Obtaining a 'Divine Skill'

Obtaining a 'Divine Skill'

The Dread Knight had given the Crafting Scroll to Li Wei, but whether it was because the quest required it or for some other reason remained unknown. Even though it was an A-grade skill, it offered no tangible boost to his attributes or attack power, so Li Wei wasn't particularly excited.

At best, it was a skill he'd gotten for free. Still, the note at the end of its description was intriguing.

This was a technique only a god could master!

Was it really that miraculous, or was it just hype?

He would have to learn the skill to find out. Fortunately, Li Wei could just about meet the prerequisite. He put his three remaining basic attribute points, along with the one attribute point he'd exchanged for 2,000 points, into Spirit. His Spirit had now reached 15.

Then, he took hold of the skill scroll, which gave off a faint blue glow, and confirmed that he wanted to learn it.

The scroll quickly turned into countless blue particles of light and sank into Li Wei's body. This time, the process lasted a full five minutes. Afterward, Li Wei had gained a head full of strange knowledge, as well as a skill called 'Stacking.'

"Is that all?"

His attributes hadn't changed at all. He felt nothing like he had when learning 'Innate Skill' or 'Cloud-Piercing Palm,' when it was as if he'd been reborn. This time, it was like drinking a glass of plain water—he felt nothing.

The 'Stacking' skill had to be used on multiple items with the same properties. Li Wei didn't have anything suitable on hand, except... bullets!

He took a magazine from his pack and emptied out its golden bullets. There were 15 in all. When he'd bought the USP Pistol on Shadow Street, the seller had included only 10 magazines, and now he had just two left.

He scanned the bullets with the Eye of Perception, and a string of information immediately appeared.

"Firearms ammunition, ordinary item, quantity ×15, damage 4–6, exchangeable for 5 points!"

These were the only items Li Wei had that he could use 'Stacking' on!

"What exactly is so special about this skill that supposedly only a 'god' can master? I'm about to find out!" Li Wei extended his right hand and used 'Stacking.'

A deep blue beam shot from his palm and instantly enveloped the 15 bullets, turning them into something like a giant ball of cotton candy. Soon, the 'cotton candy' began to contract rhythmically, as though a massive hammer were pounding it.

It contracted 15 times before the cotton-candy-like ball of blue light finally stopped moving. It was now much smaller, no bigger than a finger, but the light clinging to it had grown all the more intense and dazzling.

"Stacking complete!"

The light faded, and a bullet unlike any he'd seen before appeared in front of Li Wei.

Its original metallic sheen had been replaced by some indescribable material. It was heavier, and more beautiful, too. The deep-blue metal tip and casing fit together perfectly, and tiny patterns covered its surface. Li Wei picked up the stacked bullet in astonishment and activated the Eye of Perception!

"[Evil Freezing Impact Bullet], blue item, quantity ×1, damage 44–72. Releases a ring of ice upon hitting a target. Exchangeable for 300 points!"

What was this?

Li Wei stared at the bullet's attributes, stunned. It took him a long time to come back to his senses. The bullet's stats were absurd. Was this really a bullet? It was more like a missile!

In terms of attack power alone, the bullet far surpassed the Vampire, and even exceeded the Withered Wood Guardian. On top of that, it had a freezing attack—the ring of ice. That had to be some kind of ice magic. He hadn't expected an attribute like that.

Li Wei hurriedly took out his other magazine and used 'Art of Stacking' on the last 15 bullets as well. This time, the resulting bullet was a vivid scarlet.

"[Wailing Scorching Impact Bullet], blue item, quantity ×1, damage 50–76. Continuously burns the target after a hit. Exchangeable for 300 points!"

The attributes were different!

After rereading the description of 'Art of Stacking,' Li Wei finally understood what it meant for a technique to be one only a 'god' could master. It really was a skill that delighted him, and it absolutely deserved to be called a 'divine skill!'

Stacking items randomly doubled their attributes and added some random bonus properties. With this skill, he could make powerful items at will. Just think of all the items sold on Shadow Street: with Stacking, even something with mediocre attributes could become a rare treasure. And if he used Art of Stacking on skill books or manuals, who knew what unexpected effects might result? In that moment, Li Wei suddenly wanted to hurry back to Shadow Street and put it to the test.

Of course, Li Wei was in the middle of a quest, so that was only wishful thinking!

The Dread Knight beside him had clearly taken an interest in the two bullets in Li Wei's hand. But Li Wei wasn't about to waste them on him. He had no ordinary bullets left to use 'Stacking' on.

To put it bluntly, these two bullets were his most valuable trump cards right now!

He checked his attributes. "Reincarnator No. 1987: Human (Martial Artist), Strength 9, Agility 10, Spirit 15, Stamina 5, Inner Energy 30; Skills: Innate Skill, First Layer; Cloud-Piercing Palm; Eye of Perception; Art of Stacking; Precision LV4; Shooting Mastery; Overall Rating: E3!"

He was still incredibly weak!

Could someone like him complete this quest?

If he had mastered all seven layers of Innate Skill by now, things would probably be very different! At present, he could only improve his attributes through cultivation techniques. Li Wei gritted his teeth. He'd made up his mind: next time, he'd find a chance to get the remaining six layers of Innate Skill.

