Chapter 540: Verdurous Giant Spear (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 540: Verdurous Giant Spear (2)
To be honest, No. 7777: Garphas's Necklace, wasn't all that fuel-efficient of an item. You were guaranteed to obtain a Numbered Item of No. 35 or better from it, sure, but before those odds kicked in, you needed to spend 1.5 billion stones.
You only turn a profit if you get a Numbered Item in the single digits.
Getting something in the teens—namely, No. 19 to No. 10—was breaking even, and anything No. 20 and above was a loss. Not only that but there was a non-zero chance that the necklace could self-destruct while rerolling, which would be the biggest loss of all.
In other words, it was a high-risk, high-reward gambling item.
"Bjorn...? Why aren't you saying anything?" I shook myself out of my stupor at the sound of Ainar's worried voice. "Is it... not a good one?" she asked hesitantly.
That was the furthest possible thing from the truth.
"Well done, Ainar. You're the only one I can rely on."
I was conveying my love to her as earnestly as I could, but Ainar didn't seem to notice. "Oh! If you're saying that, then the item must be good! What does this shield do?"
Oh. Was that all?
The way she brushed my feelings off so easily hurt just a little bit, but it was fine.
Right, this could've all ended with me getting stuck with the Rake of Naraka.
To be honest, I'd happily let her punch me in the face three times over and laugh it off with a smile if it meant getting this result. And on that note...
Let's pull this now.
Just in case something went wrong, I rushed to pull out the selected item.
Flash!
As I pressed the confirm button, a spray of multicolored light erupted from the necklace. The shining rays coalesced in the air like clay and took shape.
[The selected item has been given form.]
No. 3: Wall of Aegis.
As obvious as it may seem, this was the best shield in the game for a Shield Barbarian like me.
I guess since I'll exclusively be using this shield from now on, I've officially filled my shield slot...
Honestly, I hadn't been expecting this to happen at all. No, realistically speaking, there were actually several other items I intended to stop at if I saw them.
There was the endgame armor in the teens that I always wore as part of my build; my second pick for an endgame shield, No.21; one of the single-digit Numbered Items that was core to the ice-type Double Sword Master build... Plus, if the Rift Maker—a helpful item for farming—appeared, I would've seriously considered taking it for its future usefulness alone. And if that one didn't pop up, I had planned on stopping if I got any of the endgame weapons for Amelia or Erwen.
However...
I really didn't expect to get this.
I still couldn't tell if I was dreaming.
[Due to the excessive influx of mana, the necklace containing Garphas's power has been permanently damaged.]
With that, the Numbered Item around my neck turned into a regular piece of jewelry. I barely paid it any mind as I carefully lifted up my new gray shield.
[You have equipped No. 3: Wall of Aegis. Your total Item Level has increased by +18600.]
I had become stronger.
A lot stronger at that.
The shield itself wasn't too fancy. The color was gray, and it didn't have a single decoration on its surface. But so what? All a shield needed to be was strong and sturdy.
"This shield...is a single-digit Numbered Item?"
"Wait... There are only two above No. 3... This is an incredible treasure!"
"Wall of Aegis! I've only ever heard about it in stories, but now I'm seeing it with my own eyes!"
I heard my comrades begin to whisper amongst themselves as they realized what my shield was. The last of them to speak, Amelia, seemed to be the most excited, strangely enough.
Ainar merrily joined in. "Oh! Since everyone's saying stuff like that, I guess it's some sort of valuable treasure!"
"Tsk, that's not all," Amelia scolded her. "The Wall of Aegis hasn't once appeared since the adventurer who last had it died in the labyrinth 120 years ago."
Actually, now that I thought about it, it wasn't strange at all. This woman really liked stuff like this. If I had to put a label on it, she was something of a labyrinth geek.
"Right now, excluding the one that the palace has in their stores, Yandel, you are the only person with one in their possession. Also, according to past records, that shield is indestructible..."
She must have wanted to flaunt her knowledge or something because Amelia kindly gave everyone a rundown on the shield and its history. The explanation itself was professional enough...
But when it comes to information, this world is always missing a detail or two.
As a hardcore gamer, I couldn't accept that. I proceeded to go over the item in my head myself.
