Chapter 132: The Assembly of Sealing Designations
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In the end, the Aggregation Heart was enhanced to +7. It had been downgraded three times along the way, and it was only thanks to the item’s low material requirements that he had managed to enhance it at all.
Aggregation Heart +7, E-rank boss accessory
All Attributes +4
Special Effect, Active Skill, Aggregation: Changes the accessory’s “All Attributes +4” effect to “a single attribute +20” for twenty-four hours. Skill cooldown: twenty-four hours.
+3 Enhancement Attribute: All Attributes +1
+6 Enhancement Attribute: All Attributes +2
The Aggregation Heart gained no additional benefits from its individual enhancements between +1 and +6. Instead, an increase to all attributes appeared every three levels. On most other equipment, such an attribute was rather useless, but on the Aggregation Heart, it was an entirely different story. Its Aggregation skill could convert the attribute value into an increase to a single attribute.
A twenty-point increase to a single attribute was something that could only appear on B-rank boss equipment. More importantly, this was a special attribute increase that could effectively be treated as a basic attribute!
“At +9, this equipment’s effects will be terrifying.” The old mage stared at the item’s attributes with considerable astonishment, though what he felt even more strongly was exasperation.
After all, twenty points of basic attributes were somewhat mediocre. Most A-rank boss equipment could replace it.
However, Zhao Tianhe thought for a moment, then opened the material-addition option again. He took out a large bag of materials gathered in Rogue Town, along with a small bag of exclusive materials he had no use for.
He first poured in the ordinary materials. In reality, they increased the material value by 105 points. Materials from low-level dungeons were worth far less than those from high-level dungeons.
After that, Zhao Tianhe tossed in the useless exclusive materials, including various silver chess pieces.
The material value then increased by a full 330 points!
“This…” Li Mei stared blankly at the dozen or so exclusive materials Zhao Tianhe had thrown in.
It was not only her. Jeloxus and the other two were dumbfounded as well.
Even Zhao Tianhe himself was stunned!
He had merely wanted to test whether the materials could be used. He had never expected them not only to work, but to be practically miraculous!
“What kind of materials are those? From an S-rank dungeon?” The old mage Ralph stared at Jeloxus in astonishment.
“Well…” Jeloxus could only sigh inwardly, unable to find the words.
“Brother Zhao, why don’t you let me land the finishing blows on all your monsters from now on?” Li Mei watched Zhao Tianhe take out another small bag of exclusive materials and approached him with tears in her eyes, tugging at his sleeve.
“All right, all right, calm down. First, watch me put on a show.” Zhao Tianhe waved his hand, rolled his neck, and took a deep breath before declaring grandly, “Enhance it to +9—or enhance it until the equipment explodes!”
Ten minutes later, just as everyone was nearly blinded by the golden light, the number on the glass finally changed to +9.
+9 Enhancement Attribute: All Attributes +3
Just as Zhao Tianhe had expected, this attribute appeared. Once converted through Aggregation, the increase to his basic attribute would reach the astonishing total of thirty-five points—something even A-rank boss equipment could not achieve.
Afterward, Zhao Tianhe added another large bag of ordinary materials and a small bag of exclusive materials. Using safe mode, he enhanced three pieces of equipment—the Shadowy Tide’s Voice, the Evil Prison, and the Boiling Tome—to +6.
Evil Prison +6, C-rank boss one-handed spell orb
Dark Element Affinity +9 (Enhancement +6)
Special Attribute, Active Skill, Evil Prison: Imprisons the soul of a monster you have slain. As the price, you receive neither loot nor experience from that kill. Depending on the strength and type of the imprisoned soul, the equipment gains different bonuses. It can imprison, at most, a C-rank boss or an A-rank elite.
Skill cooldown: twenty-four hours. The imprisoned monster soul may be released. Upon release, it becomes an undead monster, and killing it grants loot and experience.
B-rank Enhanced Elite Wraith: Elemental Affinity +2, All Resistances +1, Maximum Mana +50, Maximum Health +50, mana and health regeneration increased by 1 point per second.
+3 Enhancement Attribute: Evil Prison can now imprison A-rank enhanced elites.
+6 Enhancement Attribute: Evil Prison can now imprison B-rank bosses.
