Chapter 157 Desert of Crumbling Sands (II)

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Compared to when Kieran first traveled through this terrain, traversing the Barren Mountain Range’s forested area wasn’t difficult at all. Even with the combat taking up 10 to 15 minutes at a time, their progress was still unthinkable.

‘Combining the power of two hidden classes is no joke. At this rate, there’ll be enough time to farm monster Experience in the outskirts of the Deserts of Crumbling Sands as well.’

Whatever monsters that Kieran’s Blood Waves failed to cull were quickly handled by Ezra’s subsequent Sword Wave – Dispersion. Their skills with large areas of effect were a blessing to this party.

But, what truly set the party up for success was Alice’s large flame spells. The floor was left scorched in flames whenever Alice amassed enough Mana to unleash a Firestorm Burst.

The party’s average rose rapidly as a result of these rapid fights. The lowest level present was Lv.34, which belonged to Ezra due to her doubled Experience requirement. However, none of them let their increased level go to their head.

If Ezra and the others were to learn of Kieran’s frightening attributes, there was a high chance they’d cower in inferiority.

Nevertheless, Altair, Nemean, and Bastion continued to funnel all their attribute points into Control, relishing in the slight liberation they felt. This was especially true after breaking 200 Control.

Every additional 100 points felt inconceivably better than the prior threshold as if the link between their mind and this body was experienced a slight refinement.

“You guys should raise your Control as much as possible; it feels amazing!” Bastion exclaimed while shadowboxing to get a feel for his lighter movements. Although his plate armor still reduced his speed, the action felt more natural.

Ezra raised her eyebrow. “Control? I considered doing so, but the attribute’s explanation has always been vague. I only add minimal amounts.”

Kieran froze after hearing what Ezra said. “You’ve been neglecting Control? How high is your Control?”

“155,” Ezra answered.

“That’s not terrible. However, mine is more than double yours.”

“Well, I’ve only added points to it five times. The rest came from my initial value and the large amount I gained after promoting my class. I’ve never had any issues piloting my character.”

Kieran furrowed his brows and shook his head. “It’s not about having issues. Control decreases the imbalances we experience. The higher your Control, the easier to execute finer motor skills. It’s accomplishable without high Control, BUT your Stamina consumption will increase accordingly.”

At least he could share this information before Ezra made a mistake.

Perhaps one of the reasons she failed to close that gap in his memories was precisely due to this issue. Control’s importance would only continue to rise as more metamorphosis occurred.

“I see. But, I couldn’t neglect increasing my damage because it was the most important factor inside Beginner Zones.”

There was truth in her words. Without enough damage, clearing early content was extremely difficult.

However, that all changed now that players had access to better skills.

“That was then, and this is now. There is still plenty of time to change how you allocate your points. I suggest following the ratio of attributes given upon class promotion,” Kieran said.

Ezra absorbed the knowledge and recounted the ratio. ‘So it’s best to follow the ratio given and not experiment with different stat allocations? I’ll attempt for a while and see if there are any benefits.’

Still, Ezra couldn’t help but gaze at Kieran differently. “So, do you manage your team’s stat allocation?”

“Pretty much. At least for now. They’ll be free to do as they please in the future once we reach our desired state. Until then, our objective is optimal growth,” Kieran shrugged.

Ezra was astonished by this reaction because most Guild Masters managed their subordinates’ gearing, not their attributes. Attributes usually made little difference once powerful gear became the meta in most games, but such things didn’t exist in Zenith Online currently.

Therefore, Kieran had to do this to draw out maximum efficiency from everyone.

Kieran answered a few more questions about stat allocation before continuing their journey. Nemean and Bastion better grasped Ezra and Lux’s battle rhythm with each subsequent battle