High-quality to the point of indestructibility. Holding the shield in the guarding position grants me immunity to all damage.
Reduces all magical damage dealt to me and everyone within thirty feet of me by 30 percent and grants immunity to all spells rank-five and below.
All of my defensive stats increase by 20 percent the moment it's equipped.
When using an aura skill, the range of the aura is doubled.
As long as my Threat Level is over five hundred, all monsters will prioritize attacking me first.
And finally...
One active effect.
Yes, this was what it was like to have an endgame piece of equipment.
My heart was pounding so hard, I wanted to run out and test this thing out in battle right now. But though I could feel myself itching for a fight, I had already told everyone that today was a rest day, so I held myself back.
Right, I needed time to get used to this thing too.
It's pretty light.
It was much heavier than an ordinary steel shield, but somehow it still felt strangely lighter than I was used to. Though that might have just been because my last shield was ridiculously heavy.
Let me grab my hammer too.
Holding Demon Grinder in my other hand, I tested out the balance between the two. After all, this wasn't a video game. Differences in weight and sensation were something that could end up backfiring on me pretty hard.
Whoosh! Swoosh!
And so, I was swinging my weapon at the empty air inside the cave to get used to the change in weight when a thought occurred to me.
A lot stronger at that.
The shield itself wasn't too fancy. The color was gray, and it didn't have a single decoration on its surface. But so what? All a shield needed to be was strong and sturdy.
"This shield...is a single-digit Numbered Item?"
"Wait... There are only two above No. 3... This is an incredible treasure!"
"Wall of Aegis! I've only ever heard about it in stories, but now I'm seeing it with my own eyes!"
I heard my comrades begin to whisper amongst themselves as they realized what my shield was. The last of them to speak, Amelia, seemed to be the most excited, strangely enough.
Ainar merrily joined in. "Oh! Since everyone's saying stuff like that, I guess it's some sort of valuable treasure!"
"Tsk, that's not all," Amelia scolded her. "The Wall of Aegis hasn't once appeared since the adventurer who last had it died in the labyrinth 120 years ago."
Actually, now that I thought about it, it wasn't strange at all. This woman really liked stuff like this. If I had to put a label on it, she was something of a labyrinth geek.
"Right now, excluding the one that the palace has in their stores, Yandel, you are the only person with one in their possession. Also, according to past records, that shield is indestructible..."
She must have wanted to flaunt her knowledge or something because Amelia kindly gave everyone a rundown on the shield and its history. The explanation itself was professional enough...
But when it comes to information, this world is always missing a detail or two.
As a hardcore gamer, I couldn't accept that. I proceeded to go over the item in my head myself.
High-quality to the point of indestructibility. Holding the shield in the guarding position grants me immunity to all damage.
Reduces all magical damage dealt to me and everyone within thirty feet of me by 30 percent and grants immunity to all spells rank-five and below.
All of my defensive stats increase by 20 percent the moment it's equipped.
When using an aura skill, the range of the aura is doubled.
As long as my Threat Level is over five hundred, all monsters will prioritize attacking me first.
And finally...
One active effect.
Yes, this was what it was like to have an endgame piece of equipment.
My heart was pounding so hard, I wanted to run out and test this thing out in battle right now. But though I could feel myself itching for a fight, I had already told everyone that today was a rest day, so I held myself back.
Right, I needed time to get used to this thing too.
It's pretty light.
It was much heavier than an ordinary steel shield, but somehow it still felt strangely lighter than I was used to. Though that might have just been because my last shield was ridiculously heavy.
Let me grab my hammer too.
Holding Demon Grinder in my other hand, I tested out the balance between the two. After all, this wasn't a video game. Differences in weight and sensation were something that could end up backfiring on me pretty hard.
Whoosh! Swoosh!
And so, I was swinging my weapon at the empty air inside the cave to get used to the change in weight when a thought occurred to me.
Somehow, I ended up getting my top weapons already.
No. 87: Kraul's Demon Grinder, and No. 3: Wall of Aegis—with these two, I honestly never had to look at another weapon again. Demon Grinder could technically be upgraded for a better item, but that would be a lot of work for diminishing returns, so I could just keep using this hammer.
