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Chapter 256: The Generous

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“…he… I feel like… like he’s…”

Before Siva could finish muttering, Thorn came back rushing, panting, and face slightly pale with his excitement unable to be hidden.

“How did you do it?!” he exclaimed when he got close to Siva and the rest, “I mean… where did this came from?!”

Thorn pulled out an item from his inventory and upon seeing this, the people around them, including the new Company members, all exclaimed in shock and surprise.

It was an item that emitted a black luster as smoke and seemingly heatless fire escaped its skin like a sun that kept spewing bursts of arching fires.

“That’s a Black Ball!” exclaimed one of the healers.

“Black Ball!”

“Damn! Looking at its size, it’s definitely a High-ranking Black Ball at that!”

“Just when and where did that come from?”

By now, none of the people who standing on this castle wall has the heart to still tell themselves they’re a member of The Legion. Everyone else here is now a member of The Company… or just whatever organization Siva represents.

The person they recognize as their leader right at this moment was none other than Siva because it was Siva who had proposed those words earlier and it was also him who had the authority over all of the assets they currently have.

With this given, they have no choice but to blindly believe his words.

Given this fact, Siva didn’t answer their demands and just stretched a shaky hand as Thorn handed him the Black Ball.

He said gratefully, “This ball… came from the arm I cut off from Mefisto earlier.”

“…!!”

Only those who were in the Cellar Dungeons at that time would know what Siva meant by this…

When Mefisto barged in earlier, his greed towards the MODs on Scion’s hands made him ignore the people around him, including Siva, and this was an opening that the latter used to heavily injure him and cut off his right arm.

But who would’ve thought that just his right arm is already a high-ranking Black Ball.

Judging from the size and its [spirit], this Black Ball is at least able to give someone a Black Tech that can create 7 or 8 [Forms] without issues.

Siva then looked at Scion and said, “I have a weapon called Erebus that goes well with an Invention I made called The Orb. I’ll give that to you to better help you protect yourself in the future.”

Hearing this, the Acolytes couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. Such special treatment… gifting his scary and powerful [Reaper Puppets] just like that was just too extravagantly generous.

If it was any other player, everyone here would’ve reacted violently. But seeing that there was a special connection between her and Siva, they just bit their lips and shut up to endure the pangs of their greed screaming loudly in their ears.

Thorn gulped but he also knew where Siva’s ‘care’ was coming from.

Scion may be beautiful but their relationship goes way far and beyond before this meeting. These two knew each other in the world and this weird flowery eye-to-eye contact between them started even before they met Scion inside the game.

A beauty like her should be famous in the outside world, but sadly, she was already taken.

Scion shook her head, “I… I really don’t know how to use these things in this game. I don’t know if it would even be useful if I used it…”

Siva pulled up a holo screen and then swiped if to her, saying earnestly, “I will teach you how to use them properly. By the way, The Orb goes better if you have a «Telekinesis Magic Spell Set» so that you don’t have to carry it physically around like I do… thus giving you leeway to use your hands more freely.”

Very few people know, not including Siva, about Scion’s [Unique Ability].

One should remember that a [Unique Ability] will only show on players that put 100% of their bonus stat points at the beginning of their careers on one particular Battel Stat.

This Battle Stat should be one of the nine, starting from STRENGTH, AGILITY, DEXTERITY, MANA, INTELLIGENCE, STAMINA, CHARM, VITALITY, and SPIRIT.

Adding more than 40% of the bonus stat points to one of these Battle Stats morph the stats into their next level.

STR = POWER

AGI = SPEED

DEX = CONSTITUTION

MNA = ENERGY (or just Mana)

INT = WISDOM

STA = ENDURANCE

CHA = CHARISMA

VIT = DURABILITY

The second level always has a better effect than the first. For example, if player has a second level form of his/her Mana (which is Energy), then their Mana regeneration rate when in meditation are at least double that of its basic form.

That said, the POW battle stat, with the help of high amounts of “Weight Units” (we) can help players lift equipments double their own weights.

But of course, the POW stat is more related to the amount of damage one can deal when using graded weapon(s), while “we” details mainly at how much weight they can physically carry outside their inventories.

While players can only upgrade their Battle Stats manually at the start of their carriers, they can still upgrade them through training, or doing certain exercises, or by equipping items that has boosting effects on certain stats.

Although there are quests and missions that gives out Stat Points as rewards, those stat points can’t be used to upgrade Battle Stats.

