Chapter 254: Fortune Enhancement?
What surprised Sterl even more was that he felt a sudden change within his body…
But nothing had truly changed…
Sterl cautiously sensed his mental domain, life force, and physical strength…
In the end, his conclusion was that nothing had happened.
Until…
The cheat within him suddenly surged, delivering a wealth of detailed information.
"I have gained the power of Fortune??"
"The effect of this ability is that it can make everything go smoothly for me."
"And… it's also the key to the next evolution of the cheat."
Sterl's heart began to race!
However, based on his sensing results, he felt a bit helpless.
If the units of Fortune he just absorbed were one, he would need to gather at least 100 to enhance the cheat again.
Yet, he had no idea where the Fortune he just obtained came from…
Wait.
He looked at the two piles of ashes where the people once stood and then glanced at the surrounding crowd, who were cowering in fear.
Sterl smiled and then spoke, "Can I ask you all something?"
The nearby citizens were extremely panicked, slowly backing away, afraid of being targeted by Sterl.
Seeing this, Sterl wasn't angry; he understood that the survival situation for these ordinary people was such that even a slight provocation of a powerful individual could lead to disaster.
So, Sterl took out a purple gold coin and tossed it into the air.
"Whoever answers well will keep the money."
If he hadn't had the cheat, his situation wouldn't have been much different from those struggling at the bottom.
With the promise of a reward, someone hesitantly stepped forward.
"My lord, what… what do you wish to know?"
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a limp, sweating profusely. He held tightly to a bundle of milk, his eyes reflecting a desperate determination to earn money.
Sterl nodded, relieved that someone was willing to speak.
"I just want to ask about the two people who attacked me earlier… what are they usually like?"
…
"I know! I know!"
"That white-clad man is from the nearby Sword Gate; they collaborate with the nobles to help maintain order."
"He seemed quite friendly when he came here to buy things before…"
…
The atmosphere around Sterl became lively, as many people crowded around, eager to answer his questions.
With the purple gold coin displayed and the promise of a silver coin reward for each answer, the citizens rushed to participate, especially when they realized that this mysterious powerhouse seemed quite approachable.
After collecting the information, Sterl casually scattered a handful of silver coins on the ground and finally tossed the purple gold coin to the man who had answered first.
After thinking for a moment, Sterl decided to go all in as a good person. He flashed forward, entered the game, and unleashed a green light sphere that entered the man's body, directly granting him a green skill. This was to ensure that the man wouldn't lose the purple gold coin and end up dead instead.
Then, as Sterl made his way back to Golden City, he nodded to himself.
Based on the information he had gathered, he was certain of one thing: the behavior of the two attackers this time was significantly different from their usual actions, as if they were possessed and had specifically targeted Sterl.
"Could it be a punishment from the world?"
"After all, I was the last one to acquire the bug skill." Sterl wasn't claiming to be particularly analytical; he was simply piecing together the only logical explanation he could find.
"The reason the ones who attacked me were so weak is that my level is only second class."
"So, did I inadvertently trigger another bug?" Sterl felt a bit speechless…
As for where the Fortune had come from, he came up with another theory.
Perhaps it was because he had survived the backlash??
Thus, Sterl couldn't help but think—
Bring on more backlash, my good brothers! I like this!
…
For a while, everything was calm and quiet.
Sterl reluctantly returned to the Hall of Valor, where the legendary players gathered around him, seemingly eager to build a good rapport with this mysterious and powerful leader.
Unfortunately…
These legends were nothing but players who hadn't even qualified for the extreme trials, so Sterl didn't think much of them. They didn't even have the right to join the guild as laborers.
Sterl chuckled awkwardly and bid farewell to them.
Of course, he did accept their gifts of gratitude: a bunch of purple-quality skills, some special recovery items, and a few rare materials.
These players were quite astute; they knew that without their leader, they would have been dead long ago. After successfully completing a challenging task, their rewards were significant, so they decided to show their appreciation. Otherwise, given the leader's nature, they would surely regret it next time!
As for Sterl, he also turned in the mission.
"You…"
"Congratulations on completing a great achievement, and thank you for your contribution to the Hall of Valor."
This time, the silver-haired Valkyrie in shining silver armor bowed deeply. Sterl couldn't help but notice her two ivory-white peaks slightly trembled.
At that moment, a notification appeared before Sterl:
[Congratulations on completing a highly difficult special mission.]
[You have gained 12,000 Valor Contribution Points (including bonuses for defeating Blood Cult members.)]