Shadowy Tide’s Voice +6, B-rank boss mage robe
Dark Element Affinity +5 (Enhancement +3)
Water Element Affinity +5 (Enhancement +3)
When casting a spell, there is a 0.1%–10% chance of releasing an additional cast. The activation chance depends on the spell’s level, and can trigger spells up to level five.
+3 Enhancement Attribute: When casting a spell, there is a 0.01%–1% chance of releasing one additional cast again. The same conditions apply, and this effect can trigger simultaneously.
+6 Enhancement Attribute: When casting a spell, there is a 0.02%–2% chance of releasing one additional cast again. The same conditions apply, and this effect can trigger simultaneously.
Boiling Tome +6, C-rank boss one-handed spell instrument
Fire Element Affinity +1
Water Element Affinity +1
Mana +110 (Enhancement +60)
Mana regeneration increased by 1–10 points per second. Starting at 1 point, the regeneration rate increases by 1 point every ten seconds. After reaching 10 points, the count resets to 1.
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+3 Enhancement Attribute: Mana regeneration increased by 2 points per second.
+6 Enhancement Attribute: Mana regeneration increased by 4 points per second.
Of the three pieces of equipment, Shadowy Tide’s Voice had improved the most, being B-rank equipment after all. More importantly, what it gained was an additional special ability. If he was lucky, it could even trigger three extra casts at once, giving Zhao Tianhe’s Gatling-style spellcasting an explosive increase in firepower.
Still, if they could obtain a B-rank boss, it would be difficult to say which equipment was stronger.
As for the constitution equipment he was wearing, Zhao Tianhe had no intention of enhancing it or feeding it into the machine as materials. After all, enhancing his health was still very necessary.
“There’s still one bag of unused materials left, but there’s no way Shadowy Tide’s Voice can reach +9…” Zhao Tianhe shook his head.
Going from +6 to +7 required a full 300 points of material value. Judging from the cumulative increases required by the previous enhancements, the total materials needed to reach +9 would probably exceed a thousand points.
“Brother!” A hand landed on Zhao Tianhe’s back. Jeloxus gazed at him with deep emotion.
“Big brother!” Li Mei clung to Zhao Tianhe’s arm, her ample softness pressing against his nerves.
“All right, you two can split it half and half. Take a gamble. Maybe you can reach +6.” Zhao Tianhe tossed the materials in his hand into the equipment enhancement machine.
The bag contained a considerable amount of material, providing a full 390 points of material value.
Li Mei was cautious. She threw in several useless pieces of equipment as well, then combined everything to raise her ring to +6.
This time, Jeloxus did not waste anything either. He used safe mode to raise his staff to +6, then took a few small gambles and brought several pieces of equipment to +3.
When they left the equipment enhancement room, they found several association employees posting all kinds of notices nearby.
“Enhancement requires caution. Gamblers meet a sorry end.”
“Allocate resources sensibly. Enhance safely.”
“Gambler reaches +7—runs naked tomorrow.”
“Protect public property. Reckless destruction of public facilities to vent frustration is forbidden. Violators will be fined at least one hundred gold.”
Two more teams of adventurers were approaching. Seeing the signs, their expressions became extremely cautious, just like those of Zhao Tianhe and his companions moments earlier.
“It seems the cost of using this thing will only grow larger in the future.” The old mage Ralph looked solemnly at the equipment enhancement room. “But speaking of which, the material value provided by Zhao Tianhe’s exclusive materials is actually equivalent to equipment of the same rank. Doesn’t that mean his chance of obtaining equipment from monster kills is one hundred percent?!”
At those words, everyone stared at Zhao Tianhe in astonishment, leaving him somewhat embarrassed.
“How about this?” Jeloxus suggested. “Since none of us can use elite equipment anyway, after we meet up with the other team members, let’s explain the situation to them. Whenever possible, let Ah-He, Altria, and Miss Alei land the finishing blows on all elite monsters. As for bosses, everyone can leave it to fate. After all, A-rank boss equipment is still quite good.”
“Mhm, mhm, mhm!” Tian Xie nodded vigorously in agreement. He had gambled several times today in an attempt to reach +7 and had failed every time. He was extremely unwilling to accept it.
After reaching the airship landing grounds on Shax Island, the group piloted their airship toward a small island closer to the edge of the Endless Sea.
