novelraw Chapter 129-2: Valkyrie of Battle! (2)
Chapter 129-2: Valkyrie of Battle! (2)
He was about to enlarge the Earth Giant’s body and change this NPC’s Shell ownership,
When he suddenly froze.
He flipped back to the description of the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan.
Refined copper skin… semi-mechanical body… a self-propelling copper base… a massive frame that filled half the factory…
Every keyword screamed that even if he killed the Doll Artisan, the compatibility would never match.
“Damn it!”
Grumbling, he resentfully clicked ‘No.’
To upgrade the maid doll to the highest tier, never mind the Ultra-Grade refined copper materials, the five hundred thousand Spirit Essence cost alone was a price he couldn’t even dream of affording.
[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan sees your empty wallet and tells you: to modify a doll, you must be prepared to pay the price.]
[But if you’re willing to help it with a small task, it is willing to waive the entire transformation fee. As for the materials needed, there are ways to obtain those too.][If you’re lucky, it might even be possible to upgrade your doll to the highest tier: the ‘Battle Angel – Valkyrie.’]
Lin Xun raised an eyebrow.
Battle Angel – Valkyrie? Just hearing the name, he could already feel the screen struggling to contain her overwhelming power.
Helping an NPC with a ‘small task’ basically meant a quest.
[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan tells you that deep within the factory lies another highly skilled doll artisan. Unfortunately, that former colleague has long since lost themselves in the sea of knowledge.]
[Unlike itself, that colleague was obsessed with creating massive dolls, brutal, savage, and utterly lacking in aesthetics. They bore no resemblance to its elegant maid dolls and were downright ugly.]
[Although that colleague’s dolls were crude and lacked finesse, their combat power was undeniable.]
[If you can defeat that lost colleague and bring back parts from their body, the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan will waive all transformation costs for you.]
[Do you accept the mission issued by the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan?]
Lin Xun accepted without hesitation.
What, just slaying a monster?
Boss-slayer, monster-hunter, merciless loot harvester, those were all just a few of his many nicknames.
[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan nods with satisfaction and wishes you a triumphant return.]
[You look toward the far end of the factory, where a massive passage connects to the next sector.]
[Would you like to step into it?]
[You enter the passage, continuing toward the next factory…]
After passing the Doll Artisan, monster numbers surged. The enemy ranks shifted from maxing out at Intermediate XX-Type Maid Dolls to Advanced XX-Type Maid Dolls.
Though he could still steamroll them, Lin Xun could no longer one-shot the advanced dolls, he was beginning to feel the pressure.
As he advanced deeper, Elite XX-Type Maid Dolls also began to appear.
These boss-tier enemies required stealth, he had to rely on the Dancer’s invisibility to clear out the mobs first.
Then he’d duel the elite dolls one-on-one, and only after fierce battles would he manage to take them down.
Thinking about the Doll Artisan’s promise of a ‘Battle Angel – Valkyrie,’ who was supposedly even more powerful than the elite dolls, Lin Xun couldn’t help but yearn for it.
[After an intense battle, the Elite Combat-Type Maid Doll lets out a piercing screech, then collapses powerlessly at your feet.]
[You defeated the Elite Combat-Type Maid Doll. Experience greatly increased.]
[You obtained Large Chunk Spirit Essence of Steadfast Will x1]
[You obtained Elite Refined Copper Gear (Material)]
[Power surges within your shell. Corrupted Earth Giant Shell level increased. Current Level: 32]
The Large Chunk Spirit Essence of Steadfast Will granted 5000 Spirit Essence upon use.
Though the Elite Refined Copper Gear wasn’t enough to qualify for the Battle Angel – Valkyrie upgrade, it was the highest-grade refined copper material Lin Xun had acquired so far.
The deeper he went into the Doll Factory, the more absurd the monster difficulty became.
Keep in mind, Lin Xun’s Earth Giant was an Epic+ Shell with a level of 30, equipped with two epic-grade items. Not to mention the additional 60% stat boost from his relics.
