NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 261: Difference Felt
[Kroa's Bolt:
At the cost of Mana, conjure a violent bolt of lightning imitating the red violent Mana possessed by the Orcs of the Dungeon and unleash a devastating blast upon your enemies.
Cost: 200 Mana Points]
Henry was so in awe of the power the spell possessed that he didn't feel too much hurt at how much Mana it cost to fire. At least not yet.
His feet hit the ground right after he made his first kill with the help of his new spell and with his hand still pulled back, it crackled with the red lightning that he fired at the shield of his next victim.
The Orcs were still in shock at his ability to cast their spell when the bolt was fired and they had barely any time to react. Plus, their first instinct to react with was a shield and the bolt shattered it before Henry planted a bullet in the Orc's head. Killing it.
[Kill-Reward: 650 Exp]
Henry pulled out a Mana potion and downed it. Just casting the bolt twice had siphoned his Mana Points entirely but of course during that second he spent drinking, he didn't remain in place as multiple attacks came striking at him hitting the trees and creating blasts and implosions while Henry kept swinging to safety with the tentacles of [Extra Arms].
As he tossed the empty mana potion bottle aside, Henry used the tentacles to give himself a boost that dropped him right in the middle of an encirclement of Orc Casters. They all turned their spells at him but he selected his target faster than they could.
Kroa's Bolt!
The lightning bolt crackled out and struck the Orc's shield, shattering it before Henry placed the muzzle of 'Violent Retort' against its heart and blasted a hole right through where its heart should have been.
And then he used the tentacles of [Extra Arms] to wrap around the Orc's corpse and use it as a meat shield that absorbed two attacks at best giving Henry the time to down another Mana Potion and unleash a bolt at another victim, killing said victim the next second and replacing his destroyed meat shield to repeat the process of Mana replenishing and further killing.
The one time the strategy failed, the cooldown of the <Hat Of Shielding> was over and he surrounded himself with the blue hazy shield, rendering all attacks useless as he took his time unleashing bolts, destroying shields, and taking lives. He was done before the Shield's activation time was over.
The last Orc hit the ground with a thud when the shield vanished in a haze of blue while Henry remained standing with a smile on his face.
[Nyx has Leveled Up!]
[Nyx is now Level 16]
[Nyx's Hit Point Maximum increased to 260]
[Nyx's Mana is now 270]
[Strength: 105 ———> 110]
[Speed: 210 ———> 220]
[Stamina: 100 ———> 105]
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[Name: Henry Morgan]
[Level: 33 (50% Exp)]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Gunslinger]
[Title: Death's Bane, Vyker-Killer, Infernal Partner, Dungeon Raider <Novice>, Hunter]
[Hit Points: 270/330]
[Mana Points: 140/440]
[Strength: 31]
[Agility: 106]
[Stamina: 60]
[Perception: 60]
[Skills:
{Marksmanship Lv. 5 <Active Sub Skill: Quick Thinking> <Active Sub Skill: Reload> <Active Sub Skill: Guiding Shot>}
{Taming Lv. 2 <Active Sub Skill: Bonding>}
{Insight Lv.3}
{Raider's Intent}
{Hunter's Instinct}
[~Arcane Tapestry~:
Imprinted Spells: -Shocking Grip-. -Extra Arms-. -Witch's Hold-. -Kroa's Bolt-.]
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[Name: Nyx]
[Creature: Shadow Mare]
[Breed: Valaeren Night-Mare]
[Level 16 (540/6500 Exp)]*
[Hit Points: 260/260]
[Mana: 270]
[Strength: 110]
[Speed: 220]
[Stamina: 105]
[Skills: {Shadow Dash Lv.2} {<ShadowScape>}]*
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Nyx's level-up pulled Henry's attention to her and he watched her complete a trample. Andor was close by stabbing his Spear through the head of a downed Orc, and all over the field, battles were largely coming to an end.
The coordination of their group overwhelmed the Orcs guiding the protected Altar and they gained and retained the upper hand up until the end. Henry preoccupying all Casters, as had become the usual for him, especially aided in making the entire operation relatively smooth.
"Alright, it's your turn," Boyle said once it was all over and gestured at Meryna and the Clerics who nodded readily and stepped forward to say their prayers and cast the protective dome around the semi-sphere.
The purpose of this was to keep the spirits that would be unleashed from roaming free. Ensuring they stayed in relatively the same area making it easier to destroy them and ensuring there were fewer complications compared to before.