Several minutes later, a small island covering only a few square kilometers appeared in their field of vision.
Magic had reshaped the island’s surroundings into a towering ring of rocky mountains. At the center stood a hill, and atop it was a three-story villa. Two airships were parked nearby.
A man trimming the lawn saw Zhao Tianhe and the others approaching in their airship. He walked over and waved, signaling them to land on a flat area behind the villa.
“Greetings. Are you the new members of the adventurer team assigned by headquarters?” The man, dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt and black shorts, approached them with a smile and introduced himself. “I’m Wei Erxi, manager of the adventurers’ residence on Artificial Island Number Three. I’m responsible for purchasing supplies and maintaining the lawn and garden. There are also two maids in charge of indoor cleaning.”
Hearing his name, Zhao Tianhe thought it sounded unusually auspicious and could not help smiling.
As they walked toward the adventurers’ residence, Zhao Tianhe and the others introduced themselves as well and learned about their teammates.
To their surprise, the adventurer team on Artificial Island Number Three currently consisted of only one existing pair.
Moore, a designated seal target and heroic spirit from the Arctic Empire of another plane.
And Seda Bluestein Cacto, an eighth-level mage with the third-tier professions Godslayer and Sealer…
“Well, they’ve put all the troublesome people together so they can manage us in one place.” Tian Xie laughed. “Speaking of which, our lineup is a huge waste! Two eighth-level mages! Isn’t that right, old man?”
“Not wasteful at all.” Old Mage Ralph shook his head with a smile.
Indeed, for a designated seal target, assigning a high-level mage as a Sealer ensured the safety of both the target and the surrounding environment, allowing the target to grow up soundly.
As long as a designated seal target matured and reached the second tier, it could essentially be guaranteed to possess S-plus-rank combat power.
By comparison, most second-tier native adventurers could only struggle through B- or A-rank dungeons. Even someone as extraordinarily gifted as Jeloxus could reach, at most, S-rank combat power.
Jeloxus pushed open the door, only to find a plain-looking white-haired man pressing a mature woman in a short-skirted maid outfit against the hallway wall. The two of them were kissing passionately.
“Hm?” The man paused for a moment and glanced at the group, especially Li Mei, but his mouth and hands continued moving all the same.
That was, until the maid punched him in the stomach.
“You idiot! No matter what, don’t do things like this in front of people!” The maid covered her chest and kicked the man repeatedly in the head. Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes as she shoved open a nearby door and slammed it behind her.
The five members of Zhao Tianhe’s group stood there dumbfounded. The scene was extraordinarily awkward.
The white-haired man, however, did not appear embarrassed in the slightest. He rose, straightened his hair and clothes, pulled up his trousers, and looked at Li Mei with a grin.
“Haha, you must be the new teammates, right? I’m Moore, the designated seal target. Is this beautiful lady a heroic spirit as well?”
Zhao Tianhe and the others felt their blood pressure rising. They had an overwhelming urge to hit the man.
That bastard had ignored everyone from beginning to end.
In his eyes, there had only ever been Li Mei.
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“Burp. You little bastard, did you make Kiki cry again?” A scruffy middle-aged man wearing nothing but a pair of shorts walked over. He sized up Zhao Tianhe and the others, then finally fixed his gaze on Ralph.
“Heh. Is that you, kid?”
“Yes, it’s me, Big Brother Moore.” Ralph greeted him with a smile. “How have you been lately? Though I suppose things haven’t been going too well?”
“I’m doing all right. This fellow is a bit much, but compared with the others from before, he’s still acceptable. About average.” Seda sighed. “But Jeloxus? What are you doing here? You don’t have the talent to be a barrier mage!”
The man seemed to know Jeloxus. He was probably an elf-blooded person as well. His name alone made that clear; his father’s side most likely descended from the elven race.
Jeloxus, on the other hand, had inherited his elven blood from his mother, which explained why his name was comparatively simple.
“I’ve always been Zhao Tianhe’s partner. Until Li Mei has matured, I’ll form a Sealer partnership with her.” Jeloxus spoke with a calm expression.
“Heh.” Seda shook his head, tipped back his neck, and took a swig of liquor before letting out a long breath. “Don’t joke around! Do you know what these people really are?”
As he spoke, he patted Moore on the back of the head.
