Beyond the door, the scene could only be described in eight words: carnage strewn about, utter devastation strewn across the ground.
Every Strigoi had perished outright in the explosion. Fragmented remains of the few spawn could faintly be discerned, while the ordinary Strigoi had been blasted into countless scattered pieces of flesh. In the darkness, heavy with the scent of char, two crystals—one emitting a greenish glow, the other silvery—lay quietly on the floor near the spawn corpses.
"Skill Crystals!" Li Ang's eyes narrowed, then lit up with elation. He dashed over and scooped them up. Both the world of Canglan and these Abyssal Worlds operated under a law-like rule: only Law Entities slain by human Awakened Ones would drop Law artifacts such as Skill Crystals or Law Source Crystals. This was, in fact, the origin of their title, "Novice Fiend Hunters."
System Notification: Host has obtained a Bronze-tier Skill Crystal [Corrosive Poison]. Can be offered to the system for 100 points of Law Essence.
System Notification: Host has obtained a Silver-tier Skill Crystal [Corpse-Claw]. Can be offered to the system for 650 points of Law Essence.
The two Skill Crystals had clearly condensed from the Law mysteries within the mutated spawn. Li Ang focused his spiritual sense, and information about the skills automatically surfaced in his mind.
[Skill: Corpse Toxin]
[Origin: Abyssal World of The Strain]
[Tier: Bronze]
[Law Attribute: Toxin]
[Corpse Toxin Lv1 Effect: Converts Law Power into a potent venom that coats fingernails or weapons, capable of corroding enemy equipment and flesh. Upon striking a foe, inflicts 10 toxin damage per second for 6 seconds. Effect does not stack. Slightly reduces movement and attack speed. Can be dispelled.]
[Evaluation: For the weak.]
A Bronze-tier skill, the lowest grade, lived down to its reputation, offering Li Ang no surprises. Even an ordinary Novice Fiend Hunter would likely look down upon it, let alone someone like him with the system's skill repository as a backup. An Awakened One's skill slots were precious and finite in number. Typically, a second slot only opened upon reaching Level 5. Naturally, no one would waste a valuable slot on such a weak, garbage skill.
Fortunately, the Silver-tier [Corpse-Claw] appeared somewhat serviceable.
[Skill: Corpse-Claw]
[Origin: Abyssal World of The Strain]
[Tier: Silver]
[Law Attribute: Toxin]
[Corpse-Claw Lv1 Effect: Condenses Law Power into a venomous claw of necrotic energy, significantly enhancing the attack and defense capabilities of the hand. Upon striking a foe, inflicts 10 toxin damage per second for 3 seconds. Damage *stacks*!]
[Evaluation: This skill is toxic!]
Compared to [Corpse Toxin], the advantages of [Corpse-Claw] were evident. First, it dramatically increased the hand's offensive and defensive power, turning it into a weapon. Although the exact enhancement remained untested, an increase of even fifty percent would be formidable. Second, while the toxin's duration was shorter, its damage could now stack. Meaning, if an enemy was struck five times within three seconds, the inflicted damage would accumulate to a terrifying 50 points per second!
"Young man, we truly owe you our thanks this time. Without you, we'd likely all be dead here," Uncle Shi said, his face pale as he entered through the charred door frame. His left forearm had been severed, but fortunately, he showed no signs of worm infestation.
"Brother, I never expected you to be so formidable. I haven't even asked your name. That final sun-like skill must be Gold-tier or above, right?" Ke Ang walked over with Mansa, a smile on his face. "I was blind. You should be the captain. With you leading, our chances of survival would undoubtedly increase."
"My name is Li Ang. As for captaincy, no need. I'm accustomed to solitude, rather reclusive by nature. Forcing cooperation wouldn't benefit anyone," Li Ang declined smoothly, his expression unchanged. He glanced past the three, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Where's Lilag? I don't see him." Among the four who had fought together, the sallow-faced man was conspicuously absent.
Mansa's expression darkened. "After your warning, we charged for the exit. In the chaos, we couldn't pay attention to anything else. Then the explosion's shockwave threw us, and we lost sight of everything... When we recovered, Lilag was gone. Probably got entangled with the fiends, couldn't break free in time... blown to pieces."
