novelraw Chapter 75: Spoils and the Path Forward
Chapter 75: Spoils and the Path Forward
I was now alone in my room at the inn, having just returned from Istellia’s divine throne.
Although Istellia had warned that the Battle of Divine Will was approaching, she mentioned it would likely occur within a month and wouldn’t arrive any sooner than two weeks. So, I had some time to spare that could be used to prepare for that time. Still, it wasn’t exactly a generous window either.
Normally, from the moment a new god summoned their first divine warrior to their first Battle of Divine Will, around six months to a year tended to pass. Based on the information I’d gathered, it had already been five to six months since the first batch of divine warriors appeared—though the exact date remained uncertain.
While I could count myself lucky that Fantasia didn’t have anyone too powerful aside from Graham, on second thought, it was more of a curse than a blessing. Now, I’d be forced to face divine warriors from other gods who were already at Daleth or even He rank… while I was still stuck at Gimmel.
And no matter how I looked at it, I wasn’t confident I could reach Daleth in just two weeks.
“I could do it easily… if I don’t have a legendary class,” I muttered, holding my chin.
I was more than certain that the class advancement prerequisite for reaching Daleth rank wouldn’t be easy, and it would definitely take time. Either way, that was a problem for later. Right now, I was still just level one. I’d worry about it when the time came.
Besides, I had just beaten Graham in the Grand Colosseum. That meant I now had all his items, including whatever he was carrying in his inventory.
Without further delay, I opened mine and checked the haul:
Abyssal Greatsword (Unique) x1Crimsonsteel Plate Armor (Rare) x1Runed Cloak of Lesser Haste (Rare) x1Ring of Bloodthirsty Pact (Unique) x1Boots of Anchored Will (Rare) x1Gauntlets of Brutal Momentum (Rare) x1Reinforced Steel Halberd (Rare) x1Spiritbound Token of Dalmir (Rare) x1Elixir of Thunderheart (Rare) x1Map Piece: Forgotten Vault (Quest Item) x1“Whoa, he was loaded!” I exclaimed, spotting at least ten pieces of equipment that were all rare grade or higher. And there were more that were of uncommon grade and below.
Unfortunately, his soul coins didn’t transfer over since they weren’t part of his inventory… Otherwise, I’d be filthy rich right now. I was more than sure that Graham’s soul coins had been taken by Raphael. After all, those coins were one of the key resources Istellia needed to summon divine warriors. That was also why there was a daily tax of one hundred soul coins each day to keep the summoning process running.
One other thing to note was that most of Graham’s equipment had been destroyed when he transformed into an abomination. Thankfully, a few key pieces survived—his weapon, some small accessories, and trinkets like the Ring of Bloodthirsty Pact and Runed Cloak of Lesser Haste had made it through intact.
Abyssal Greatsword
Grade: Unique
Type: Magic Sword
A greatsword forged in the depths of the Abyss, pulsating with lingering malevolent energy. Said to feed off the despair of fallen enemies.
Durability: 83/145Grants +25 StrengthEach kill restores a small portion of health and stamina.Ring of Bloodthirsty Pact
Grade: Unique
Type: Enchanted Ring
A ring forged through an ancient pact between a warlord and a forgotten deity. It fuels the wearer’s strength at the cost of restraint.
Durability: 91/100Grants +10 Strength and +10 StaminaModerately increases the user’s thirst for violence (slight chance to enter Bloodlust state in combat).Bloodlust: Temporarily increases damage by 15% but reduces defense by 10%.Runed Cloak of Lesser Haste
Grade: Rare
Type: Enchanted Cloak
A lightweight hooded cloak stitched with arcane runes of swiftness. This enchanted cloak is commonly used by veteran scouts of an ancient empire.
Durability: 50/50Grants +8 DexterityIncrease the user’s movement speed by 10%.Reduces stamina consumption for sprinting by 15%.I didn’t exactly feel comfortable wearing the blood-soaked equipment that had once belonged to Graham. Still, I didn’t mind equipping the ring and the cloak, especially since I hadn’t seen him wearing the latter, and it was in perfect condition.
As for the rest, I was considering selling them later for soul coins, though I hadn’t made a final decision yet. I wasn’t exactly strapped for coins at the moment, so there was no rush.
The greatsword, while powerful, wasn’t really my style. I preferred weapons with more flexibility. Maybe I’d keep it in reserve for special situations, like when I had to fight something massive. There was also some untouched equipment that could come in handy, though they either didn’t fit my stature or combat style, with some being both.
Also, what is this elixir and map piece?
Elixir of Thunderheart
Grade: Rare
Type: Elixir
A concentrated elixir brewed from the heart of a storm-element beast. It crackles faintly with static and volatile energy and is said to temporarily grant the power over lightning upon consumption.
Grants resistance to lightning-based attacks for 10 minutes.Grants the ability to use Basic Electro Magic during the effect duration.Map Piece: Forgotten Vault
Grade: ???
Type: Quest Item
A weathered scrap of parchment etched with ancient glyphs and a fragment of a dungeon layout. Said to lead to a hidden vault somewhere in the Great Wilderness inside the Rift of Dungeons.
Huh, so Graham has been into the Rift of Dungeons before?
As far as I knew, the Rift of Dungeons connected to places that varied wildly in size. Some dungeons were no larger than a massive building, while others spanned entire pocket worlds. The Great Wilderness was clearly on the larger end of that spectrum.