Compared to the tutorial’s little mobs, this was an entirely different realm.
Clearly, Hell Difficulty chapters increased in challenge dramatically as one progressed.
He even began to wonder whether the intended route was to first head for the Multivision School Association or the Refined Copper Smelting Plant, maybe the monsters there were weaker.
Fortunately, he still had two powerful aces. One was the Three-Headed Lion, essentially a mini-boss; the other was his newly obtained special skill: Weak Point Insight.
[You enter the passage, continuing toward the next factory…]
[A massive doll stands motionless in the factory, casting a towering shadow under the kerosene light. Its thick limbs end in chainsaws and metal pincers, its whole body gleaming with a dark golden luster of refined copper.]
[Your arrival draws the attention of the War Machine – Giant Doll!]
[The giant doll’s eyes begin to glow with dark golden light. The harsh whir of a chainsaw erupts, and the metal pincers clack with sharp snaps!]
Following the principle of striking first.
[You possess the Corrupted Yellow-Robed Bishop of the White Moon Church Shell.]
[You raise your Thunder Dragon Staff-Spear and begin chanting…]
[The giant doll’s golden eyes fixate on you. It stomps forward with booming steps…]
[A red lightning-wreathed glow flashes…]
[The War Machine – Giant Doll is struck by the furious thunder-infused red light…]
[It freezes in place, electric currents arcing wildly across its body, twitching uncontrollably…]
Now’s the time!
Lin Xun quickly opened the Shell Panel and clicked on the Earth Giant.
[You possess the Corrupted Earth Giant Shell!]
[Your body rapidly expands until you tower over the giant doll!]
[The massive eye on your forehead emits an eerie glow…]
[Special Skill Weak Point Insight activated!]
[Your Knowledge stat far exceeds that of your opponent, success!]
[You successfully identify the weak point of the War Machine – Giant Doll!]
[You dash forward, using the enemy’s staggered state to slip behind it…]
[You brace your feet against the ground, activate Blessing of Mother Earth, and bring your Ancient Dragonfang Greatclub down with a terrifying gust aimed at its weak point…]
[With a thunderous crash, you smash through the gear drive on its back, sending it toppling!]
[The electric current across the War Machine – Giant Doll fades. It regains some movement, but with the gear system damaged, its motions are sluggish and stiff…]
[You straddle the giant doll, repeatedly bringing your Ancient Dragonfang Greatclub down on its head…]
[Due to the broken drive, it’s unable to throw you off. Its chainsaw and pincer only leave faint scratches on your scale armor…]
[But those scratches soon vanish, your newly restored scale armor gleams mockingly under the light, as if laughing at the doll’s feeble attacks…]
[After a fierce battle, the dark golden light in the War Machine – Giant Doll’s eyes dims and goes out. It collapses powerlessly beneath you.]
[You defeated the War Machine – Giant Doll. Experience greatly increased.]
[You obtained Indomitable Trace of Spirit Essence x1]
[You obtained Ultra-Grade Refined Copper Gear x5 (Material)]
[You obtained Ultra-Grade Refined Copper Linkage x5 (Material)]
“So this is where the ultra-grade materials drop from…”
The strategy of switching to the Yellow-Robed Bishop Shell and using the thunder enchanted staff-spear to induce stagger in the giant doll, he had actually discovered that trick from other high-level dolls.
Enchanting attacks with special effects could yield unexpected results in specific scenarios.
Lin Xun opened his inventory.
The Indomitable Trace of Spirit Essence could be used to gain 8000 Spirit Essence basically a massive windfall.
The ultra-grade materials descriptions marked them as the purest, highest-quality refined copper components available.
[You look toward the end of the factory, where a massive passage connects to the next sector.]
[Would you like to step into it?]
Lin Xun took a deep breath.
The appearance of the giant doll meant he was getting close to that ‘colleague doll artisan.’
His giant club was already aching for more action!
[You enter the passage, continuing toward the next factory…]