Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Rest
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The black currents swirling in the sky soon drew in all the souls nearby. After devouring even the very last one, they transformed into storm clouds and slowly spread outward.
For something that had summoned and then dismissed Bell-Terza, the surroundings were surprisingly intact. Having restored the land's vitality with the lives of the dead humans, the traces of death were almost entirely gone—save for the dried-out human corpses.
"...Hoo."
Judah let out a long breath. Up until he'd summoned Bell-Terza, the forest had been filled with the clash of weapons and screams, the air rent by explosions from the direction of Roengrim. Now, it was eerily quiet.
A long holographic message appeared before his eyes.
For once, Judah didn't dismiss it right away. He read it slowly from start to finish.
[The elves have successfully repelled the human assault.]
[But this was not a victory they achieved on their own.]
[Judah Arsher, without you...]
[Had you not summoned the Sixth Monarch, Bell-Terza, here, they would have ultimately fallen. Roengrim would have burned, the queen defiled, and the elves reduced to human slaves, sold off across kingdoms and empires.]
[Yet with your aid, they averted that future.]
[Once might be chalked up to coincidence. Twice? That's no accident. Even luck becomes a skill.]
[Humans ignorant of the truth will believe the elves possess the power to effortlessly repel an army of over a hundred thousand. The rumor will spread far and wide, growing ever more exaggerated.]
[Conversely, the Kingdom of Silan, which attacked the elves, will walk the path to ruin.]
[Though you manipulated the puppet king, with Duke Aquila Yes dead—a man whose talents outshone all—the kingdom will fracture.]
[The remaining two dukes will wage war on each other for control.]
[Nobles from the various kingdoms and empires who invested vast sums will pull strings from the shadows, sparking rebellions in every corner.]
[Having scraped together elite soldiers, knight orders, mages... even mercenaries and adventurers for this war, they have almost no means left to suppress the uprisings.]
[Long-fallen kingdoms will rise anew, and hidden talents will emerge across the land.]
[The Kingdom of Silan will splinter into lesser states and ultimately perish—or barely cling to life as a tiny remnant.]
[This is the outcome brought about by your summoning of Bell-Terza.]
The lengthy message wasn't over yet.
[You summoned Bell-Terza and offered over a hundred thousand of your own kind—humans—as living sacrifices.]
[Bell-Terza gladly accepted your tribute and, greatly satisfied, resurrected the countless elves slain by human hands.]
[The souls of the revived elves bear your mark and will obey your commands.]
[These revived ones will inform their kin that you paid a steep price to summon Bell-Terza for the elves' sake.]
[Thus, the elves will realize your aid was crucial in overcoming this crisis and preserving their peace—but they will also fear you for summoning the Sixth Monarch, Bell-Terza.]
[Do not take offense. Any being with life would naturally fear such a thing.]
[And remember this: though you sacrificed over a hundred thousand humans to Bell-Terza, in exchange, you saved an entire race—the elves—from this land.]
[Your level has increased by 5.]
[You have altered the fate of a race headed toward destruction or decline. The elves will now develop on their own, no longer relying on a third miracle. All stats except your highest rise by 3, and your lowest stat (excluding special stats) rises by 10.]
[You have gained 1 Achievement Point.]
[You have acquired the title [One Who Offered Over Two Hundred Thousand Humans as Living Sacrifices].]
[You have acquired the trait <Degenerate>.]
[Your trait [Blessing of the First Monarch] has grown one rank, now A-rank.]
[One Who Offered Over Two Hundred Thousand Humans as Living Sacrifices]
You offered over two hundred thousand humans to the Sixth Monarch, Bell-Terza, as living sacrifices.
No one could easily comprehend such an act.
-When meeting those with specific jobs like Necromancers or Assassins, favorability or affinity increases.
-When meeting those with specific jobs or races like Priests or Angels, favorability or affinity decreases.
-Priests and Angels encountering you for the first time will feel an inexplicable unease.
[Degenerate] - Rank: A / Workmanship: Master
You offered over two hundred thousand humans to Bell-Terza as living sacrifices.
This is something no one has ever done before—and no one ever could.
Wraiths and spirits will become visible to you. They may approach with goodwill or with intent to possess your body. Either way, remember that trusting the dead is seldom wise. Magic resistance increases by 5, and curse effects are reduced by 20%.
[Blessing of the First Monarch (Growth)] - Rank: A
You bear the blessing of the Demon Realm's First Monarch, the Ruler of Space, Xian.
But lacking qualifications, most of its power is sealed.
-Rank C: Acquisition rate of knowledge and experience increases.
-Rank B: Attack speed, movement speed, reaction speed, and recovery speed increase by 10%. Mana consumption reduced by 20%.
-Rank A: All stats +2.
Judah let out another long breath before the nonstop barrage of messages, but for the first time, he read them all at leisure. Summoning Bell-Terza just once had wrought insane ripple effects. No items or codes, but he'd gained the most valuable reward: stats.
The creepy title and trait were unavoidable trade-offs.
With a bitter taste in his mouth, Judah checked his [Status Window].
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「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arsher]
[Title: One Who Offered Over Two Hundred Thousand Humans as Living Sacrifices (4)]
[Level: 57]
[Job: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revives Remaining: 25]
[Strength: 61 (B) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 54 (C) / Potential S]
[Agility: 70 (B) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 51 (C) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 71 (B) / Potential S]
[Charisma: 36 (D) / Potential A]
[Knowledge: 27 (D) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 88 (A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 21]
[Achievement Points: 1]
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His stats had shot up in an instant.
But more than the 4-to-15-point gains, his eyes went to the Achievement Point. Stats could only grow up to potential limits, after which points could push them to 99. He recalled that rare items of certain grades—like Monarch fragments or holy relics from the Holy King—could boost to 100 max, but beyond 99 required these special Achievement Points.
'Never thought I'd get an Achievement Point here...'
The payoff from an SSS-rank skill was no joke. He decided to save the Achievement Point and spend his banked 21 points. He'd planned to wait until potentials maxed, but levels and points would come eventually anyway.
Pondering how to allocate, Judah boldly invested 9 in Strength, 10 in Agility, and 2 in Stamina.
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「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arsher]
[Title: One Who Offered Over Two Hundred Thousand Humans as Living Sacrifices (4)]
[Level: 57]
[Job: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revives Remaining: 25]
[Strength: 70 (B) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 56 (C) / Potential S]
[Agility: 80 (A) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 51 (C) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 71 (B) / Potential S]
[Charisma: 36 (D) / Potential A]
[Knowledge: 27 (D) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 88 (A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 0]
[Achievement Points: 1]
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His body felt noticeably lighter. As he finished allocating and was about to test his updated physique, Judah belatedly sensed eyes on him. Relaxed now that it was all done, it'd taken a while to notice.
He hurriedly dismissed the [System Messages] and [Status Window] floating before him and looked around. Many elves were staring. Their gazes, laced with complex, subtle emotions, left him awkward.
"...Why?"
========== Afterword ==========
1) Finally got around to sorting out stats and skills this chapter, after ignoring them forever. But here's something weird—I swear I wrote a TIP saying stats past 99 need special points, and fragments or special items can push to 100... but I can't find it. Ugh... did I not?
2) Went out to play Pokémon GO, ended up biking in circles for 4 hours, and now I've got a cold. Haha. Why are all the PokéStops in our area so damn far...?
3) Happy New Year, everyone. Lots of luck!
Wanted to brag about daily updates, but can I keep it up...? I can do it, right?