipulate.
Eric's strategy was simple: engage, unleash his burst damage, then retreat. Tonny would provide ranged support, and when Eric's cooldowns reset, he would use Diabolic Lash to restrict the Riverbeast's movements, giving Ezio an opening to use Tendon Severance before dodging away. Once Eric was more than 75 feet away, the Riverbeast would lose track of him, its aggro resetting. They would repeat this pattern until the beast fell.
This time, Eric didn't hold back. He activated Frost Azure Flame, his attack power surging by 20%, and the potency of his ice and fire skills amplified by 40%.
The difference was immediately noticeable. Even his basic attacks were now capable of inflicting significant damage. Cleaving Strike cleaved through the Riverbeast's defenses, dealing 50-60 damage per hit. Inferno Thunderstorm, amplified by the Exotic Flame, slammed into the beast, dealing over 400 damage.
The Riverbeast, despite its robust defenses, was steadily losing ground.
Minutes later, with a final, earth-shuddering roar, the Steelhide Riverbeast collapsed, its life force extinguished. Four items materialized beside its massive corpse, along with a generous amount of experience points.
Thanks to the Blessing of Shadows, the loot was better than they had expected. Two pieces of level 15 Bronze equipment, a Tier 1 Strength Gem, and some valuable Bronze-level leatherworking materials. Normally, a level 15 elite would only drop a single piece of Bronze equipment and some basic materials aside from experience.
"Let's go. Time to find ourselves another Riverbeast," Eric said, already moving towards their next target.
The Silent Marshlands were vast, at least two to three times larger than Tempest Canyon. The areas inhabited by Marshland Riverbeasts were scattered throughout the region, making it difficult for a group of even one or two hundred players to effectively hunt them down.
Moreover, Eric knew these marshes like the back of his hand. He had spent over twenty days here before his rebirth, memorizing the locations of the densest Riverbeast populations, the areas with the fastest respawn rates, and even the spawn points of elite monsters. For now, though, they would stick to hunting Steelhide Riverbeasts. The other creatures in these marshes were far more dangerous, lacking any easily exploitable weaknesses.
"The exp gain here is insane! I thought Tempest Canyon was fast, but I'm already level 9! In another three hours, I'll hit level 10 and be ready for Silvervale City. Those guild elites are probably still stuck at level 9," Tonny said, his voice filled with excitement. "If only Cola and the others were here... all six of us could be in Silvervale City by nightfall. We'd be the first squad to make it!"
Ezio nodded in agreement.
Leveling up with Eric was like a cheat code. They were progressing ten times faster than anyone else. Even if the Martial Alliance caught up to them, even if they died, they could easily regain the lost levels and then some. They had nothing to fear.
Meanwhile, in the slums of Willowbrook Town, CelestialParagon sat alone in the Drunken Heart Bar, nursing a drink. The other patrons gave him a wide berth, unwilling to attract his attention. He radiated an aura of barely contained rage, and no one wanted to be on the receiving end of it.
"Damn it! That was costly..." he muttered, his voice tight with anger. He was more upset about the lost equipment, especially the Blade of Shadows, than the lost level.
Experience could be regained. Time would heal that wound. But equipment, especially top-tier gear like his, was different. It had taken him weeks to acquire those items, hunting down rare monsters and completing difficult quests.
"What was that azure flame? It tore through my Dark Iron gear like it was nothing, even damaged my Mithril daggers..." The memory of Frost Azure Flame sent a shiver down his spine. For a player, the destruction of their equipment was a fate worse than death.
The prospect of every encounter with Eric potentially leading to the loss of his hard-earned gear was petrifying.
"CelestialParagon, you look like you could use a friend." A man with a neatly trimmed mustache and a friendly demeanor settled into the seat across from him. He wore a dark cloak that concealed his features.
"Sutharos. What brings you here?" CelestialParagon's usual coldness melted away slightly at the sight of the newcomer.
"I'm here to congratulate you, of course," Sutharos said, a knowing smile on his face. "You've been wanting to join The Stygian Alliance for quite some time now. It seems they've finally recognized your talents. You've been deemed worthy of becoming an outer member. You understand what that means, don't you?"
"What? I passed the review?" CelestialParagon nearly leaped out of his seat, his previous anger and frustration forgotten. Even the loss of the Blade of Shadows paled in comparison to this news.
He had been trying to join The Stygian Alliance for three years, enduring countless tests and trials. Now, finally, he had been recognized, accepted into their ranks.
The Stygian Alliance was shrouded in secrecy, but their power, both in the real world and in the virtual realms, was undeniable. They controlled vast resources, wielded influence in high places, and possessed information that most could only dream of. Even knowing the identities of some of their outer members was enough to send shockwaves through any organization.
For some unknown reason, they had turned their attention to virtual games a decade ago.
CelestialParagon, a professional assassin in the real world, had been recruited specifically for his skills in these virtual battlegrounds.
And now, with their focus shifting to Divine Realms: Legends, he had dedicated himself entirely to the game. To finally become a part of their inner circle... it was a dream come true.
"CelestialParagon, weren't you level 9 before? How come you're level 8 now? Did you get killed by another player? Sutharos chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.
He knew CelestialParagon's reputation. A top-tier Assassin, equipped with top-tier gear, including Mithril weapons and a variety of rare, high-level skills. Few in Willowbrook Town could best him in a fair fight. Even those who could only have a 60% chance of success at best.
The only person he knew of who had a chance of killing CelestialParagon, and even then, only a slim one, was the Ice Goddess herself.
And even if CelestialParagon decided to run, she wouldn't be able to catch him.
To see him drop a level... Sutharos had assumed it was the result of some high-risk quest gone wrong.
But seeing the dark look on CelestialParagon's face, he realized he had guessed wrong.
"Don't tell me... you actually got killed? By who?"
"You didn't provoke Ice Goddess Isabella, did you? Tell me you weren't that foolish."
CelestialParagon's silence confirmed his suspicions. Sutharos choked on his drink, his eyes wide with disbelief.
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