Marla and her Mercenaries appeared now but they hung far enough away from the dome and the semi-sphere it covered. Just as they had stayed away from the battle that just ended, they had very little interest in engaging in the unleashing of the red spirits.
No one cared though.
The Dome was incapable of stopping physical attacks or movements so Eloise stepped into it and toward the semi-sphere to unleash her Mana surge before delivering five quick-fire strikes to it until it shattered and the spirits were let loose.
Immediately, Henry stepped into the Dome as well and activated <Hunter's Instinct> which unleashed a wave of fear that gripped the spirits, numerous as they were, in place for a second. One precious second that Eloise spent adjusting her stance to call upon the Pseudo-divine energy her patron allowed her.
Eloise's sword soon blazed with the purifying energy required and she swung the weapon in a wide arch to cut through the first wave of spirits to break free of Henry's skill and move again.
Andor stepped into the Dome as well, channeling his Mana surge to stab out and into spirits, discharging the Mana violently and destroying them one after the other.
For a second, a very brief second, the three looked like they had a handle on things until they didn't. There were just too many of the Spirits and too few of them.
"Another one!" Meryna cried out with her hands still thrust forward to keep the large dome in place.
She was talking to the other clerics who immediately started a prayer that created another dome, a smaller one, around the trio of Eloise, Henry, and Andor. A few spirits were locked in with them in the smaller dome but they dealt with them quickly enough and were able to afford some breathing space to reorganize.
"The purifying arrows!" Meryna called out again and the Cleric closest to her stepped toward to draw back his arm like he was pulling the string of an invisible bow before letting go and releasing a ray of silvery light that pierced through the dome and struck a spirit, imploding it.
The attack was slow in recharge and could not be spammed at will so at best, it was good for support but it was a very welcome support.
Also, within their smaller dome, Eloise and Andor found it easier to strike at the spirits who crowded the dome and tried to break through while the others tried to break free of the larger dome and swarm at the multiple humans on the outside they could possess.
Henry had to pick his moments to use <Hunter's instinct> because he learned quickly enough that once a spirit broke free of it once, it would be a while before they could be susceptible again so he focused on activating the skill just in time to freeze a volley of spirits so they could be destroyed right then by the combined efforts of Eloise and Andor.
It was tasking. Swinging constantly and thrusting wore heavily on Eloise and Andor but finally, after minutes, the last spirit met its end by the tip of Andor's spear unleashing a forceful and powerful Mana discharge.
The domes came down now that the danger was past and as Eloise approached the Altar to destroy it, Marla stepped forward along with all her Mercenary comrades who didn't want to miss out on the coming boon.
Andor joined Eloise in striking the Altar and after six strikes from both, the Altar broke in two unleashing a powerful wave reminiscent of the last Altar they destroyed.
*WHUMMM!!!*
Everyone who had felt the last expelled Altar energy could immediately tell a difference…
[You have been struck by Dimensional Energy]
[You have received 30 bonus Stat Points]
… The energy released from this was greater than the last.
[Nyx has been struck by Dimensional Energy]
[Strength: 110 ———> 125]
[Stamina: 105 ———> 120]
The notifications for Nyx's improvements arrived almost immediately after Henry's and ignoring that her most used Stat had been ignored (probably for the best because there was already a glaring imbalance), this confirmed Nyx could benefit from the boon like any human could.
As the two closest to him and the ones whose stats he cared to pay attention to, Henry turned his eyes to Andor and Eloise,
[Activating <Insight Lv. 4>]
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[Name: Andor]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Fighter]
[Health: 380 ———> 400]
[Mana: 250 ———> 260]
[Strength: 102 ———> 112]
[Agility: 50 ———> 70]
[Stamina: 64 ———> 70]
*[Remarks: A Fighter who makes up for his limited Martial training with enthusiasm and Impressive strength. Has Impressive Potential but is killable should you want to.]
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[Name: Eloise de Vurgen]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Mage-Knight]
[Job: Squad Captain]
[Health: 570 ———> 580]
[Mana: 740 ———> 760]
[Faith: 211 ———> 214]*
[Strength: 136 ———> 146]
[Agility: 75 ———> 81]
[Stamina: 80 ———> 90]
[Intelligence: 112 ———> 122]
*[Remarks: Hmm… A lady with a curious set of Stats. They tell the story of trials and a long journey of improvement. Aptitude in Spell-Casting and Martial abilities make her seem like a jack of two trades trying to master all.
She is technically Killable but should you try, my bet is on her to win.]
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