Chapter 521 - A Monster That Evolves
As the closest thing to an Epic Set Equipment below Level 50, a Tier 1 Set Equipment was naturally extraordinary.
Initially, s.h.i.+ Feng had not been very confident of wiping out War Wolf and the others. However, now that he had completed the Tier 1 Set Equipment for Swordsmen, his combat power would soar once he equipped it.
His chances of defeating War Wolf’s group of eight top-tier experts would also significantly increase.
s.h.i.+ Feng then replaced the Dragonclaw Set Equipment with the Hurricane Set Equipment.
Unlike the Dragonclaw Set, the Hurricane Set was specifically designed for Swordsmen. The silvery-blue streamlined armor did not hinder its user’s body at all. s.h.i.+ Feng now felt much lighter in the Hurricane Set Equipment.
As expected of a set exclusively for Swordsmen. Not only does it have strong Defense, but it also increases the player’s dexterity. Ordinary equipment cannot compare. After testing his range of movement, s.h.i.+ Feng’s lips curled into a smile.
[Hurricane Set Equipment]
Level 20 - Level 50
Equipment Requirement: Tier 1 Swordsman
Set consists of five parts: head, chest, hands, legs, and feet.
Binds when equipped.
Set effect
Two-piece effect: Damage increased by 10%, Attack Speed increased by 20%, and all Swordsman Skill effects increased by 20%.
Four-piece effect: Strength increased by 15%, and Agility increased by 15%. Obtain Sword Aura Release Skill: Deals 300% weapon damage to all enemies within a radius of 5 yards, knocking back all enemies by 12 yards and stunning them for 1 second. Cooldown: 1 minute.
Five-piece effect: All Swordsman Skill Cooldowns reduced by 20%. Receive one stack of Hurricane Energy every time you deal damage to the target. Each stack increases Attack Speed by 2% and attack range by 1 yard for 20 seconds. Maximum of 10 stacks. Obtain Hurricane Skill: Deals 200% + (30%* Number of Hurricane Energy stacks) weapon damage in a cone to enemies within a range of 20 yards and lifts all targets struck into the air, preventing movement for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
With the set’s Basic Attributes, s.h.i.+ Feng’s Strength finally broke past the 500-point threshold even without entering a Berserk state. His Agility also pa.s.sed 600 points. Regarding Movement Speed and Attack Speed, s.h.i.+ Feng was confident he would not lose to any player unless said player wore an Epic Set Equipment.
Moreover, even if they wore an Epic Set Equipment, it was not necessarily better than the Hurricane Set Equipment.
Once equipment reached Dark-Gold rank or above, it would undergo a unique transformation. This transformation was not reflected in the equipment’s information. Rather, the set provided a hidden advantage.
This advantage came in the form of the equipment’s compatibility with a player’s movements. It was similar to how a person would find it uncomfortable wearing shoes and clothing that did not fit. Every cla.s.s and player had different movement habits. Ordinary equipment was standardized, not adapting to a player’s movement habits, and was somewhat inconvenient for a player. Although the inconvenience might seem negligible to ordinary players, to experts, this inconvenience was like having a nail in their shoe. It would cause their movements to become awkward and significantly affect their performances.
A Tier 1 Set Equipment’s quality was higher than Dark-Gold. Hence, in the system’s settings, the set equipment would adjust to fit the player’s cla.s.s movement habits.
Currently, s.h.i.+ Feng felt as if the nail that had been inside his shoe was finally gone. He could now move unhindered.
Following which, s.h.i.+ Feng resumed his wait in the shadows.
War Wolf and the others were already close to the heart of the Dragonmen’s Nest. The terrain was narrow with mountains looming on each side. The team could only advance or retreat; there was no third option. This place was the best location to set up an ambush.
“Boss Wolf, I’ve already scouted ahead. Aside from some Elite Dragonmen, there aren’t any traps or mechanisms throughout the path towards the heart of the Nest. However, the Boss guarding the treasure is a Level 30 Lord. Moreover, it leans towards magical-type, so it will be somewhat difficult to deal with,” a Tier 1 a.s.sa.s.sin in black named Shadowless Rat reported.
“A magical-type?” War Wolf, who had a sickly complexion, frowned slightly.
Magical-type Bosses usually possessed many AOE Skills and had a variety of attack patterns. However, the most frightening aspect of such Bosses was their ability to instant-kill players. They were different from physical-type Bosses that could be contained using a variety of methods.