[Based on the Blood Cult members you defeated, you have received a special reward.]
A special reward?
Sterl waited for a moment but didn't see what the reward was.
At that moment, the Valkyrie reached behind the counter and pulled out a small box, handing it over to him.
Sterl opened the box to find a radiant golden ticket inside.
[Law Insight Exchange Voucher]
Very good, he nodded. This item was undoubtedly better in greater quantities, even though blood force could unconditionally enhance his Law Power.
But first, he needed to learn it.
Moreover, if blood force turned out to be quite precious, he would still need to contemplate the insights…
At that moment, Sterl rubbed his hands together, feeling a bit excited.
He didn't even take the time to return to his estate; he directly claimed a training room for free in the Assembly Hall.
Then, Sterl quickly opened the contribution store—
[Rain Curtain Sword (Platinum)]
[Description: A special technique symbolizing Flowing Water…]
[Effect: You can create the Rain Curtain Sword, producing the following effects—Rain Curtain Sword (Basic)]
[Activation Requirement: Mastery of Flowing Water Law]
[Purchase Price: 25,000 Valor Contribution Points]
Without hesitation, Sterl chose to redeem it.
Immediately, his account balance dropped to 7,000 contribution points, but a surge of knowledge flooded into his mind.
At the same time, Sterl felt as if countless streams of Flowing Water converged into a long sword, shooting toward him in a meditative state, directly piercing into the side of the star he had constructed in his little world.
Whoosh!
A crisp sound of the sword echoed, almost as if it were cheering joyfully.
Sterl realized that his previous understanding of Flowing Water Law had been quite superficial.
At that moment, he snapped his fingers.
Streaks of star power condensed into a thick liquid and then further transformed into silver-blue sword blades that circled around Sterl.
"What is this…"
Swish!
Sterl tentatively used his Moon Law.
Originally, this type of control Law and the Flowing Water Law operated independently.
However, Sterl sensed that if he slightly manipulated the Rain Curtain Sword formed by the Flowing Water Law, he could forcibly slice through the Moon Law!
Although it wasn't enough to completely negate the effects of the Moon Law, it could already weaken its impact!
It's important to note that Sterl's Moon Law was perfected, far superior to the incomplete Flowing Water Law!
"Is this the enhancement of a platinum skill? Indeed, it's powerful!" Sterl exclaimed in astonishment.
With a wave of his hand, he dissipated the Rain Curtain Sword. In just a few seconds, he had already consumed a massive amount of energy.
If it weren't for the previous opportunities that had increased his energy limits and reduced his energy consumption, Sterl feared he wouldn't even be able to unleash this platinum-level technique…
After a moment of thought, he decided to open the Hall of Valor's contribution store again.
He still had 7,000 Valor Contribution Points, so he spent 1,000 points to exchange for two top-tier recovery potions.
[Fountain of Wisdom]+
[Description: Legend has it that drinking from it grants boundless wisdom; of course, the one you have is a fake.]
[Effect: Instantly restores 200% of your energy, stamina, and life force. Any excess will be stored for 24 hours.
Additionally, it provides a reservoir of 200,000 points of energy, stamina, and life force.]
After redeeming the items, Sterl held two crystal vials containing a mysterious liquid in his hands. With just a slight shake, the fluid inside shifted into various formations: flying birds, humans, snakes, insects, angels…
It was incredibly wondrous.
Sterl was very pleased with the effects of this potion.
Restoring 200% of his energy, life force, and stamina meant that his attribute limits would be significantly raised for a short period.
He could simultaneously use multiple powerful skills and Laws.
And the 200,000-point reservoir was even more outrageous; theoretically, even a level 500 god from a 3-second profession would only have attribute limits in the tens of thousands…
Two hundred thousand points were more than enough for a divine unit to recover several rounds.
For Sterl, it was more than sufficient…
The only drawback was that the various resource reservoirs required some time to activate for recovery.
But this potion was the best thing the Hall of Valor had to offer…
"This Fountain of Wisdom can still be used once more, and the final recovery effect should be much better than it is now," Sterl thought with satisfaction as he stored the two vials back in his little world.
Without wasting a moment, Sterl immediately began composing private messages for Sosia and Sonis.
His experience bar was already close to breaking through to third class.
With the additional experience boost from the arcane skill, even before officially reaching third class, thanks to the effects of the Netherworld Water, he needed to gain enough experience equivalent to leveling up 20 levels after entering second class.
Sterl was not far from reaching third class…