Chapter 166: Meaning

Regarding the 50 % increase in cleaving effect, Chen Xiaolian had discussed it with Lun Tai and came up with a rough estimate.

His current strength was at [B+] class. If it was increased by 50 %, then it should be infinitely close to [A-] class!

In other words, when using the Fearless War Axe’s skill – Fearless Roar – he would be able to unleash a strength that was close to [A-] class within 15 seconds.

Of course, it was only close to [A-] class. There would still be some difference between his strength and the real deal.

This war axe was definitely not cheap.

2,500 points!

Commonly speaking, most [A] class weapons in the system were priced at 2,000 points and above. This axe was certainly somewhat more expensive.

However, its ability to increase the cleaving effect by 50 % was very praiseworthy and rare. That was the reason behind its high price.

After reconsidering it again and again, Chen Xiaolian decided that this Fearless War Axe was the most suitable weapon for him at present.

First, his most powerful martial skill was the ‘Demon King of Confusion’s Three Axes’. The skill was an axe skill.

Thus, it would be more suited to the Fearless War Axe.

Even if he were given the ‘Frostmourne’, he who had no appropriate sword skills would only be able to use basic sword skills with it. That would be a colossal waste. [1]

Thus, Chen Xiaolian made the decision to purchase it!

2,500 points. With Xia Xiaolei, the humanoid discount card, the price became 2,000 points.

Additionally, Chen Xiaolian also possessed another attribute enhancement that he had not used!

In the island instance dungeon, he had killed the Black Widow and acquired this reward for killing an [A] class monster.

The reward allowed him to select any one attribute. That attribute will be increased by one class.

Back then, Chen Xiaolian felt that the class of his attributes were too low and had chosen not to use the reward.

After all, increasing an attribute from [C] class to [C+] class was something that could be done through some more ordinary medicinal substances.

However, to increase an attribute from [A+] class to [S-] class… the corresponding price would likely be monumental!

Chen Xiaolian had planned to leave the reward to be used at a later date.

At present, the reward remained unused within his system.

The present Chen Xiaolian’s attributes were [B] class for all except Physique, which had been increased to [B+] class.

If he were to use it now, his Physique would be increased to [A-] class!

When that happens… add that to the Fearless War Axe’s skill – Fearless Roar…

Would it not become infinitely close to the real [A] class?

Chen Xiaolian pondered about it and hesitated for a long time. In the end, he decided not to.

He had a feeling that leaving this reward for later might prove more beneficial!

…

Chen Xiaolian gripped onto Fearless War Axe; its heaviness gave Chen Xiaolian an inexplicable sense of ease.

The two sides of the dual bladed war axe were different in size – one big and one small. With the spiral shaped tip in the middle, its shape exuded an European fantasy atmosphere.

Chen Xiaolian brandished it around for a moment within the training room. Then, he tried using Fearless War Axe to unleash the Demon King of Confusion’s Three Axes skill.

Despite not engaging in real combat, Chen Xiaolian could feel that his attack power had increased.

Chen Xiaolian still had 1,800 points left.

After considering it, he purchased the exclusive [B] class protective suit, worth 300 points, from the guild exchange system.

Chen Xiaolian continued considering his options for the remaining 1,500 points.

A skill within the Exchange System caught his fancy.

It was a pole weapon skill book.

Fearless War Axe was a pole weapon. In other words, it was compatible with both axe and pole weapon skills. Naturally, it was also possible to use a sword skill when wielding it. However, the power behind its attacks would slip badly.

Since the weapon in hand was compatible, not taking advantage of its ability to utilize pole weapon skills would be a shame.

Chen Xiaolian had Xia Xiaolei help him go through the possible options and became interested in a pole weapon skill.

“Charging Stinger skill.”

[B+] class skill.

The system description stated that it was an infantry combat skill for knights who wield pole weapons.

The Stinger skill was not difficult. There was only a small number of pole weapon techniques with several forms. The lethality of the skill was only [B] class.

However, there was a reason why the pole weapon skill was labelled as [B+] class.

Because this pole weapon skill had a certain movement training technique.

According to the system prompt, practicing this Charging Stinger skill could enhance the movement speed of the user. By using this pole weapon skill in battle, the user’s Agility attribute would then automatically increase up to [B+] class.

Additionally, after practicing and using it for a long time, the user’s Agility attribute could experience a slight improvement! Naturally, this improvement would occur slowly.

However, when using this pole weapon skill, his Agility attribute will automatically be increased to [B+] class. That was the equivalent of increasing one of his attributes.

This was a buy 1 free 1 deal. How could Chen Xiaolian miss out on it?

Although the item was of the [B+] class, the price was rather expensive.

The price within the system was at 1,000 points.

After going through the humanoid discount card, it became 800 points.

Looking at the remaining 700 ponts, Chen Xiaolian sighed – unknowingly, the points had already decreased by so much.

He then had Xia Xiaolei help him purchase 10 [Beginner] class Healing Beast Blood and 5 [Beginner] class All Curing Antidote. Chen Xiaolian paid for them. Those medicinal substances would be the reserve items for the guild members.