“Hey, hey! Just because I respect my elders, don’t think you can bully me!” Moore said unhappily.
With a wet smack, a section of pitch-black sword blade suddenly emerged from Seda’s hand and pierced into Moore’s forehead.
The group sucked in a breath of cold air. They could clearly see the black tip of the sword protruding from the back of Moore’s head.
Zhao Tianhe raised his right hand, as though gripping something invisible, while his left hand summoned the Gemstone Sword.
Li Mei and Tian Xie also assumed fighting stances, and several barriers instantly appeared.
Tian Xie’s arms swelled violently. Large quantities of black muscle burst through his skin and spread across his body. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a hulking, faceless giant covered in black muscle.
“Don’t be nervous.”
The victim, Moore, merely smiled and waved his hand.
He took several steps backward, pulling his head free from the sword blade. With an exasperated expression, he said, “Seriously, stop showing off my abilities in such terrifying ways!”
Moore turned toward Li Mei. Pointing at the wound on his forehead, which had already healed and left behind only a trace of blood, he grinned and said, “Don’t worry, beautiful. I’ll always stand in front of you and protect you.”
“Because I’m immortal!” Moore declared with a laugh. “The greatest tank in the entire world! The invincible immortal Moore! Hahaha!”
“Yeah, but you’ve already died once.” Tian Xie returned to his normal form, looking puzzled. “How did you die?”
“Hey, hey! I didn’t have immortality before I died, all right? I was famous for my vitality even back then, but I was still only a mortal. Things are different now. My innate ability has given me an indestructible body.” Moore answered with some impatience. “Anyway! I’m going to protect every beautiful woman in the world. I’ll fight for all the women in the world and across the entire universe! I am justice’s immortal champion!”
As he spoke, he looked toward Li Mei again.
“Oh. Then I’ll be relying on you from now on.” Li Mei nodded politely. “My name is Li Mei. I’m a novice barrier mage.”
Zhao Tianhe, looking even more impatient, stepped forward and asked Seda, “Where’s the kitchen? And don’t use your age as an excuse to talk nonsense to my partner!”
“You? Heh…” Seda looked at Zhao Tianhe’s attitude, shook his head, and pointed behind him. “Keep going straight. Turn right after the living room.”
The others followed Wei Erxi upstairs to look around and choose their rooms.
“I’m not like you. At least I’ll keep working hard until the very end.” As he passed Seda, Jeloxus spoke in a low voice.
“Hmph…” Only after everyone had left did Seda shake his head and mutter, “You’ll end up as desperate as I am, because you still don’t understand how powerful these monsters are…”
Most Sealers were exceptionally gifted prodigies, and prodigies naturally possessed their pride.
Unfortunately, the designated seal targets they spent years interacting with possessed terrifying talents that surpassed even genius. Every one of them was a monster, practically a cheater blessed by fate!
After watching these people create miracle after miracle for years, seeing them grow stronger simply by eating, sleeping, and even flirting, most Sealers gradually became psychologically twisted.
Many, like Seda, began to lose their sense of purpose. They developed severe mental illnesses and eventually wanted nothing more than to become lazy good-for-nothings, drifting through the rest of their lives in a daze.
To be honest, after learning that the technique known as the Cycle of Victory in the Great Battlefield had actually been created by Zhao Tianhe, Jeloxus had also fallen into a moment of confusion.
However, his mental fortitude was strong. Rather than leaving Zhao Tianhe to search for another partner, he had decided to work even harder and continue following him.
In the kitchen, Zhao Tianhe took the cooking utensils from his spatial equipment and arranged them properly. He then inspected the ingredients in the refrigerator and began preparing the routine evening quest.
Alei had not gone on a date with him for several days, and Zhao Tianhe still had not found an opportunity to ask her about it privately. It was causing him considerable distress.
“Courage, strength, presence, confidence…” Zhao Tianhe muttered absently as he chopped vegetables.
Suddenly, the smell of something burning drifted over. Zhao Tianhe was startled and had just begun to turn around when a figure had already lifted the frying pan from the stove.
In the frying pan beside it was a special meal he had prepared for Pixie: a layer of crisped rice.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you one of the new adventurers?” asked an elven woman dressed in a maid outfit. Her light green hair was tied with a jade ring and fell straight to her waist. She had delicate features and a tall, graceful figure.