Instead, they are used to upgrade stats like “we”, or increase Inventory slots, or decrease their player avatar’s hunger rate to better manage the amount of food items they consume, or even use these stats to “buy” certain aesthetic-appearance upgrades outside of actually creating clothes that can be considered fashion when worn outside the game.

*****

Although Siva wasn’t aware of her exact stat specs, he was still told that her magic ability was quite high and that she can regenerate Mana faster than most average players.

That said, for «Erebus» who demands so much in terms of Mana requirements, and with The Orb supporting Erebus’ reaper puppets, adding to that her special spells «Burning Ice» and «Freezing Fire», once she used the Black Tech along with The Orb and her magic spells, she had at least more than 300% increased rate of defending herself… even when against Heller’s standards.

Siva’s concern was actually to increase her ability to defend herself because he knew, to where he is going; he can’t bring her along with him. He can’t risk it.

Although they don’t have a verbal agreement on anything, Scion was just too important to him.

He can’t let anything like this happen to her again!

“Just receive it.” Siva didn’t waste any more time and immediately began to transfer the ‘items’ to her. “I will be able to breathe calmly if I know that you are protected by my an equipment of my own creation… I trust that you will know how to use them better than I.”

Scion wanted to argue but seeing Siva’s insistent gaze, she could only wipe her tears and nod in agreement.

After confirming the ‘trade’, Siva said to Thorn, “I apologize for ordering you like that.”

Thorn was startled but only for a moment as he laughed dryly and sighed, “I know why you sent me down there. So you don’t have to say it.”

“Well, since you’re already that set, I now hereby lift my ownership of the items I gave you. Think of it as payment for your consideration of my selfishness and stubbornness.”

Thorn blinked before recovering a few moments later. It was indeed true that if he could really own all of those S-Ranked swords that Siva gave him, his overall fighting ability would actually increase by many levels.

What more, included on those ‘items’ was the Magic Spell Set “Polar Mastery” that goes very well like a twin sister to the MOD Spell Set that is Karim’s «Deva’s Path».

It should be noted that Siva really is reluctant to part with these two abilities.

One BIG reason being that if he happens to actually complete the «Five Sacred Seal of the Pentagon», then hunting S-Ranked monsters would become very easy since the Polar Mastery Spell Set can help him control their placing while the Deva’s Path MOD Spell Set will enable him to withdraw and launch objects like weapons while he sets up The Seal.

Do take note that the Five Sacred Seal of the Pentagon is a Magical Item Set that when completed and successfully set, will create a barrier of Mana that stuns and incapacitates any living thing that touches its walls.

It could work from the inside or the outside and it all depends from the caster. In fact, it can even work on both sides, with the caster only paying more Mana to maintain the pentagon formation.

Although it is very User-dependent and cannot be activated without Mana, its ability is still enough to actually threaten even the mythical dragons.

Thus, albeit reluctant to part with these item sets, Siva felt that rewarding Thorn with his hard work and dedication as his companion was also part of being a man when receiving favor from another. It was just proper to gift him such items.

Siva could only give away.

But as for Volt and his Dragunov and Black Ender… well, it was a different matter.

Dragunov and Black Ender were both S-Ranked [Dragon Weapons] that can still be improved further given the right materials.

Siva also still has the [Lapis Lazuli Mana Core] that he got from the first Lapis Lazuli of the two that he captured.

The second being locked in one of the hangar bays on his hangar islands.

He still hasn’t found the right usage for this Mana Core but if he wished it, he could improve Dragunov with it.

With the Black Ender, however, he planned that its final [evolution] is not with any normal way of ‘upgrade’… because the Black Ender still has an unused “once-only” mechanical function.

The «Integration» mechanical function —it can absorb and integrate anything.

What was good about this function is that whatever it had absorbed into it can be used as the upgrade in itself, serving as the Mechanical Function of the weapon.

Siva had planned before to use the Black Ender to absorb the rusted ancient «Sword of Triune».

It was the reason why he chose this sword over the armor when he had defeated the Guardian of the Forest back in the Forest of Anazon.

As such, he can’t part with it no matter what.

Thus, after this incident, he can’t just “thank you” this and let it all off just like that. He had to give out compensations and rewards for those people who had truly helped him.

Rentaw, Debra, Volt, and Marshal D’Catch’s Fleet.

He had to think of gifts that could properly compensate these four parties.

The marshal’s reward was easy. He had the Rewloola to gift away.