After discount, the price came to 600 points.

As the Guild Leader, he had to be the one to pay for it.

In the end, Chen Xiaolian was left with only 100 points.

…

Lun Tai and Bei Tai’s process of enhancing themselves was much simpler.

They had informed Chen Xiaolian the details regarding their skills.

Lun Tai’s Exclusive Skill will strengthen and transform him into a berserk warrior when activated, a [B+] class skill. Its name was ‘Muscle Fruit’.

When activated, it would increase his melee attributes by 20 % up to a maximum of 50 %.

The most brutal aspect of this skill was that the more damage his body was subjected to, the more berserk he would get.

In other words, he would feel neither pain nor damage.

Once blood was shed, once an injury was inflicted on him, he would grow more berserk.

The highest attribute that Lun Tai currently possessed was his Physique, which was at [A-] class.

By activating his skill, he could exhibit a battle strength that was beyond [A] class! Additionally, he would not be affected by pain.

Of course, ‘Muscle Fruit’ skill was not all-powerful.

If the damage taken were too high, he would end up dying. His skill was similar to being injected with stimulants when getting hurt. He could not become impervious to damage, only berserk.

If the damage taken was too heavy, he could still be crippled or killed off. However, his tolerance toward pain would become terrifying.

Lun Tai’s path of enhancement was in melee.

He decided to upgrade his skill.

The ‘Muscle Fruit’ skill could be directly upgraded through the system.

The method of upgrading involved purchasing ‘Muscle Fruit Seeds’.

A Muscle Fruit Seed could upgrade the skill and increase the upper limit of the skill by 5 %.

However, the price was extremely expensive.

800 points!

Using the humanoid discount card, Lun Tai used up 1,280 points to increase the upper limit of his Muscle Fruit skill by 10 %.

Thus, the maximum amount of increase in melee attributes was now at 60 %!

According to Lun Tai, he would be able to even go toe to toe with an [A] class melee opponent.

Naturally, that was only when the skill was in effect.

…

Bei Tai’s skill was known as ‘Air Incarceration’.

It was a field control skill, [B+] class.

It was a battle support skill. It could create incarcerating airflow to immobilize enemy movements. Naturally, there was an extremely strict limit to the duration. Depending on the strength of the enemy and the number of enemies, the duration for the skill would be shortened.

It was a skill that allowed him to control airflows. In fact, it could even create vacuum – however, the current Bei Tai could not do so.

Bei Tai did not upgrade his skill. According to him, the level of this skill was sufficient for now.

Thus, the enhancement direction that Bei Tai took was… military weapons.

This fellow was a firearms maniac.

He spent 600 points to purchase an indestructible [B+] class Electromagnetic Rifle with unlimited ammunition and astonishingly lethal firepower!

One blast could directly break apart the steel plates of the existing main battle tanks!

However, the weapon could not be fired consecutively. Every time it was fired, it would require one minute to recharge.

Additionally, this fellow also purchased an indestructible military knife, another [B+] class item. Observing sparks being emitted from the military knife as Bei Tai brandished it, Chen Xiaolian knew that he must have a military knife-related martial skill.

Xia Xiaolei had it tough.

Everything he had was only enough to purchase an exclusive protective suit from the Meteor Rock Guild.

Both Lun Tai and Bei Tai had also bought one each – the both of them had some points saved up. They were veterans after all. Although they were not experts, they had survived through a considerable number of instance dungeons. Thus, they did have some points saved up.

…

The next few days were spent inside the fitness centre where they familiarized themselves with their new weapons and skills.

Bei Tai had taught Xia Xiaolei a set of simple military combat techniques. After that, Xia Xiaolei had fervently hugged a sandbag to train his fists every day.

A few days later, Chen Xiaolian’s phone received a message.

The message was from his school’s class monitor.

The message informed him that… he needed to report to school soon. Additionally, it also informed him about the schedule for reporting to school on a certain day and a reminder on how much tuition fees was needed…

…

“School?”

Chen Xiaolian entered a trance for a moment. Then, he smiled. “I… should I go?”

Xia Xiaolei loosened the sandbag and wheezed. Then, he walked over to gulp down a bottle of water. “Guild Leader, what is it?”

“Nothing,” Chen Xiaolian shook his head.

Looking at Xia Xiaolei’s innocent face, Chen Xiaolian suddenly broke into a smile. “I was thinking about something just now.”

He spoke in a melancholic voice. “After getting sucked into this world, we had to fight while putting our lives on the line. Wasn’t it so we could protect our original way of life?  If we utterly give up on our original lives, family, emotions… if we were to give up on all of those, then what meaning is there to our struggles? Do we keep on fighting and killing to stay alive only to repeat the process again and again? Until the day we die? What meaning is there in such a life?”

He stood up and spoke loudly. “Everyone, I have made my decision!”

Chen Xiaolian laughed loudly. “Tomorrow, I am going to continue with my schooling days!”

1 Frostmourne. A weapon used by the last boss in the mmorpg game Wrath of the Lich King (World of Warcraft).↩