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Chapter 15: Lustrous Stinger
The grotesque Gargoyle stood nearly two meters tall when upright, its demonic wings spanning over five meters even when half-folded, nearly occupying the entire space as it swooped in. Brandon's breath caught as he felt the fierce gusts of air sweeping over, realizing he had no room to evade.
He immediately raised his right hand and shouted with all his might, "oss!"
A buzzing sound rang out instantly.
In the narrow space, the air expanded forward with a sharp whistling, and with four consecutive bangs, the faintly glowing crystals embedded in the tomb wall burst one after another. The swirling wind blast struck the winged beast head-on, the blade-like air currents hitting the monster's ironclad surface, causing it to recoil like a kite with a broken string.
A distant thud echoed as a heavy object fell to the ground, and smoke filled the passage.
Brandon coughed amidst the smoke and lunged forward with his sword. His gaming experience told him that Gargoyles had 60 health points and wouldn't be easily dealt with by just one wind blast.
Sure enough, amidst the smoke, he found the heavily injured Gargoyle. Half of its wing had completely shattered, oozing a blue liquid that pooled on the ground, forming a bright line. The creature opened its mouth and emitted a series of screams at Brandon, its other claw hanging weakly, clearly injured.
Seizing the opportunity while it was weak!
Without hesitation, Brandon stepped forward, swinging his sword with all his might, aiming to strike the monster. The first blow landed on the creature's chest, catching it off guard and forcing it to step back.
The second blow followed immediately, but the reacting Gargoyle swiftly spread its wings, enveloping itself in defense. The longsword struck the wing's surface, producing a bright spark.
Despite exerting all his strength, Brandon's attacks were futile, and he felt like his wounds were about to burst open. However, he didn't lose heart. His previous attacks were meant to force the Gargoyle into a defensive state—a chance he had to seize to bypass the creature.
But the Gargoyle screamed and flapped its wings, a force equivalent to four units crashing like a landslide. Brandon's longsword slipped from his grip and flew out of his hand. The sword collided with the tomb wall, sparking a few times before landing far away in the passage.
He himself was flung against the opposite wall with a grunt, feeling like his entire body was about to fall apart. The only thing keeping him conscious was the realization that the Gargoyle's unexpected action had brought him closer to Jared's tomb.
This realization cleared his mind like a dose of calmative, guiding him on what to do next. Inhaling sharply, he gathered his strength, suppressing the intense pain threatening to overwhelm him, and struggled to his feet, sprinting towards Jared's tomb.
Gargoyles were mechanical creatures, typically serving as guardians in such places. There must be something to command it. Right, the Gargoyle amulet! Brandon immediately remembered what could control it.
Opportunity knocks but once.
The light ahead grew brighter, its gentle white glow soothing, but Brandon's heart continued to race. He had only a few seconds left, and success or failure hung in the balance.
But then he heard the sound of something heavy moving behind him, and a sense of urgency gripped him. With his extensive combat experience, he instinctively leaped forward, but it was too late. Brandon felt a tightness around his ankle in midair—the cold, metallic claws of the Gargoyle had caught him, dragging him back forcibly.
Brandon crashed heavily to the ground, coughing up blood. In the game, he had experienced more dire situations than this, but none had felt as pressing as this moment. Failure meant death. What should he do?
He had ten seconds left with his indomitable talent. Should he take a gamble? The thought pierced his mind like a beam of light.
Gritting his teeth, he flipped over, raising his right hand once again, aiming the ring with its shimmering light at the Gargoyle—
Eight seconds.
A trace of fear flickered in the Gargoyle's green eyes as it screeched and flew backward, instinctively releasing Brandon's ankle. Buga's craftsman wizards were undoubtedly the smartest in the world, creating powerful and cunning war creatures. But this was exactly what Brandon was taking advantage of at this moment.
Wisdom was like a double-edged sword, or an apple tempting one to fall from grace. Yet once a creature possessed wisdom, it would understand, fear, and seek to save itself.
Just like now.
Brandon gasped for air, closing his eyes. A sense of relief flooded him, but he couldn't afford to relax. Time was running out.
Six seconds.
He almost willed himself to flip over again with sheer determination. Crawling towards the tomb chamber filled with a sacred atmosphere, he first laid eyes on the sword displayed atop the stone coffin: Lustrous Stinger. But he didn't care about that now; he was searching for something else.
Three seconds.
His gaze fixed on a small niche on the left, second layer, second compartment. He tore apart the cobwebs covering it and reached inside—amidst the swarm of insects crawling out, he retrieved the bottle.
A Temple-made No. 12 tall-necked bottle, marked with a flame emblem. Brandon turned over and couldn't help but press the bottle against his chest, breathing heavily as if trying to absorb the full extent of his luck.
There was still a moment left, his heartbeat reminding him of his narrow escape. Brandon almost trembled as he uncorked the bottle and tilted his head back, swallowing the liquid inside. Initially, a bitter taste flooded his taste buds, but it was so pure, so potent, that Brandon couldn't help but praise the goddess.
No. 7 Holy Water (16oz), ordered to be produced by High Priest Tamara in the Year of the Frost Flowers to cope with the increasing consumption on the frontlines. It was a substitute for the No. 5 Holy Water, restoring 25 health points, but only effective against non-fatal injuries.
Brandon recalled that this item was the most common item in the game.