I guess I only have my armor, shoes, and belt left.
Those were the core items for my final build, anyway. Although the barbarian tribe's Genesis Treasure was another core item, that was something I likely wouldn't be able to get my hands on despite being the one thing I really wished I could have. The Genesis Treasure was a big reason the Shield Barbarian was so overpowered.
Anyway, I think I've gotten used to this thing...
After getting acquainted with the feel of my new equipment, I started testing out a few things. I turned on the active effect and then checked the magic immunity aura as well.
A thirty-foot radius...
I made sure to ingrain in myself what thirty feet looked and felt like. This would be a critical metric in battle.
Once I'd ticked off a few more experiments, I rested for the remaining time we had and then gathered with the other leaders to discuss our plans moving forward.
Well, to be honest, it was closer to an announcement than a discussion.
"Lord Baron, are we going to continue exploring this island of giants again tomorrow?"
"No, for now, we're going to leave this island be."
"Pardon?"
"We spent all that time wandering around and getting beat up, yet we still haven't found anything."
I knew that Giant Island hid a secret. However, I got the sense that that secret would only be revealed to us after we defeated that huge giant we saw the last time we were here.
The problem is, we haven't seen it since, and there's no guarantee that we would be able to defeat it even if we found it.
"Then... where are you planning on going?"
"Our next destination will be Library Island."
"Pardon? Ah... You mean that island you told me about before."
"That's right."
Before all else, I wanted to head to that island to boost our stats. Back then, we were limited by the fact that we only had seven members and had had to leave after hitting the rank-threes, but things were different now. Also, I was a little curious about what the situation there was like now that some time had passed.
I'm pretty sure we cleared all of the books on the bottom shelves. Have those regenerated since?
Hmm, I'd find out when I got there.
As our meeting was coming to a close, Amelia asked me a question. "Yandel, then are we giving up on the Hipramajent?"
"We're not giving up. We're just putting it on hold for now."
"But why? I remember you wanting its essence."
That was true.
However, even if the distortion magic succeeded and another essence dropped, there was no guarantee that it would be one with Giantization. More than anything, even if we hit the jackpot and got the perfect drop, there wouldn't be much of a payoff.
No matter how I look at it, I don't think the skill will stack twice.
The Hipramajent's essence was superior to the Orc Hero's, but the active skill it would give me would be the same. As it was, I had two essence slots left. It would be more helpful for me to fill these slots with other essences that would help me get stronger. It wasn't like I had any way of erasing the Orc Hero's essence even if the Hipramajent's did drop.
Somehow, I ended up getting my top weapons already.
No. 87: Kraul's Demon Grinder, and No. 3: Wall of Aegis—with these two, I honestly never had to look at another weapon again. Demon Grinder could technically be upgraded for a better item, but that would be a lot of work for diminishing returns, so I could just keep using this hammer.
I guess I only have my armor, shoes, and belt left.
Those were the core items for my final build, anyway. Although the barbarian tribe's Genesis Treasure was another core item, that was something I likely wouldn't be able to get my hands on despite being the one thing I really wished I could have. The Genesis Treasure was a big reason the Shield Barbarian was so overpowered.
Anyway, I think I've gotten used to this thing...
After getting acquainted with the feel of my new equipment, I started testing out a few things. I turned on the active effect and then checked the magic immunity aura as well.
A thirty-foot radius...
I made sure to ingrain in myself what thirty feet looked and felt like. This would be a critical metric in battle.
Once I'd ticked off a few more experiments, I rested for the remaining time we had and then gathered with the other leaders to discuss our plans moving forward.
Well, to be honest, it was closer to an announcement than a discussion.
"Lord Baron, are we going to continue exploring this island of giants again tomorrow?"
"No, for now, we're going to leave this island be."
"Pardon?"
"We spent all that time wandering around and getting beat up, yet we still haven't found anything."
I knew that Giant Island hid a secret. However, I got the sense that that secret would only be revealed to us after we defeated that huge giant we saw the last time we were here.
The problem is, we haven't seen it since, and there's no guarantee that we would be able to defeat it even if we found it.
"Then... where are you planning on going?"
"Our next destination will be Library Island."
"Pardon? Ah... You mean that island you told me about before."