Already lost one so quickly?A pang of melancholy, a sense of shared fate, passed through Li Ang's heart.
"That commotion was too loud. This place isn't safe to linger. We should leave immediately, each find a secure spot to wait out the night," Li Ang shook his head. Nearly a minute had been wasted talking; they had to depart swiftly to avoid being encircled by Strigoi drawn by the noise.
"Wait!" Ke Ang suddenly called out to Li Ang, his expression solemn. "Brother Li Ang, if you don't have an urgent need for it, would you consider trading that Silver-tier Skill Crystal to me?"
Clearly, Ke Ang had seen Li Ang retrieve the crystals and easily discerned their tier by the glow.
Li Ang narrowed his eyes slightly. "What do you need a Skill Crystal for?"
Ke Ang replied, "My current Awakening Level is four. With a bit of luck, I should reach Level 5 in this Abyssal World. Once I gain a new skill slot, I'll need a potent skill. Given my background and strength, Silver-tier is likely the best I can obtain."
Li Ang couldn't hide his surprise. While power differences below Level 5 were minimal due to everyone having only their Innate Skill, Ke Ang, barely in his twenties, had already reached this level. Taking the Abyssal Trials at this point suggested thorough preparation.
"I have a drop of Lawspring Water here," Ke Ang said, pulling a thumb-sized transparent vial from his robes. In the moonlight, a golden droplet could be seen floating within. "Consuming it transforms into a Gold-tier Law Source Light within the body, randomly adding 1 to 10 points to a specified attribute. I'll trade it for your Skill Crystal. How about it?"
He actually possesses such a precious Law artifact?!Li Ang and the other two were stunned.
Lawspring Water was said to originate from a mysterious Abyssal World, its yield extremely scarce. As Ke Ang described, it allowed an Awakened One to permanently increase a specific attribute by several points—equivalent to gaining several free levels. Even though it was only effective the first time for each individual, its value was immense.
Whether it was more valuable than a Silver-tier Skill Crystal depended on the circumstances and the needs of the parties involved. Clearly, Ke Ang, only one level away from Level 5, desperately needed to secure a satisfactory Skill Crystal. Learning it immediately upon leveling up would drastically boost his combat power, crucial for surviving this trial and potentially achieving an outstanding evaluation.
As for Li Ang, he wasn't particularly attached to the [Corpse-Claw] Skill Crystal itself and had no plans to use it for himself or his Radiant Dawn guardian. Relatively speaking, he preferred the familiar skills from the system's repository. In his hands, the crystal's fate was likely to be offered to the system for Law Essence, then used for the lottery. Compared to that, a drop of Lawspring Water held far greater immediate utility for him. Most practically, it could help him break through the ten-point threshold in a second core attribute, granting the first critical sublimation.
"Deal. Farewell for now!" Li Ang wasted no words. The exchange was completed hand-to-hand, a win-win transaction.
The vial in hand, Li Ang used the system to verify it was indeed Lawspring Water, then uncorked it and swallowed the contents on the spot. The golden liquid didn't even touch his throat; it transformed directly into a warm energy flowing into his body, coalescing into a form akin to a Law Source Light near his dantian.
Based on my Innate Skill and attribute inclinations, my development path will undoubtedly lean towards a mage-like reinforcement route. Theoretically, pouring all points into Intelligence would maximize my advantage.
But this isn't a game. Having other attributes too low creates fatal weaknesses, especially since Strength is linked to Health... Boosting Strength now to raise my Health pool is absolutely necessary!
With this thought, Li Ang decisively channeled the Lawspring Water's power into his Strength attribute.
System Notification: Host has consumed Lawspring Water. Strength attribute randomly increased by 4 points.
D*mn it!A herd of metaphorical alpacas stampeded through Li Ang's mind. Theoretically, it could add 1 to 10 random points, and he got a measly 4, below the median. The key issue was his original Strength was 5. Adding 4 points stuck him at 9. Thus, Li Ang had no choice but to apply the Law Source Light he had just gained from leveling up to his Strength as well. Adding another 2 points finally pushed him past the critical 10-point barrier.
The system's notification for the breakthrough sublimation promptly chimed...