The Holy Water took effect immediately, first healing the abrasions on his limbs, which almost visibly recovered in speed. Then came the sword wounds, the tingling sensation lasting for several minutes before subsiding. Brandon took a deep breath and realized that the feeling of breathlessness had completely disappeared.
Opening his eyes, he found that the Gargoyle outside had yet to follow him in. This of course wasn't because it feared the Ring of the Wind Sovereign; Brandon guessed that the creature simply couldn't enter the tomb chamber. With his gaming experience, he understood that many knight's tombs had corresponding sacred barriers, prohibiting evil creatures from defiling them.
He breathed a sigh of relief, examining his injuries as he sat up.
The only significant wound left was the one he had sustained initially, a fatal blow to his vital organs. Thus, the effect of the No. 7 Holy Water was limited.
But it was enough. Brandon got up from the ground, feeling an urge to shout in exhilaration. This was perhaps the best state he had experienced since arriving in this world—no pain, weakness vanished, and his body felt invigorated.
Moreover, he had managed to survive an utterly desperate situation, astonishing even himself. How extraordinary was that! Pride quickly swelled within him at the thought of achieving such a remarkable feat.
He clenched his fist, struggling to calm his turbulent emotions. He still remembered Freya and Ethan, and it was time to execute the next part of the plan.
Of course, before that, he still needed to complete his current objectives. Glancing back, his gaze fell on the shining sword atop the stone coffin—Lustrous Stinger. A leaf-shaped sword wasn't common in the human world because it was an elven sword.
Following the silver-woven guard upward, he saw the two lines of delicate elven script on the blade:
Born amidst the radiant glow,
Striking fear in every foe.
He hadn't seen this sword before, but he knew its reputation. Legend had it that Lustrous Stinger was a 19th-level ancient longsword, not only incredibly sharp itself, but also enhancing the carrier's strength, willpower, and constitution by 1 unit each. What was a one-unit increase in strength and constitution at low levels? It meant that if Brandon were to use it, his strength and constitution would directly double that of an ordinary person.
Moreover, the most crucial aspect was that some individuals in the game had witnessed the Lustrous Stinger possessing the coveted ability to detect undead. Whenever undead creatures approached this sword, it would emit a radiant light, hence the origin of its name.
Brandon looked at the sword, feeling a bit sentimental. In the game, the elves had crafted seventeen swords of the same type, but most had been collected and destroyed by the dark lords of Madara at the end of the First Era, leaving only three.
This was one of them.
He reached out and grasped the hilt, feeling a surge of power entering his body. He felt stronger, more agile, and lighter in his arms. However , before Brandon had time to fully comprehend this change, a sensation suddenly floated into his mind: "Young man, will you inherit my path?"
Huh?
Brandon furrowed his brow, quickly realizing what this was. It was an Occupational Certificate! It wasn't difficult to obtain an Occupational Certificate in the game, but it was the most urgently needed thing for him now. However, Brandon hadn't expected that the Knight Templar Jared would provide him with a mercenary's occupational certificate, rather than that of a Church Knight, or even a Knight. What was going on?
"Found an occupational certificate for the occupation of 'mercenary.' Requires 2 experience points to be upgraded to level 1. Would you like to accept the occupation?"
Of course, while it wasn't a knight, being a mercenary wasn't bad either. It was definitely better than being a militia.
"Accept—"
A line of small text lit up on his retina.
Mercenary [Charge (level 1)]
Charge, launching a sudden assault on enemies, increasing speed tenfold, with a cooldown of one minute. Cannot be triggered in a weakened state.
Brandon could almost recite the effect of this skill with his eyes closed; he was too familiar with it, as it was the initial skill of the warrior class.
Was this fate? Brandon thought to himself and clenched his fist.
Nevertheless, he didn't linger on the thought for too long. Instead, he commenced a thorough survey of the entire tomb chamber, his focus unwavering from the possessions of the deceased. His sole objective was to locate the holy water, renowned for its ability to dispel evil. Recognizing its immense value—capable of saving a life in a critical moment—Brandon remained resolute in his search. Yet, despite his determined efforts, his gaze inevitably fixated on a small ebony Gargoyle, captivating his attention in the end.
It was a statue.
That was it!
Brandon's surprise was palpable as he beheld the Gargoyle amulet before him, realizing its significance as the key to controlling the formidable creature. Without hesitation, he reached for the amulet, envisioning the possibility of commanding a Gargoyle—an unexpected delight that could potentially become the highlight of his journey.
But at that moment, the tomb suddenly shook violently, causing debris to rain down from the ceiling. Brandon immediately turned back, just in time to hear an explosion coming from far away outside.
It was from the pasture!
He was startled.
Had Freya and Ethan encountered trouble? That was the only possibility Brandon could think of. He hastily wrapped two bottles of No. 9 Holy Water with blood-stained clothes, then urgently retraced his steps out of the tomb chamber.
In his haste, he didn't notice a piece of paper falling lightly beneath the holy water he had knocked over.
Brandon collided with the Gargoyle as he rushed outside, but this time, he held the Gargoyle amulet, and the creature didn't dare to attack, instead obediently standing aside like a statue.
Brandon felt a bit regretful; this type of control amulet required a passphrase. Otherwise, he could have taken this Gargoyle out with him. Despite there still being two skeletal wizards in Green Village, they wouldn't stand a chance against a level 23 Gargoyle.
Because, for mechanical Gargoyles, Decay was completely ineffective.
The young man rushed out three steps in two strides, but before he could catch his breath, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept through the darkness.
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