Chapter 99
"Don't bring up our past relationship. The thought of us working together makes me sick—as for whether I insult you or not, that depends on my mood."
Chen Ce would naturally cherish past feelings, but he longed for "old grudges" even more for this damned traitor.
Which member of the annihilated Seventh Squad didn't share a past bond with Chen Ce? That was true camaraderie forged through countless days and nights of shared experience!
But they were all killed by this traitor!
Everyone! Everyone!!
The youngest among them was only sixteen years old!
"To be honest, I wish I could torture you to death right now." Chen Ce took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to kill. Morse could not die like this. He should be handed over to the tribunal for trial, so that everyone could see his true colors. He should also be handed over to the jailers to extract more information.
"But unfortunately... you're not worthy of getting my hands dirty. I've already given you a chance."
Chen Ce kicked the other person to the ground, then casually found a collapsed rock to sit on.
Now, he had to wait for the long-awaited system notification sound to end.
And his favorite [Taiwan server] system did not disappoint him either:
[The Resistance Army traitor Morse has been successfully identified and irrefutable evidence (Morse's confession) has been obtained. The side quest [Find the Traitor] is now complete.]
[Rewards: [Random Skill (Max Level)] *1; [Random Level 2 Equipment] *1]
The instant the system notification ended, Chen Ce felt a surge of magical energy rush into his body, and a memory that shouldn't have belonged to him inexplicably appeared in his mind—the method of using a certain skill.
[Deceive: The user teleports to a nearby location and enters stealth mode for 3.5 seconds. The next attack during stealth deals bonus damage. If the user is behind the target, the attack can also "critically strike," dealing additional, stackable bonus damage.]
Deceive...
This is...
Shaco's Q?
While this skill doesn't offer the straightforward, direct damage of other skills, it combines invisibility and mobility, and the first hit deals extra damage. In actual combat, its effectiveness is comparable to ordinary damage-dealing skills, and in certain specific situations, it can produce remarkable results.
It's no exaggeration to say that this is the Shaco's core skill!
That's really good!
Chen Ce was quite satisfied with this new skill, which was now at max level.
If the skills are already like this, then the "level 2 equipment" makes him even more excited.
But... he waited for quite a while and still didn't get any equipment.
He couldn't help but question the Taiwanese server carry in his mind, "Where's the level 2 equipment? What a joke!"
Then he heard the sound of something heavy falling.
Thump! A heavy metal object landed on the ground.
Upon closer inspection, all that could be seen was a uniquely shaped, dark brown warhammer standing on the dented floor—well, they really did give me a hammer.
However, this is...
[Caulfield's Warhammer]?
That warhammer, crafted from two longswords and worth 1,100 gold coins?
This... this...
While it is indeed a level 2 equipment, but...
It's useless!
Counter Strike, Way of the Wanderer, Realm of Death, Meditation... None of my skills are compatible with a hammer!
Chen Ce could not hide his disappointment.
Until he looked down and saw the pendant around his neck—the teardrop-shaped blue gemstone.
[Tear of the Goddess].
He suddenly thought of something.
In an instant, his disappointment and frustration were replaced by excitement.
Because he came up with a great way to "turn trash into treasure"—the "equipment or skill combo" function unique to the Taiwan Server System, which he had never used before!
Of course, the "three-in-one" we are using now is not the "three-in-one" in the traditional sense.
What needs to be done now is to put the three things together.
Tear of the Goddess + Caulfield's Warhammer + Longsword = Manamune, this is a fixed formula that every the Rift player will never forget!
Now I have both the Tear of the Goddess and Caulfield's Warhammer, all I'm missing is...
Chen Ce suddenly turned his head and looked at Morse, who was tied up.
The latter immediately had a bad feeling, "You... what do you want to do...?"
"Give me your sword," Chen Ce said.
"... ah?"
"Give me the sword."
"...?"
Without saying a word, Chen Ce stepped forward and drew the sword that was tied to the other man's waist.
This is a beautifully crafted longsword.
Although it wasn't a longsword given by the system, it's still a valuable one. Maybe I can give it a try...?
"Tear of the Goddess, Caulfield's Warhammer, Longsword... Combined."
As Chen Ce picked up the three items, he silently called upon the function he had never used before.
And as it turns out...
His attempt was successful.
[Tear of the Goddess + Caulfield's Warhammer + Longsword = Manamune, successful synthesis.]
[Note: When crafting Tier 3 equipment, Tier 1 equipment can be replaced with regular items, but when crafting Tier 2 equipment, the Tier 1 equipment must be a specific Tier 1 item.]
Chen Ce understood this hint—if ordinary items could be easily combined into level 2 equipment, then he could use a bunch of ordinary longswords to create countless Serrated Dirk and Caulfield's Warhammer, and then use the Serrated Dirk and Caulfield's Warhammer to create countless level 3 equipment... and so on, with an infinite amount of equipment.
Being able to directly use regular items to replace level 1 equipment to synthesize level 3 equipment is already a "favor"; asking for more would be a bit shameless.