"That's right."
Before all else, I wanted to head to that island to boost our stats. Back then, we were limited by the fact that we only had seven members and had had to leave after hitting the rank-threes, but things were different now. Also, I was a little curious about what the situation there was like now that some time had passed.
I'm pretty sure we cleared all of the books on the bottom shelves. Have those regenerated since?
Hmm, I'd find out when I got there.
As our meeting was coming to a close, Amelia asked me a question. "Yandel, then are we giving up on the Hipramajent?"
"We're not giving up. We're just putting it on hold for now."
"But why? I remember you wanting its essence."
That was true.
However, even if the distortion magic succeeded and another essence dropped, there was no guarantee that it would be one with Giantization. More than anything, even if we hit the jackpot and got the perfect drop, there wouldn't be much of a payoff.
No matter how I look at it, I don't think the skill will stack twice.
The Hipramajent's essence was superior to the Orc Hero's, but the active skill it would give me would be the same. As it was, I had two essence slots left. It would be more helpful for me to fill these slots with other essences that would help me get stronger. It wasn't like I had any way of erasing the Orc Hero's essence even if the Hipramajent's did drop.
"Hmm, I see. Got it."
Still, these were all excuses. They weren't the main reason.
Since I've taken care of Erwen and Ainar somewhat...
I needed to up the specs of my other allies as well. They all had an open essence slot, and we should be able to fill them up with ease if we farmed for a bit at the library.
Ah, of course, this included Amelia.
It's been a while since she's gotten a power boost.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing."
I just had a thought.
Although I didn't know when we'd get to escape from this place when that time did finally come...
It's fun to imagine.
How much stronger would we be?
***
After announcing our plans, I spent our remaining rest time alone thinking more about my build, going over the things I needed to do to become an even bigger and stronger Shield Barbarian and my highest priorities in pursuit of that goal.
For now, only one thing on that list could be completed on Basement Floor One: get an essence at the library.
I was after one essence and one essence alone, and that was the rank-three monster Bellarios. Once I absorbed it, the next steps on the road to my final build would be possible only after we escaped from this place.
Switching out the Orc Hero's essence for Hipramajent's, reaching stage nine of the Spirit Imprint, going around the eighth-floor Rift to farm for Guardian essences and Numbered Items, and erasing the Storm Gush's essence to farm for a Floor Essence... The rest of the things I needed to get done at level eight would only be feasible after I returned to the city.
With that, my rest day came to an end. As soon as the seventy-fifth day dawned, we left the cave, heading to the beach to make our way to Library Island.
Fwip!
But just as we were about to summon the boat, something suddenly flew at us from the ocean.
[Defense successful. Wall of Aegis has absorbed all damage.]
Thankfully, I instinctively raised my shield to block it.
What was this?
"It's an ambush!"
Positioning my shocked allies behind me, I glanced down in an attempt to figure out what was going on. There, where the silver waves ebbed and flowed at my feet, I could see a crimson spear lying on the sandy beach.
Verdurous Giant Spear...?
What the hell? Why was that thing here?
My question didn't remain unanswered for long.
[The Spearman of the Heavens, Milayel, has cast Return.]
In the distance, a figure emerged from the ocean's silvery waves, trudging steadily and unerringly toward us.
[The Spearman of the Heavens, Milayel, has retrieved the Verdurous Giant Spear. Until the end of combat, the strength of Return slightly increases.]
As the spear in the sand shot back into its hand, it spoke in a rumbling voice. "(I will not let you go, mortal.)"
This was a line of dialogue I had heard countless times while running away from this guy in the game, but it hit differently this time around.
...Did it lose its mind?
Did this guy seriously walk across the ocean and all the way here?
***
The Guardian of the Rift of Kalheum, the City of Light, was the Spearman of the Heavens, Milayel. As I'd once again run into it somewhere I had never expected to, the first thing I felt was confusion.
However, as my shock subsided, I felt a different emotion entirely. It was a sense of welcome.
"Great."
And a sense of joy.
"I thought I would never see you again."
"I will not let you go, mortal."
As Milayel responded with the same old phrase in the same old tone, I grinned.
I mean, I have no intention of running away this time.
