The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player - Chapter 70 (Part 2)
Chapter 70: Orc Shaman (Part 2)
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Ryu Min, carrying his scythe, walked casually.
“Roar? Roarrrrr!”
The orc shaman spotted him and raised his staff.
The orcs rushed at him, wielding their axes.
However…
Sweeoosh!
As soon as they entered Ryu Min’s range, a fountain of green blood burst forth.
The orcs fell without even swinging their weapons.
The result was the same no matter how many of them approached.
They were mercilessly cut down as if they were being shredded in a blender, an attack so swift that it might appear invisible to the naked eye.
“But the attack speed has definitely increased, right?”
The change from before was clearly perceptible.
“With Bless and Swift, plus the 50% attack speed increase at night…”
It was so fast, possibly even too fast to be seen with the naked eye.
“Roar?”
When his summoned creatures were mercilessly cut down, the orc shaman opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“Roar! Roar!”
The confused shaman tried to summon again with his staff.
Right at that moment…
Thud!
Ryu Min, who had reached the shaman’s neck in the blink of an eye, swung his scythe.
“Goodbye.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the orc shaman’s head floated into the air.
“You have defeated the Orc Shaman!”
“Experience +37.73%”
“Gold +4,000”
“Level up!”
“Obtained ‘Bead of Eternity’”
“Obtained ‘Mystic Wooden Totem’”
“Obtained ‘Lesser Blue Magic Stone’”
“Obtained ‘Stone of Balance’”
“Subquest Progress: Stone of Balance 2/4”
Killing the shaman had raised his level to 33.
He gained 4,000 gold, the Stone of Balance, magic stones, and more.
The unique material item, the Mystic Wooden Totem, was a particularly welcome harvest.
But above all, an item had caught Ryu Min’s attention.
“Bead of Eternity”
– Classification: Necklace
– Rarity: Epic
– Effect: Gain 1 stack every time a monster is killed, reducing durability by 1. Every 100 stacks can be converted into 1 stat point.
– Durability: 1,000/1,000
– Usage Restriction: Regular grade or higher
– Description: A necklace adorned with a murky white bead. It is said that the souls of the defeated are trapped within the bead.
The Bead of Eternity was an incredible item that granted stat points every 100 stacks.
It was similar in effect to the absorption rune that the Flame Dragon had.
The only difference was that stacks were accumulated only when monsters were killed.
“It’s as good as it gets to permanently raise stats.”
The only downside was that it was a consumable item, as it had a durability of 1,000 points.
“In other words, with a durability of 1,000, you can gain 10 stat points.”
Afterward, the necklace would be destroyed, but who would care about that?
It was worth it for the permanent stat boost of 10 points.
“But what if you could infinitely restore durability?”
Then you could raise stats indefinitely, perhaps up to 100 points.
That was, of course, if there was a way to restore durability.
“Of course, I know that method.”
Among the runes, there was a special rune that restored durability.
Acquiring it in the eighth round seemed impossible at the moment.
However, a glimmer of hope shone on the horizon: assistance from the blacksmith class. These crafters possessed a skill, known as “Repair,” that could restore durability. In the early stages, most blacksmiths relied on this skill to make some extra cash.
With a calculated approach, offering items in exchange for repairs each round could be a continuous source of stat improvements. But for now, this avenue remained inaccessible.
“Black Scythe! Where are you?” Min Juri’s voice echoed, laden with curiosity.
Ryu Min stayed silent; the power of the Reaper’s rune had significantly reduced his visibility when motionless. Swiftly, he deactivated the Night of Death skill.
A puzzled Min Juri, noting the peculiar alternation of light and darkness, finally locked her gaze onto Ryu Min. “Oh, there you are! I’ve been searching for ages.”
“Oh, as you can see, I’ve been a bit busy,” Ryu Min responded with the orc shaman’s lifeless form at his feet. Yet, Min Juri’s reaction was oddly nonchalant, as if this outcome were no surprise.
“Have you finally captured him? But haven’t you seen anyone else? There were individuals attempting to steal the orc shaman from you…”
Ryu Min replied with a hint of uncertainty, “I didn’t notice anyone.”
“That’s strange, don’t you think? It felt like I heard screams…”
Min Juri voiced her doubts, but Ryu Min chose silence; there was no need to reveal the grim evidence.
“Let’s proceed and try to kill the next boss quickly,” Ryu Min urged, refocusing their conversation.
“Absolutely!”
* * *
“You have defeated the Orc Archer!”
The rewards flowed in:
[Experience +37.73%]
[Gold+4,000]
[‘Agile Archer’s Boots’ have been acquired.]
[‘Rusted arrowhead’ has been acquired.]
[‘Lesser Green Magic Stone’ has been acquired.]
[The ‘Stone of Balance’ has been acquired.]
[Subquest progress: 3/4 stones of balance]
Upon confronting the third boss, it crumbled before them. Unlike the protracted struggle against the orc shaman, there was no reason to prolong this battle.
Ryu Min, contemplating whether to inspect his newfound items, was drawn to one particular artifact: the ‘Bead of Eternity’. This epic necklace had proven itself invaluable, accumulating a stack with each slain monster, at the cost of a negligible durability reduction. Once a century stack milestone was reached, it could be converted into a precious stat point.
Equipped now with ‘Agile Archer’s Boots’, boasting a remarkable +10 Agility, Ryu Min contemplated a change from his current, less impressive footwear.
He decided to begin by disassembling the lowest-grade green magic stone, one of his oldest possessions. With the recent acquisition of a lesser green magic stone, he embarked on a fusion of the two.
“Combination Successful!” the announcement declared.
The resulting synergy bestowed upon the newly enhanced boots an additional perk: ‘Agility +4’.
As he reviewed his achievements, Ryu Min acknowledged the successful conquest of all mid-level bosses. The final challenge loomed—the formidable High Orc.
Differing from its predecessors, this boss adhered to the Time Rule. Quicker completion equated to greater rewards.
“This one needs to be killed rapidly. The quicker, the more bountiful the spoils,” Ryu Min strategized. His previous best time, 43 seconds, was the record to beat.
Though he had regressed 99 times, he had yet to surpass that record. However, he held a trump card this time: Min Juri’s buffs.
Confident of breaking records, Ryu Min resolved to delay his showdown with the High Orc, utilizing the surplus time to maximize his level. He also intended to use the Bead of Eternity without the fear of its destruction.
In his quest to attain the highest record, he committed to enhancing his stats and achieving what had thus far eluded him.
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