"How much exactly can this Curio enhance one's strength?"
Jing Yuan wished to know its precise attributes—if the improvement could be expressed in percentages, all the better. Know thyself and know thy enemy, and thou shalt never be defeated in a hundred battles. At the very least, he wouldn't make miscalculations when putting it to use.
"Hmm… roughly a ten percent boost in damage, and perhaps a twenty percent increase in resistance," Sylvester replied offhandedly.
After all, for a Relic like this one, such improvement was already scraping the basement floor of combat efficiency. With everything rolled into minor defense and minor HP, this result was honestly as good as one could hope for.
Of course, this was mainly because Relics were still a complete blue-ocean market in the current universe. For someone of Jing Yuan's stature, even gaining two or three percent improvement through personal training would take years of effort.
In short, as the saying goes—it all depends on how weak your peers are.
"Ten to twenty percent, huh? Reasonable enough for a green-grade Curio."
Though its level was far below that of Topaz's double-crit blue Relics, it still met—and perhaps even slightly exceeded—Jing Yuan's expectations.
After all, the difference between Curio grades was plain to see.
The green Curio Feixiao had obtained, such as the [Tracking Glasses], was already considered a good draw despite being nearly useless.
Things like [Cosmic Fried Rice] or [Classic SoulGlad Soda]—those were truly useless items. Not to mention the [Black Forest Cuckoo Clock] or certain black Curios that outright had negative effects.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at the [Early Riser Cuckoo Clock] he'd gotten earlier. Though it provided some defense against Pathstriders, it was still a green-grade item—probably because such an effect bordered on torture, earning universal disdain. Thankfully, at least it didn't have the ability to teleport directly to the user's side—otherwise, it really would qualify as a torture device.
Even though he'd drawn another green Curio, Jing Yuan remained optimistic. That [Koromon's Digi-Egg] alone had already made this trip worthwhile.
He placed his hand on the lid of the second-to-last trash can and pulled it open gently.
Once again, green light burst forth.
Jing Yuan smiled wryly. It seemed his luck wasn't good enough to pull a purple or golden Curio this time.
When the light faded, a pair of elegant leather boots appeared before everyone. They were immaculately maintained, firm in shape, and tailored to perfection. Were it not for the faint flames flickering along their surface, one might've mistaken them for high-end footwear crafted by a master artisan.
[Grand Duke's Ceremonial Boots:A pair of classic and comfortable boots in pristine condition, with a sleek design and flattering style. [Note: Main stat—Attack%. Substat—seven instances of Effect Resistance.]
As Jing Yuan gazed at the peculiar boots, a thought sparked in his mind.
That signature flame… could it be part of the same set as the previous Curio? He'd done his research—Relic-type Curios often came with set effects. Two-piece and four-piece combinations granted fixed bonuses, and those bonuses didn't scale with rarity.
Armed with that knowledge, Jing Yuan's eyes turned toward Sylvester, gleaming with rising expectation.
He could accept that fate hadn't favored him and that he'd only pulled green-grade Curios, but that didn't mean he would look down on truly powerful ones.
His composure merely ensured that he could assess all things with clear judgment.
Seeing Jing Yuan's straightforward gaze, Sylvester naturally understood his meaning. With a slight smile, he said, "[Grand Duke's Ceremonial Boots]. They're the final piece of The Ashblazing Grand Duke Relic set. When paired with the glove you just obtained, they form the two-piece effect. And combined with the two pieces Topaz holds, they complete the four-piece set—which alone can boost one's overall strength by at least thirty percent."
As expected!
His guess had been right. Even the two-piece bonus alone would elevate his combat power significantly.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Jing Yuan immediately followed up. "And how much of an increase would this two-piece set bring?"
Sylvester roughly estimated based on the attributes of the Curio.
With the main stat being Attack and factoring in the two-piece effect…
After a moment's calculation, he said, "For you personally, it would raise your damage by about sixty percent. But if we're talking about Lightning-Lord, it could reach as high as ninety percent in peak condition."
"So high?"
Jing Yuan's eyes widened in astonishment. Topaz's two blue-grade Curios merely doubled her power, yet these two green-grade ones could raise his by sixty percent?
For the Lightning-Lord, nearly equal to Topaz's Relics?
That outcome exceeded even his most optimistic expectations—he'd thought fifty percent would already be a blessing from the Arbiter-General.
A ninety-percent potential increase? Jing Yuan almost wondered if the Celestial Lord of Exalting Sanctum was playing a prank on him.
"Not that high, really."
Sylvester shook his head. The substats on these two Curios were so poor that even a dog would look away. The only reason the boost seemed impressive was because Jing Yuan was currently running a completely unenhanced build.
He explained, "Topaz's Relics were heavily enhanced—their one-hundred-percent boost is a conservative estimate. Your two, on the other hand, can only reach that level under the most ideal circumstances."
"I see." Jing Yuan nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder green and blue items could be compared—it was like comparing the ceiling of a basement to the floor of the first story. The heights might seem close, but in reality, they were worlds apart.
His tranquil mindset rippled faintly with disappointment as hope faded.
"Still, perhaps it's a blessing in disguise?"
Sylvester rubbed his chin, muttering to himself. "Those seven rolls of Effect Resistance… who knows how much difference they might make."
"Could there be more to it?" Jing Yuan asked once more.
Sylvester furrowed his brows. "These boots have a special property. When affected by negative statuses—such as stun, burn, or even a Stellaron Hunter's Wordcraft—there's a one-in-four chance to nullify it."
He clicked his tongue. "But such effects are hard to quantify. A twenty-five-percent immunity isn't exactly massive, but it's not trivial either. It might save your life in a critical moment—or do absolutely nothing. A rather awkward sort of benefit."
"To think it has such a fascinating ability?"
Sylvester might have found it troublesome, but Jing Yuan regarded it as a treasure.
To him, debuffs like stun, burn, and Wordcraft weren't direct damage—but they were immensely inconvenient. And this Curio offered a chance to resist all of them, despite their entirely different natures?
The sheer breadth of its utility made it worthwhile on its own!
And beyond reason, deep within Jing Yuan's heart, he felt a strange, resonant calling.
This Relic—was meant for him. There could be no other.