Back then, Erwen had been out of commission, and we were surrounded by monsters on all sides. Hell, I wouldn't have been surprised if another rank-two monster had chosen to join the fight. That was why we had barreled straight toward the beach without looking back.
However, things were different now, though I wasn't sure if this moron had clued in yet. The rainy season had ended ages ago, and I had even picked up a fancy new shield recently.
This will be a good test of our combat level.
I turned toward my allies, who were awaiting my orders, and gave the command. "Prepare for battle! We're going to take this guy down here and now!"
Yeah, it would be rude to reject a gift that had been kind enough to walk right into our laps.
"Hmm, I see. Got it."
Still, these were all excuses. They weren't the main reason.
Since I've taken care of Erwen and Ainar somewhat...
I needed to up the specs of my other allies as well. They all had an open essence slot, and we should be able to fill them up with ease if we farmed for a bit at the library.
Ah, of course, this included Amelia.
It's been a while since she's gotten a power boost.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing."
I just had a thought.
Although I didn't know when we'd get to escape from this place when that time did finally come...
It's fun to imagine.
How much stronger would we be?
***
After announcing our plans, I spent our remaining rest time alone thinking more about my build, going over the things I needed to do to become an even bigger and stronger Shield Barbarian and my highest priorities in pursuit of that goal.
For now, only one thing on that list could be completed on Basement Floor One: get an essence at the library.
I was after one essence and one essence alone, and that was the rank-three monster Bellarios. Once I absorbed it, the next steps on the road to my final build would be possible only after we escaped from this place.
Switching out the Orc Hero's essence for Hipramajent's, reaching stage nine of the Spirit Imprint, going around the eighth-floor Rift to farm for Guardian essences and Numbered Items, and erasing the Storm Gush's essence to farm for a Floor Essence... The rest of the things I needed to get done at level eight would only be feasible after I returned to the city.
With that, my rest day came to an end. As soon as the seventy-fifth day dawned, we left the cave, heading to the beach to make our way to Library Island.
Fwip!
But just as we were about to summon the boat, something suddenly flew at us from the ocean.
[Defense successful. Wall of Aegis has absorbed all damage.]
Thankfully, I instinctively raised my shield to block it.
What was this?
"It's an ambush!"
Positioning my shocked allies behind me, I glanced down in an attempt to figure out what was going on. There, where the silver waves ebbed and flowed at my feet, I could see a crimson spear lying on the sandy beach.
Verdurous Giant Spear...?
What the hell? Why was that thing here?
My question didn't remain unanswered for long.
[The Spearman of the Heavens, Milayel, has cast Return.]
In the distance, a figure emerged from the ocean's silvery waves, trudging steadily and unerringly toward us.
[The Spearman of the Heavens, Milayel, has retrieved the Verdurous Giant Spear. Until the end of combat, the strength of Return slightly increases.]
As the spear in the sand shot back into its hand, it spoke in a rumbling voice. "(I will not let you go, mortal.)"
This was a line of dialogue I had heard countless times while running away from this guy in the game, but it hit differently this time around.
...Did it lose its mind?
Did this guy seriously walk across the ocean and all the way here?
***
The Guardian of the Rift of Kalheum, the City of Light, was the Spearman of the Heavens, Milayel. As I'd once again run into it somewhere I had never expected to, the first thing I felt was confusion.
However, as my shock subsided, I felt a different emotion entirely. It was a sense of welcome.
"Great."
And a sense of joy.
"I thought I would never see you again."
"I will not let you go, mortal."
As Milayel responded with the same old phrase in the same old tone, I grinned.
I mean, I have no intention of running away this time.
Back then, Erwen had been out of commission, and we were surrounded by monsters on all sides. Hell, I wouldn't have been surprised if another rank-two monster had chosen to join the fight. That was why we had barreled straight toward the beach without looking back.
However, things were different now, though I wasn't sure if this moron had clued in yet. The rainy season had ended ages ago, and I had even picked up a fancy new shield recently.
This will be a good test of our combat level.
I turned toward my allies, who were awaiting my orders, and gave the command. "Prepare for battle! We're going to take this guy down here and now!"
Yeah, it would be rude to reject a gift that had been kind enough to walk right into our laps.