As a dazzling light descended, the three items in Chen Ce's hand transformed into a magnificent silver longsword, its blade radiating powerful magical energy that flickered like arcs of electricity.
Because [Tear of the Goddess] is at its maximum stack level, [Manamune] automatically upgrades to [Muramana].
Hiss...
It's not the Manamune yet, but the even more powerful Muramana...
Looking at the silver longsword in his hand, Chen Ce suddenly felt his whole body filled with powerful magical energy—the magic points given by the Muramana were more than those from a fully stacked Tear of the Goddess.
A sword that can cut through iron like mud, paired with maxed-out Way of the Wanderer and Deceive...
Such power is something we can't wait to test.
Chen Ce was very satisfied with this incredibly handy new weapon and was also eager to test its power.
At that very moment, he happened to sense a familiar magical aura—
The aura of shadow magic.
It is... a calamity.
"As luck would have it... the ignorant are doomed."
Chapter 106 We're Gaga Killing Wildly, I'm Gaga, You're Killing Wildly
Samira was almost driven to the brink of despair.
The unpredictable nature of shadow magic made her defenseless; every shadow could potentially unleash a deadly blade, and even the strongest warrior could not completely withstand such an attack.
She even began to fear her own shadow.
In just a few minutes of fighting, she was already covered in wounds.
The Master of Shadows's hidden blade left countless wounds on her fragile flesh, each one gushing blood. She could even feel the blood spurting and pushing against her skin. Her Shurima- native chocolate skin had begun to turn pale from the massive blood loss.
She began to feel dizzy and unsteady on her feet, swaying as if she might fall at any moment.
Even so, the shadow assassin behind her still refused to let her go.
She used the last of her strength to fight her way out. She had no sense of direction.
In this situation, she was no longer capable of resisting.
Finally, after staggering once again, the shadow assassin's hidden blade pierced her smooth neck.
She was powerless to dodge, powerless to resist, and could only listen to that hate-filled voice accompanying her death. "Noxus must die..."
The blade is getting closer and closer.
Samira was nearly in despair.
But... what awaited her was not death, but another, even louder sound.
Clang! The sound of weapons clashing.
Immediately afterwards, a familiar figure appeared in front of her, blocking the hidden blade for her while also throwing her aside.
"The Noxus must die, what does that have to do with Samira of Shurima?"
A teasing yet familiar voice rang out, Samira saw that familiar figure in the blur and darkness—not imposing, but reassuring enough.
"You... you're not dead...?"
"What? You want me dead?" Chen Ce turned his head slightly and glanced at the seriously injured female mercenary out of the corner of his eye, his tone somewhat mocking. "That's right, besides Mordekaiser, you're probably the person who wants me dead the most."
"..." Samira pursed her lips with difficulty, remaining noncommittal.
Indeed, she really wanted Chen Ce dead—once Chen Ce was dead, no one would be able to use Captain Indali's life to threaten her into doing dirty and tiring work that she didn't want to do and that wasn't paid for.
But... if Chen Ce really did die in that so-called "safe house," she would now have to go to hell to "be buried with him."
The person she hated most had saved her life multiple times.
This is even more deadly than the Order of the Shadow Assassin's hidden blade...
"It's normal to want me dead; I'd hate it too if I were in your shoes." Chen Ce smiled again. "But I'm sorry, I can't die, and you'll have to serve me forever."
"Tch..." Samira spat out a mouthful of blood indignantly, her weakened body barely able to stand up.
The dangerous shadow assassin, however, was completely unharmed.
"The Placidium Resistance Army... are you determined to save this Noxus hound...?" Zed's voice, deep and hoarse behind the mask, was like a call from a deep well.
"Samira is just a mercenary." Chen Ce shrugged, gripping the newly acquired silver sword—[Muramana]—tightly in his hand. "She used to work for Noxus, but now she works for me."
"Her hands are stained with the blood of Ionia... She ignited war on this First Lands... She deserves to die..."
"But she can help me if she's alive."
"You're cooperating with a cunning Noxus..."
"I told you, she's just a mercenary; she'll help whoever pays the highest price."
"Then she is even more untrustworthy..."
"Facts speak louder than words, Zed. She helped me and will continue to do so in the future. Sometimes war isn't just black and white, and I think you understand that—you and your Order of the Shadow often do dirty things that don't conform to the code of the Spirit of Ionia, don't you?"
"Acts of benevolence and righteousness may violate morality... Balance is merely the teacher of fools..."
Jie took a deep breath, and the shadow beneath his feet split open again—he was about to make his move.
He was never one to reason; he preferred to use a sharp blade to resolve dissenting opinions rather than engage in debate.
Besides, he never intended to let any witnesses go.
He simply wanted to know some of the connections—and now that he did, it was time to take action.
Whoosh! A shadow dart suddenly flew out, its terrifying penetrating power carrying immense magical energy.
Normally, Chen Ce, who only possessed Doran's Spear and the Black Stone Rune Greatsword, would have dodged whenever possible and never faced a direct confrontation. But now, he stood calmly in place.
Because he now possessed an even more powerful weapon—a silver longsword that could be considered a "divine artifact" among mortals.