The biggest difference between physical-type attacks and magical-type attacks was that physical-type attacks were normally very straightforward; they did not have any compound attack patterns. Although physical attacks were a lot faster, it would not be a problem if one reacted quickly and defended against the attack. On the other hand, magical attacks were usually compounded. Because of this, these attacks could easily instant-kill players.
In the past virtual reality games, monsters’ attack patterns were monotonous, unlike the monsters in G.o.d’s Domain whose attack patterns were very realistic. Moreover, with the increase in level, monsters’ attack patterns would also evolve, transforming from the initial monotonous attack patterns to the current compound attack patterns. In other words, players had to guard more than one area, possibly up to five or six.
Most ordinary players already struggled to defend against single fold attacks, much less twofold attacks. The simplest example of a twofold attack was an attack that came in tandem. In a panic, there was a high chance that both attacks would strike ordinary players. They would have to train rigorously to avoid such tandem attacks.
Meanwhile, although the members of the various large Guilds had killed plenty of monsters, monsters with compound attack patterns only began appearing after Level 25. Hence, a majority of players would usually suffer the first time they encountered such monsters. Against a Boss, even team-wipes were common.
“Let’s take a look at it first before coming up with a strategy,” War Wolf said.
War Wolf then led his team and advanced towards the Lord ranked Boss quickly, killing everything in their path.
[Magic Eye Dragonman] (Lord Rank)
Level 30
HP 1,600,000/1,600,000
As an Area Boss, the Magic Eye Dragonman’s HP changed according to the number of players in its area of influence. The minimum limit was 20 players, and if there were more than 20 players within range, its HP would increase accordingly. In other words, having more players wasn’t necessarily an advantage.
The moment War Wolf’s team of one hundred stepped into the Magic Eye Dragonman’s area of influence, the Magic Eye Dragonman’s HP instantly increased to 8,000,000.
“Shadowless Rat, the nineteen of you will stay with me. Everyone else, leave the Magic Eye Dragonman’s area of influence,” War Wolf immediately commanded upon seeing the Boss’s HP increase.
Facing such a Boss, having more people would only increase the team’s burden. Their team had eight experts who could easily deal with compound attacks, while the other twelve were veteran gamers who could deal with compound attacks relatively well. By forming a team of 20 players like this, they could deal with the Magic Eye Dragonman as easily as dealing with an ordinary Lord.
Very quickly, the others left the Magic Eye Dragonman’s area of influence, hiding in a corner and watching quietly.
Once the 80 players left the area, the Magic Eye Dragonman’s HP returned to 1,600,000.
“Okay, I’ll go first. Everyone else, be careful of its aggro.” Saying so, War Wolf dashed forward, charging at the Magic Eye Dragonman who had a pitch-black tail and was covered in scales.
When the Magic Eye Dragonman caught sight of the s.h.i.+eld Warrior charging at it, it activated Rapid Charge and arrived before War Wolf, swinging its hammer fiercely down on the intruder. As it swung down its war hammer, a ma.s.sive black eyeball appeared above the Magic Eye Dragonman’s head, silently firing multiple black rays at War Wolf.
Boom!
When the ma.s.sive hammer the size of a small car landed, even the ground shook. However, after the dust settled, it appeared that the war hammer had not actually struck War Wolf. Instead, the weapon had landed right before the s.h.i.+eld Warrior, missing its target by a fraction. As for the black rays, they had also failed to damage War Wolf as they only brushed past his body. Immediately after, War Wolf swung his sword.
Second Acceleration!
Although War Wolf’s sword seemed slow, while the weapon was in mid-swing, it suddenly vanished. Unknown as to when it happened, War Wolf’s sword had struck the Magic Eye Dragonman, causing over -400 damage to the Lord.
Following which, War Wolf and the others began to bombard the Lord with attacks.
For a time, attacks flew back and forth, the extraordinarily intense battle shocking the Overwhelming Smile members who watched from a distance.
If they recorded this battle, they could enjoy it like watching a sci-fi movie.
“It’s time.” s.h.i.+ Feng, who had waited for a long time, revealed a faint smile.
At this moment, s.h.i.+ Feng downed a bottle of Haunted and activated the Ring of Nothingness. Upon entering a state of nothingness, he charged forward.