CHAPTER 222: A TRIP TO THE VENDOR (3)

Reidar turned his attention to the first skill, the Mark of Frailty, which was a potent curse capable of reducing a target’s physical and magic resistances by forty-five percent for a duration of sixty seconds.

The skill’s description noted that once the duration expired, the target would suffer a burst of magic damage calculated based on the total damage they had received while marked.

That’s massive.

As he analyzed the mechanics, he began to calculate the mathematical implications of the debuff. Since the curse reduced resistance, his summons would naturally deal significantly higher damage, meaning his spells would hit with greater force.

As a consequence, the Efreeti’s fire attacks would become far more effective against hardened targets, while the Boulderbacks’ force would be able to penetrate deeper into enemy defenses.

He realized that the potential for burst damage at the end of the duration was equally devastating.

If he marked a target and focused all his firepower on it, the resulting explosion when the mark finally expired could be enough to finish them entirely.

Of course, this strategy relied on the assumption that the creature could survive the initial onslaught, though the Twin Boulderback Behemoths would likely make quick work of anything that tried to resist.

This works perfectly with everything I currently have.

Next on the list was Bastion of Will, a skill that created a protective aura that boosted his defense by thirty percent while making him immune to both fear and stagger effects. Although it carried a four-minute cooldown, the benefits were unquestionable.

He imagined using it shortly before engaging in serious fights, buffing both himself and his summons in a single action. As a result, the Boulderbacks would become even more resilient tanks, while his own resilience would increase drastically.

The immunity to crowd control meant that nothing would be able to lock him down or break his concentration during important moments.

Following that was Font of Life, which worked as a massive area-of-effect heal. With a one-hundred-meter radius, the spell restored an intricate three hundred five million health, though it was limited by a five-minute cooldown.

That’s enough to bring an entire raid back from near death, especially considering the level difference between me and everyone else.

However, the channel time was long at five seconds, which meant Reidar would need protection while casting it.

Luckily, his summons could give that necessary defensive perimeter. Given that the healing amount was staggering, it was a fair trade-off, as the spell could effectively undo catastrophic damage in a single cast.

Universal Panacea rounded out his arsenal, offering an instant-cast ability that cleared every debuff up to Tier 26 within a thirty-meter radius. Plus, it left him and his allies with three seconds of immunity afterward, providing just enough time to reset their footing and continue fighting.

This meant there would be no more getting locked down by poison, curses, or debilitating status effects, although those afflictions often applied to his summons rather than to him directly.

Regardless of who was targeted, one quick cast ensured everything was cleansed instantly.

Reidar took a moment to consider the synergy between these new abilities. He could use Mark of Frailty to increase damage output, while Bastion of Will would increase defense. Meanwhile, Font of Life gave him the ability to heal massive amounts of damage, and Universal Panacea made sure he could remove any debuffs that slipped through.

Complete coverage, spanning offense, defense, healing, and cleansing.

"I’ll take all five," Reidar said.

Zix’s mandibles clicked. "You have good taste and large pockets. These are popular among high-level survivors on other worlds."

"I can guess why. Oh!" He said. "I also need some new equipment. Appropriate for my level."

The holographic display shifted again, populating the air with equipment, specifically Tier 26 pieces that were designed for summoners. Without hesitation, he bought the items.

Reidar gained a wand that was enchanted to transform his summon damage to include toxin effects based on his attributes. It increased the duration of his summons by fifty percent, while its attacks carried a chance of restoring his mana.

Next, he selected a circlet that increased his summon mana capacity by twenty-six percent and boosted his movement speed by fifty percent. In addition to these buffs, it reduced his overall mana costs by thirteen percent.

To complete the set, he chose robes that allowed for an additional non-elemental summon while simultaneously increasing summon health and resistances.

He examined each piece, noting that every item was designed to enhance his summons in some way. The gear improved duration, speed, damage, defense, critical hit rates, and accuracy.

His new gear strengthened his summons, making sure they would be faster, tougher, and deadlier in combat. With this specialized setup, his creatures would be able to fight harder and last much longer, giving him the edge he needed to survive even the most harrowing encounter.

"I will take the full set," Reidar said.

