As Zion departed, FreshwindFreshwindElara looked down at the ring he had given her, her eyes wide. "Stone… this is a Mythic Artifact."
The ring seemed to drink the sunlight, its dark metal set with a gem that flickered with a deep, inner fire. It felt warm against her skin, like a dormant power churning just beneath the surface.
"You're kidding. Let me see the stats."
Ring of Resurrection: Black Mythic Artifact. Forged in the celestial fire of a Phoenix, this ring holds a spark of the divine beast's legendary power of rebirth.
Attack +10%
Defense +10%
Fire Resistance +30%
Skill: Resurrection. Upon death, the wearer is instantly revived with no experience or item loss. Restores full Health and Mana and grants three seconds of invulnerability. Limited to one use per day.
"No way," Marcus breathed, the word barely left his lips as a whisper. The ring was utterly broken. His mind raced, calculating the implications. A get-out-of-death-free card with no penalty? In a hardcore game like this, it was like being handed a cheat code. For Zion to just hand over something this powerful… it was on par with a Divine item.
"You did so much, Stone. Here, you should have it."
FreshwindElara immediately held the ring out to him, her offer genuine and without a moment's hesitation.
"Elara, I can't. Absolutely not."
"Stone, Zion already gave me my reward; the Unique Hidden Class, the Five-Element Cleric. This ring should be yours. We finished the quest together, so we each get a prize. It's only fair."
Her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. It reminded him of when she'd given him that Pet Egg back in the Bat Cave.
"It's not about fair. The answer's still no." He knew he couldn't accept it, even if he didn't have a perfect rebuttal ready.
"Stone, do you have any idea what the Five-Element Cleric can do?"
"What does it do?"
The sudden shift in topic threw him, but he played along. A Unique Hidden Class had to be something special.
"It's a cleric who commands the five elements. I get all the standard healing spells, but they're ten percent more powerful. I can buff the party's elemental resistances, and at higher levels, I can even use the elements to attack."
"That's insane," Marcus said, genuinely stunned. It was a super-charged cleric that could also dish out damage. A completely broken class.
"There's more. I get six attribute points per level now. And the class change came with three passive skills: Health, Mana, and Defense are all boosted by ten percent."
She finished with a proud, slightly smug smile.
No wonder Zion had said the class could open a 'Divine Path.' Marcus felt a pang of regret for not taking the Five-Element Sorcerer for himself. He could only imagine how powerful it must have been.
"See? I got the better deal. So just take the ring, will you?" She pouted, frustrated that he was still being so stubborn. A part of her wondered if he was being chivalrous or just stupidly proud. Didn't he understand she was trying to thank him? To tie their fortunes together?
"And I'm a cleric," she pressed on. "I'm always getting carried. A piece of gear this powerful is wasted on me. But you… you can actually use it. You'll get the most out of it."
Before he could protest again, she grabbed his hand and pressed the ring firmly into his palm. Her voice softened to a near whisper. "If you have this, you'll be even stronger. Then you can be the one to carry me, okay?"
It was a kind of compromise she'd never made for anyone before, and likely never would again.
"Alright, Elara. Thank you."
Seeing the unwavering sincerity in her eyes, Marcus understood her resolve. He reluctantly accepted the ring, his fingers unconsciously closing around her delicate hand.
'So soft.'
The thought was a jolt to his system. She was incredibly endearing, and for a moment, he found he didn't want to let go.
"I've got a quest to do in Red River Village, just up the road. Feel like tagging along?"
"I can't today. I need to log out. I've been on for ages."
Her heart was hammering against her ribs. She'd never been this close to a man before, and her face felt warm, but the sensation was wonderful, simply because it was his hand holding hers.
Of course she wanted to go with him, but reality was calling.
"Oh, right. Sure. Just send me a message when you get back on. I'll help you grind some levels."
"Mhm, I will." Slowly, she withdrew her hand, already missing its warmth. Time always moved too fast when you didn't want it to.
"See you later."
"Bye."
He watched her log out, her figure dissolving into motes of light. With a sigh, he noted he still had plenty of time left. He summoned his mount and turned toward Red River Village.
As he rode, Marcus remembered the system reward for killing the Nine-Winged Dark Gold Bat King; a new skill. He pulled up his interface to check.
Desperate Strike: Advanced Skill, Max Level. Active Skill. Costs 10% Health and 10% Mana. Hurl your weapon with overwhelming force to attack the target. Hit Rate 100%. Damage ×3. Critical Hit Chance +30%. Attack Range 3–8 meters. Skill Cooldown 1 minute.
A brutal skill. It would one-shot most monsters, and its power would only scale with his attack. Incredible.
Next, he checked the skill book he'd been rewarded: Knight's Prayer.
Knight's Prayer: A lost Advanced Knight Skill, once taught by the Goddess of Dreams herself.
The description was promising. He learned it without hesitation.
Knight's Prayer: Advanced Knight Skill. Level 1 (0/10000). Active. Knight Class Only. Cost: 300 Mana. Increases the Health of the caster and all party members by 30%. Health Regeneration +50 per second. Duration: 5 minutes.
Marcus was floored. Another completely broken skill. With Knight's Prayer bolstering his defenses and Desperate Strike as his ace in the hole, he was practically untouchable. A laugh of pure, delighted disbelief escaped him as he rode on, his luck feeling nothing short of legendary.