Rentaw and Debra… if his impression of them was correct, he can just gift them a few hundred of those looted S-Rank Inventions.

As for Volt… with extreme reluctance and very high and piles upon piles of personal considerations, he can give away the Dragunov but he just can’t part away with the Black Ender since the materials he has to create it again is not enough, even considering that he has one last batch of Dragon materials left in his stash.

The Black Ender was just that special.

*****

On the other hand, the effects of their little secret play became evident from the faces of the people present around them.

It was true, though. Aside from Thorn, Volt was the second person Siva could whole-heartedly trust in this very moment.

Yes, he could also trust the rest of the Acolytes, but there was a hidden implication why he sent Thorn down there instead.

It’s because out of them all, Siva wanted to tell everyone that he clearly will treat anyone he trust with utmost ‘care’. It was an invitation to everyone to at least copy the attitude that Thorn and Volt has when he was with Siva.

Friend, advisor, companion, and a trusted ally…

If they serve The Company accordingly, they will receive gifts from Siva that could basically make them drool even in their sleep.

When the gifting had transcribed, Siva then faced the horizons towards the city. His mind was on the thing Gabriel said: if he can walk, they can talk.

There’s just so many things he wanted to ask him.

Right now, he was still being supported by Scion and thus, technically and figuratively, he was still not able to walk.

When Siva was lost on these thoughts, Coralline, who just continued to watch him and wasn’t saying a word, spoke at this moment: “Then, can you tell us who that person was?”

By who, every one of them knew who she was referring to. Yes, it wasn’t Siva who defeated and banished those two terrifying existence earlier. It was a man with red imperial robes who cast magic as if he was deciding a dance’s tempo.

With but a snap of his fingers, a Magic Circle appeared in the sky and expulsed the enemies.

If that guy earlier was an enemy, they would’ve all been dead if he attacked. But he didn’t and he also saved Siva. Of all the things they weren’t aware of, they were still sure that that guy wasn’t a gamer and is probably one of those [secret NPCs] scattered in the game.

One should remember that these so called [Secret NPCs] are characters that held tremendous power and once one had accomplished and/or unlocked certain conditions, they could either be rewarded or slain by these monstrous existences.

As such, they could only ask now since there might really be no more chance in the future to find out who that man is.

Siva looked back at her and then shook his head with resignation, “Unfortunately, I’m not sure myself who he was. All I know is that I somehow have a connection to him and that he wants to tell me some important things. He only gave me some time to recover from my injuries and so I have to proceed as soon as possible.”

Having said this, he prompted Scion to bring him at the edge of the castle wall and as he did so, he pulled up a few Blue Potions and propped them up on his mouth.

It should be noted that players normally only drink one Blue Potion each time because it is just too much expensive, in comparison to the fact that it only refills 25% each vial.

Besides, under normal circumstances, players can just meditate and regenerate their Mana/Energy in five to ten minutes, tops, without having to spend a single Zentra.

On high-level combats, players only use the Blue Potion when they “accidentally” totally used up all their MNA and had succumbed to the [Deprived Status] where in order to recover; they had to use an item called [Mana Crystal] before using the potion to recover fast.

Taking two at the same time may indeed double the effects of a single vial at a time, but for the players, it is just throwing in money in the air.

Of course they didn’t know that Siva can’t regenerate Mana on his own.

“I know he’s rich but this is just...” When Rentaw thought of this, he couldn’t help but feel dejected for some reason.

Remembering just how many thousands of S-Ranked Weapons Siva had on his Loot Inventory right now, and that all of it was his alone compared to him that he had to share it within his Guild’s Treasury… all the more he could feel that Siva is just too generously extravagant in spending cash.

But he just kept it on his own.

Coralline and the rest did not pursue the former topic and could only silently watch how the events would unfold in this moment.

Siva didn’t even want to waste time as he called out through a calmly loud and clear voice.

“Akhenaton.”

With that call, booming explosions of a rushing lump of living metal rung from afar and Akhenaton’s running figure could be seen, still carrying his golden staff-scepter.

With a final boom, Akhenaton leaped up and then ‘reconnected himself’ with the [crown], resuming his expressionless presence with the only difference being his visible injuries.

After doing so, the eternal night curse instantly covered and spread again within the surrounding 20km because the Apus Epirus and the crown was locked 2km high above the ground.

But… the good thing about this action is that as soon as he reconnected to that [crown], the conspicuous superficial injuries on his golden body all began to heal in a visible manner.

This greatly surprised everybody else.