CHAPTER 230: FIRST DAY OF POWER-LEVELING (4)

—[« Storm-Wyrm’s Ire »]—

Tier: 26

Proficiency: 0.0%

Type: Active

Casting: Instant

[Description]

Unleashes a devastating, short-range blast of condensed lightning that takes the shape of a roaring draconic maw.

[Core Attributes]

Base Power: 22,334,140

Damage Type: Lightning/Arcane

Mana Cost: Variable (2,500 - 10,000 Mana)

[Secondary Effects]

Chain Reaction: The blast arcs from the primary target to additional enemies.

Static Overload: Applies ’Paralysis’ status for 1.5 seconds.

Ozone Sunder: Shreds 30% of the target’s Lightning and Arcane resistance for 10 seconds.

[Acquisition Data]

Source: Dropped by Stormscale Skitterlord

Requirements: Level 250, A.C.U.M.E.N. ≥ 90

—[«END»]—

The second was an item, a dagger that was long enough to be used as a short sword for those short enough to use it that way.

—[« Storm-Edge Kris »]—

Rarity: Rare

Item Level (ILVL): 260 → Tier: 26

Type: Melee

Subtype: Kris

Weight: 0.8 kg

Handedness: One-Handed

BASE STATS

Damage: 842-2527 (Piercing/Lightning)

Attack Speed +15%

Range 2m

Resource Cost: None

CORE ATTRIBUTES

+22.2 F.L.A.I.R.

+13.0 A.C.U.M.E.N.

+5.0 F.L.I.P.

TIERED BONUSES

F.L.A.I.R Scaling: +(Tier × 0.5)% attack speed (+13%)

A.C.U.M.E.N Scaling: +(Tier × 1)% status duration (+26%)

EFFECTS (Rarity-Locked)

Arcing Strike: (F.L.I.P. × 0.5)% chance on hit to chain lightning to (Tier / 5) nearby enemies.

Static Shock: Applies ’Shock’ status (Stun for 0.5 s) on critical hits.

Storm-Edge: All attacks deal (ILVL × 0.2) bonus Lightning damage. (52 bonus damage)

Lightning Rod: (Rarity % / 10) (8%) chance to absorb incoming Lightning damage and heal the wielder.

SOCKETS & REQUIREMENTS

Sockets: 4

Requirements:

Level: 260

Attributes: F.L.A.I.R. ≥ 39, A.C.U.M.E.N. ≥ 20

ACQUISITION

Source: Dropped by Stormscale Skitterlord

—[«END»]—

Reidar turned the kris over in his hand. It was a beautiful, deadly weapon, but its true power was tied to F.L.A.I.R., a poor fit for a summoner like him who fought from a distance. This was a blade for a fast-moving killer, someone who thrived on agility.

This will be a wonderful gift for Jake or Lena.

However, the image of Jake wielding this fit in Reidar’s mind more than it being wielded by Lena. The kid’s trait was perfect for this.

He tucked the item away.

"Reidar!" Seraphine shouted.

He turned. The archer was already on her feet, her bow in hand, her gaze fixed not on him, but on the monsters that were making their way towards them.

"More are coming!"

Reidar turned. There were ten more of the Stormscale Skitterlords coming in their direction. This time, they weren’t just a couple of level 260 monsters, but they were diversified.

...

—[Stormscale Skitterlord—Level 268]—

...

Another one followed, and another. They poured from the various buildings and streets. Within seconds, more than a dozen of the high-level monsters had reached their location, their attention locking onto the survivors.

...

—[Stormscale Skitterlord—Level 271]—

...

—[Stormscale Skitterlord—Level 265]—

...

"Gods above..." Matthias said, taking an involuntary step back. Those things were too strong for him and the others, except for Reidar, to be standing in the open like that.

The Spriggans’ celebration died instantly, replaced by a wave of terror. Their new levels felt meaningless in front of those things. The C.L.A.S.P. points they had just gained were a cruel joke in the face of something that could erase them in seconds. They soon remembered they would die if Reidar wasn’t there with them.

"Hide!" Reidar’s voice cut through their rising panic. "All of you! Get into the rubble, get behind the ridges! Do not engage! Wait for my signal!"

The Spriggans didn’t hesitate. They scrambled for cover, diving behind rubble and inside buildings. Seraphine and Matthias were the last to find cover, slipping into a sturdy building about fifty meters back from where they’d been standing.

Reidar alone remained out in the open. Those monsters didn’t scare him, and they never would. He watched them advance, as pleased as he was when he checked the skill he had just gotten.

His summoned creatures were still there waiting for his orders.

"Well, guys," he said to the creatures. "We do the same thing we did earlier. I don’t think those things will be a problem for you, right?"

There were no replies.

"I’m sure they won’t." He paused. "So, go do your job." He grinned.

His entire force, all Level 260, formed a wall between him and the Skitterlords.

Then the monsters arrived and clashed with the Twin Boulderbacks and the Terran Bulwark.

The Skitterlords were stronger compared to the others, so they weren’t scared that a bunch of lower-level insects, although around a hundred of them, were in front of them. But that was because they didn’t know the many perks that Reidar had and how they affected his summoned minions.

His Spectral Mages conjured the Spectral Steeds just for the sake of adding more creatures in the fray. A Skitterlord spat a ball of lightning, but a Shadow Guardian’s Wall of Night absorbed the blast.

From their hiding place, Matthias, Seraphine, and the rest of the raid watched, awestruck.

This was not the battle they had "fought" before. This was a war between titans. Reidar’s creatures rained hell from above, left, right, below, behind, and in front.

Light Rays seared scales, and Bolts pierced flesh. His skeletons weren’t staying idle either. They started whacking, hacking, and slashing at the monsters with terrible indifference.

It was a systematic, overwhelming extermination. The Spriggans, hidden in the rock, could only watch as their summoner casually commanded a force that could level a city to protect them from a fight they could never have survived.

It was at that moment they understood they were not going to go against Reidar even if they got to his same level. Matthias was the most shocked of them all, but Seraphine’s calm look said something to him, something that he could not understand since he had never seen Reidar’s trait at work.

He was holding back.