That meant it likely housed numerous aboriginals and native beings… which made it a perfect place for me to gather plausibility—just as I had hoped. Now that I had this map piece, it might not be a bad idea to pay it a visit sometime soon.
Setting that thought aside for now, I slipped the ring onto my finger and decided I’d put on the cloak later. Then, I opened my status screen.
Maximillian Anderson Lv. 1/60 (EXP 946/2,440)
HP: 100%
MP: 398/398
Rank: Gimmel [3]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Paradox Incarnate
Title: One Who Conquered the Impossible (4)
Status: Normal
Strength: 324 + 23 + 32 | Dexterity: 329 + 5 + 33 | Stamina: 271 + 18 + 27
Mind: 184 + 18 | Magic Power: 219 + 22 | Luck: 224 + 22
Plausibility: 765
Free Attributes: 0
Signature Skill(s): [Absorb Plausibility], [Fabled Vessel], [God!$# Creation], [Grant Plausibility], [Scenario Manipulation]
Skill(s): [Basic Alchemy Lv.7], [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.7], [Basic Neutral Magic Lv.8], [Basic Shield Mastery Lv.8], [Back Stab Lv.3], [Berserk Lv.2], [Chantless Casting Lv.2], [Desperate Willpower Lv.8], [Extraordinary Agility], [Extraordinary Endurance], [Extraordinary Magic Power], [Extraordinary Power], [Heavy Slash Lv.6], [Heavy Stab Lv.6], [Inspect Eye Lv.3], [Intermediate Spearmanship Lv.1], [Intermediate Swordsmanship Lv.2], [Inventory], [Mana Manipulation Lv.6], [Mana Sense Lv.7], [Mental Tolerance Lv.5], [Negotiation Lv.5], [Night Vision], [Pain Tolerance Lv.6], [Paralysis Resistance Lv.3], [Poison Resistance Lv.3], [Projectile Defense Lv.3], [Predator’s Step Lv.4], [Weapon Manifestation Lv.1], [Wind Rush Lv.6]
Spell(s): {Mana Arrow}, {Mana Bullet}, {Spinning Mana Arrow}
“Damn… I’ve already used up almost half of the plausibility I got from the divine stag during the fight with Graham,” I muttered, clutching my head.
At this rate, I might burn through my entire reserve before I even get the chance to refuel it...
That aside, I’d noticed that my first signature skill had become a little clearer. The skill now displayed more information than before, though it was still partially corrupted.
[God!$# Creation]
Rank: Di%@#?$
Type: Active
A fragmented authority that allows the user to rewrite fragments of reality using the concept of divine creation. Through sufficient plausibility, the user may shape or generate new abilities or skills.
System Error: [0x00F4D3]
“Wait, isn’t this?!” I gasped, swallowing hard.
I could hardly believe what I was seeing. This skill was a fragmented authority that I once wielded as the God of Creation… the king of all gods. It was the very power I had used to create Divine Will in my past life. To think this skill would be that. I had my suspicions, sure, but seeing it here, even in this glitched, incomplete form… it confirmed that my so-called dreams weren’t just dreams after all.
Then, another realization hit me. This skill didn’t run on divine power; it only activated by consuming plausibility.
It always comes back to plausibility… I let out a deep sigh.
“In terms of plausibility, I don’t have plausibility,” I muttered dryly, mocking myself.
The silver lining was that, now that I’d become Istellia’s free agent, I should be able to do things I previously couldn’t, and more importantly, gather a significant amount of plausibility. That meant I could finally move forward with the next phase of my plan.
Of course, if things went south, I could just repeat the fourth scenario since that scenario was the one that held the most places containing faith. But this was a thing to consider later.
Setting that thought aside, I lay down on the bed and let my body relax for a moment.
“I’ve got a new sword… and even Graham’s weapon. But my spear is almost broken.”
There was a spear among Graham’s things, but it was clearly lower quality. At this point, uncommon-grade weapons were no longer suitable for my needs, and they wouldn’t last long in high-end combat situations.
Just as my eyes were beginning to drift shut, pulling me toward sleep, they snapped open, and I bolted upright. Why haven’t I thought of it sooner?
I pulled out the nearly broken spear and held it in my hand. One of my signature skills, Grant Plausibility, allowed me to permanently enhance a weapon, which meant that I should be able to do the same with this spear. From my previous use of the skill, I’d learned something important: Weapons I’d used for a long time—those that had a bit of history with me—were not only cheaper to upgrade, but they also held far more potential.
Without wasting another second, I activated Grant Plausibility on the spear.
A weapon with potential has been detected.
Would you like to proceed with Grant Plausibility?
[Yes/No]
Of course!
You have used Grant Plausibility.
You have permanently enhanced the grade of Sharp Steel Spear.
Sharp Steel Spear has evolved into Resolute Spear of Echoed Resolve.
A total of 50 Plausibility has been consumed.
Resolute Spear of Echoed Resolve
Grade: Rare
Type: Spear
An excellent-quality steel spear that has been transformed by the wielder’s unwavering determination. It carries traces of past battles and resonates with the intent of its master, growing stronger the longer it is used.
Durability: 70/70Grants +5 Strength and +2 DexterityEach consecutive strike of this spear increases attack speed by 5% (stacks up to 25%).