Zix grinned, an expression he couldn’t help but show because Reidar had just brought him millions in profit.

Zix’s eyes seemed to shine, showing the joy the merchant was feeling. "You have made considerable investments today."

"My father requires safety, and I need to be stronger." Reidar looked at the alien. "By the way, thank you."

"Survival is always good business," Zix said. "Do return if you find you need more."

It was at that moment that Reidar’s eyes fell on something in the interface’s corner, an item category he didn’t know even existed.

—[«ATTRIBUTE STONES»] —

Reidar’s attention snagged on the text, reacting to a voice he hadn’t noticed before.

"What exactly are those? " Reidar asked.

Zix followed his gaze, and the alien’s mandibles clicked with renewed interest. "Ah, the Attribute Stones. Had you not seen one yet? I assumed you did!"

"This is the first time I have heard of them."

Zix nodded in understanding.

"They are quite rare and incredibly powerful." The display changed, and detailed information appeared beside the name as the item interface opened up for inspection.

It became immediately apparent that there were multiple options available for a single item type.

"Attribute stones do exactly what you think they do," Zix said. "They directly increase your attributes."

What the fuck?!

"There are Lesser Stones of S.H.I.E.L.D., for instance, which increase a single attribute, specifically S.H.I.E.L.D. It grants one full point on the stat when it is consumed."

Reidar leaned closer to the display, intrigued. "Consumed?"

"Yes, you physically absorb it. The effect is permanent, and your attribute increases immediately upon consumption."

Reidar typically gained half a point per Level, which meant that such an item would be worth two full levels, all from just one stone.

"There are other varieties as well."

"You have the Lesser Stone of A.C.U.M.E.N. and F.L.A.I.R., for example." Zix’s eyes glinted mischievously.

"There is a stone for each combination, and the one for A.C.U.M.E.N. and F.L.A.I.R. splits its power to increase the two attributes, granting half a point to each one."

"So, single-attribute stones give more points in a single attribute, while increasing the number of attributes results in fewer points per attribute?"

"That is correct. The total bonus is fixed by the grade of the stone." There were specific grades for these items.

"You receive one point for Lesser, 1.5 for Common, and 2 for Greater, scaling up to 3 for perfect. The more attributes you split across, the less each individual attribute gains."

Reidar studied the display, realizing that stones with four attributes would give only a quarter point to each attribute, at least at the basic grades. However, stones that focused on one attribute gave the full amount to that specific stat.

"What about the cost?"

Zix pulled up another display to show the pricing structure. "Common grade costs more than lesser, significantly more. Naturally, Greater grades are even higher, while Perfect grade stones are almost impossible to find."

The prices appeared on the screen.

Lesser grade: one million.

Common grade: ten million.

Greater grade: one hundred million.

Major grade: one billion.

Perfect grade: ten billion.

Reidar’s breath caught in his throat. After all his recent purchases, he calculated that he still had four million points left, which was just enough for four Lesser Stones.

"Are these gains truly permanent?" Reidar asked.

"Yes. They stack with your natural progression, they stack with equipment bonuses, and they stack with everything else."

Reidar considered his options carefully. As a summoner, his summons scaled in number directly with his attributes.

A higher A.C.U.M.E.N. score meant stronger magical armies, while higher F.L.A.I.R. improved his casting speed and critical hits. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. would help him survive incoming attacks, and F.L.I.P. would give him better rewards and rare drops.

He had the budget for four stones, totaling four million points. He could buy four Lesser Stones focused on different attributes, or he could buy stones that split their power across multiple stats to spread the bonus.

"Can I buy four Lesser Stones?" Reidar asked.

"If you have the points for it." Zix gestured at the display. "Which attributes interest you the most?"

Reidar thought about his build and his immediate needs. His summons required his A.C.U.M.E.N. to be strong to be effective. His survival depended on S.H.I.E.L.D., and his luck determined his rewards.

I need balance, but focused power helps more right now.

"I want to see all the Lesser grade options," Reidar said.

The display expanded, and stones appeared for every combination. There were Single attribute stones, Dual attribute stones, Triple, and Quad, each one listed with its own cost and its own specific trade-offs.

"Give me four A.C.U.M.E.N. attribute stones."