Meanwhile, at the Knight Training Ground, the morning sun fell on the dewdrop-covered grass, casting dazzling colors. A woman in deep-purple leather armor sat atop a warhorse, watching the trainee knights practice riding in the training ground. A trace of anxiety showed on her face.

On a wooden bench nearby sat a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He was absentmindedly playing with a crossbow, but his gaze rested on Bai Jie, who was approaching.

Bai Jie had changed into a well-fitting suit of armor. She walked up to the woman in deep-purple leather armor and stopped in front of her.

"Miss Zheng, the training ground now has 20 knights. We also have over 200 crossbowmen and halberdiers, but I'm afraid even these forces won't be enough to fight the Undead in Dawn City!"

The woman in dark clothes on horseback was Zheng Yutong. She sighed. They clearly didn't have many troops, but they didn't have too few, either. In her opinion, they should build their forces steadily and only fight once they had enough troops to be effective.

But the letter Bai Jie had brought back had left her uncertain.

"Damn him. I knew I couldn't count on him!" Zheng Yutong thought of Li Wei and couldn't help feeling angry. Who would have thought that he would 'run away just before the battle'?

Still, this sort of thing was perfectly normal. People from Shadow Street usually went their separate ways. If their interests aligned, teaming up for a quest could work well, but in most cases, people from Shadow Street were wary of one another. Even when they cooperated, there were limits.

Take Wang Kai, the T-Virus-enhanced man behind her. He seemed kind enough on the surface, but that was all it was. Zheng Yutong believed that, if necessary, he would sell her out or attack her without hesitation.

The same went for Bai Jie. She had no real attack abilities at present, so she had to rely on the group for protection. Even so, Zheng Yutong couldn't let her guard down. Li Wei, on the other hand, gave her a different impression.

In the letter Bai Jie had brought back, Li Wei had described what he considered key to completing the quest: use these seven days to scout the surrounding areas as thoroughly as possible, discover resource sites and creature dwellings, and claim them—even if that meant sacrificing some troops.

Only this kind of explosive expansion would let them recruit enough creatures in a short time. But it also came with plenty of dangers. Li Wei's letter had mentioned two essential prerequisites: the commander needed to make decisive judgments and see the big picture, and they also needed a little luck.

Zheng Yutong swallowed. She suddenly realized that, despite being a veteran with a C3 rating, she had no confidence at all.

There was another possibility: Li Wei was deceiving her!

Of course, that was highly unlikely. Li Wei had no reason to lie to her. At that moment, she suddenly remembered the planning meeting where she had first met him, and his impressive powers of analysis and calculation.

His plan probably wouldn't be too bad. And even if it failed, she could escape on her own with her considerable strength. As for the other two...

She glanced at Wang Kai and Bai Jie, then sneered to herself. When the time came, they would have to fend for themselves.

Looking at the Dwarf corpses strewn across the ground, Li Wei couldn't help marveling at the Dread Knight's strength. More than 50 Dwarf warriors had been utterly helpless against Mordel's blade.

He opened the strategic map. The Dwarf Treasury—this was where Li Wei was. It was already at the edge of the forest. He hadn't expected to find a treasury here, but of course he wasn't going to pass it up.

The strength of a level-six creature was terrifying. The Dread Knight, in particular, had killed the Dwarf warriors with practically one strike apiece. The Dwarves had dropped several wooden treasure chests, from which Li Wei obtained a few Dwarf warhammers and several dozen points.

Searching the Dwarf Treasury also earned Li Wei a few treasures.

Ring of Life, a ring containing life magic, +3 Stamina, green quality!

Centaur Battle Axe, +6 attack, green quality!

500 gold!

Li Wei grinned. The Ring of Life gave him +3 Stamina, making it a very useful item. With the ring equipped, his Stamina would reach 8—twice that of an ordinary person.

What excited Li Wei most, though, was the Centaur Battle Axe. It was identical to the one he'd obtained earlier, and that was exactly why he was excited.

Now, even the lowest-grade item could become top-quality equipment with the 'Art of Stacking' crafting skill.

"Stack the Centaur Battle Axes!" Li Wei placed the two axes together and used the Stacking skill.

This time, the two Centaur Battle Axes were enveloped in green light and fused together. There was a single, resounding metallic clang, as if they'd been struck by a hammer. Then the light faded, revealing an axe that looked as though it had been painted green.

"[Venomous Centaur Battle Axe], attack +12, poison damage 1–2, green quality, exchangeable for 150 points!"

The attributes had indeed changed. Li Wei took the Centaur Battle Axe in hand and examined it closely. A faint green glow emanated from its blade, clearly the work of an added poison enchantment.

Unable to contain his excitement, Li Wei found a few lone Dwarf warriors to test the axe on. The results were obvious. Green poison seeped into the wounds of the Dwarves struck by the Sharp Axe, and their health steadily dwindled until they soon collapsed under the torment of the poison.

The Dread Knight's attacks had also become considerably stronger thanks to the Venomous Centaur Battle Axe's attack bonus.