Chapter 713

Chapter 713

Since I could adjust the stage configuration to my liking, I could have chosen much easier monster legions.

Nevertheless, the reason I deliberately chose the named monster, the Phantom King’s legion, was simple.

‘To maximize the benefits.’

Accumulating benefits now would serve as insurance later. So, while I can exploit this cheat of the royal scepter, I need to squeeze out as much as possible.

‘If I can impose significant penalties to drastically reduce their combat power... facing a well-known, powerful foe would obviously yield greater benefits.’

The stronger the enemy, the more their abilities are reduced by penalties.

Choosing a powerful legion with an established strategy and clear weaknesses to defeat was the way to go.

Hence, I chose the Phantom King. They met all the conditions.

‘But it’s not without its risks. Our side isn’t fully prepared either.’

Especially the walls and equipment.

In the remaining week, repairing the walls was out of the question, and fixing damaged equipment wasn’t easy either. Replacing completely lost equipment within a week was impossible.

So...

"Let’s open the chest~"

I decided to finish opening the stage reward chest I had left unfinished last time.

If fully crafted items dropped from here, it would be a huge help for the upcoming stage.

‘This time, the rewards include one EX-grade chest and eight SSR-grade chests.’

I decided to start with the SSR-grade chests.

‘Should I open them one by one or all at once?’

After a brief moment of contemplating superstitious practices, I decided to boldly open them all at once.

With the chests in front of me, I couldn’t help but gulp. Eight golden chests opened simultaneously... a luxury I might never experience again...

‘My dear SSR god! You know my heart, right? You’re my best friend, right? Please, give me something awesome!’

Praying fervently, I opened all eight golden chests at once. Did I hit the jackpot?!

Flash! Flash! Flash-!

Golden beams shot up from the chests in a row. Such a beautiful color exists in the world!

Rubbing my hands together, I licked my lips in anticipation. What did I get?

And the results were as follows.

[Rewards]

- Oath of Protection (SSR): 2

- Oath of Healing (SSR): 2

- Mountain Spirit’s Axe (SSR)

- Shell of the Old God (SSR)

- Heavenly Voice (SSR)

- Wait and See (SSR)

There were a few familiar items I had seen in the game before, and some completely new ones. I blinked.

"No way, a set of Oath of Protection and Oath of Healing?"

And two of each? Wow...

Both [Oath of Protection] and [Oath of Healing] are bracelets, and their effects can be summarized as follows:

[Oath of Protection]

- Heals a designated ally by the amount of damage you deal to the enemy.

[Oath of Healing]

- Deals damage to the enemy by the amount you heal a designated ally.

In other words, they are auxiliary equipment designed to support fighting alongside a designated ally.

They are essentially set equipment, but you can have two different heroes wear each and support each other.

However, the true potential of this equipment is revealed when one person wears both.

‘The equipment effects trigger a chain reaction.’

So, if you heal an ally by the amount of damage dealt using [Oath of Protection], [Oath of Healing] deals damage to the enemy by the amount healed, and then [Oath of Protection] heals again by that damage, and [Oath of Healing] deals damage again...

This creates a miraculous infinite loop.

‘In practice, there’s a healing cap, so it doesn’t create an infinite loop.’

Once the designated ally reaches full health, there’s no more room for healing, and the chain stops.

And the damage dealt to the enemy also gradually decreases due to factors like enemy defense or health cap.

Still, if used well, it’s a very fun piece of equipment. In the game, getting one set meant seeing heroes wreak havoc on the front lines, dealing and healing simultaneously.

‘If there were no range limitations, I would give it to Damien without a second thought.’

Damien is our front line's strongest dealer and a unique healer who can heal from a distance. Based on the options, this equipment should go straight to Damien.

No, wait. Think carefully. These are precious SSR-grade items. Even if captured monsters can wear equipment, is it really the right decision to give these to them?

‘But... these options are just...’

The options fit perfectly... as if these items were allocated specifically for them...

"..."

My eyebrows twitched as I gathered the items and put them in my inventory. I decided to test them later.

"Alright, this is a great haul! Thank you, SSR god!"

Of course, the gacha show wasn’t over yet. The highlight of the day, the final chest, remained. It’s important to express gratitude mid-way so the SSR god remains pleased.

After fetching a bowl of clear water and offering a thank you, I carefully picked up the last chest— the glowing white EX-grade chest.

‘EX-grade chest... I think I received one once after clearing the tutorial stage.’

The item I got back then was the [Traitor’s Necklace] I’m wearing now. It has functions like an achievement shop. It seems to have other hidden features too.

Anyway, the EX grade itself signifies something ‘different’ outside the existing grade system. The item that comes out of this will likely be out of the ordinary.

‘There’s a high chance it might not directly aid in combat...’

But just in case, let’s open it with some anticipation?!

After taking a deep breath, I opened the chest vigorously. SSR god... no, EX god! Please grant me a game-breaking overpowered item-!

Flash-!

And then.

Amidst the dazzling white light, a small... ring emerged from the chest.

"What?"

I squinted my eyes and examined it closely.

[Imperial Seal Ring (EX)]

"Imperial Seal Ring...?"

An imperial seal refers to the royal stamp, and this is a ring...

Upon closer inspection, a transparent magical pattern on the ring's top shifted shapes constantly. Ah, if I stamp this ring somewhere, the pattern will be imprinted.

This is called a signet ring, and it’s an imperial seal version.

‘So, what’s its function...’

Reading the item description carefully,

[Imperial Seal Ring (EX)]

- It allows the wearer to channel the collective will of the organization they represent into power.

"Ooh...?"

The description sounds impressive! It’s a bit abstract, so I’ll need to use it to understand fully.

‘But I represent several organizations...’

Thinking this, I slipped the ring onto my right ring finger,

"What?"

The magical pattern on the ring instantly changed.

It shifted from the imperial symbol of a sword and rose to the flaming dragon head of the Bringar Duchy, then to the X mark symbol of Crossroad, and several other changes before finally settling into a plain, flat black pattern.

The symbol of the World Guardian Front.

"..."

I focused my consciousness on the ring. Then.

"...!"

I instinctively grasped the ring’s usage.

My mouth gaped. Wait, it can do this?

Although I had been called the guardian deity of humanity and gained divinity, it didn’t provide a tangible sense of power, so I hadn’t felt it strongly... This ring concretely manifested those aspects.

‘I... hadn’t realized it until now.’

Covering my mouth with my ringed right hand, I shed a tear of emotion.

‘Now I might really be a cheat character?!’

After a long time of humiliation and persecution, this was my comeback. How much had I been scorned and self-derided for lacking combat talent...

I clenched my right hand wearing the ring tightly. And I thought to myself.

Alright! I’ll carry this next defense battle!

***

And then, time flew by, and the morning of the 41st stage dawned.

--TL Notes--

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /MattReading