Chapter 50: Evil Source Wand

"That's..."

Vicky murmured, feeling that the figure looked very familiar.

At this moment, Irving, who was being chased by a large group of aberrant beasts, was in utter agony. His frantic sprinting had almost exhausted him, and a deep, bleeding wound marked where the serpent-woman had touched his arm.

Upon closer inspection, the wound was pitch black, a clear sign of poisoning...

"Quick! Shoot the arrows!"

Irving shouted as he spotted the newly constructed arrow tower within the shelter.

"It's Irving!"

As the distance shortened, Vicky finally saw him clearly, her face turning extremely grim.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The sound of mechanisms activating filled the air. Hundreds of arrows, pre-loaded in the arrow tower, rained down like a sudden storm, accurately targeting the aberrant beasts.

Irving glanced back to see that, despite being riddled with arrows, the grotesque beasts with rotting faces were not slowed down. Instead, they were enraged further.

"Open the gate!" Vicky shouted to Sophia below the arrow tower.

After Irving had left, the outer walls of the shelter had been reinforced and covered with sharp thorns.

The gate of the outer wall slowly opened, and Sophia, seeing Irving approaching, raised her staff and cast an ice spell. Blue beams of light coalesced and then shot rapidly towards the beasts.

Ice spikes, each over thirty centimeters in diameter, pierced through the bodies of the beasts like sharp blades.

This attack finally managed to slow their advance slightly.

By this time, Irving had managed to slip through the gate. Barely catching his breath, he saw Vicky rushing down from the arrow tower.

"Irving, where did those aberrant beasts come from?" Vicky asked hurriedly. But when her gaze landed on Irving's arm, her face froze. "Irving! Your arm..."

Not just her, even Sophia was taken aback.

Irving's arm, where the serpent-woman had grabbed him, was starting to fester, as if being corroded by something, and the area of rot was steadily expanding.

Irving's heart sank.

After barely escaping death from the altar, his arm was now rotting. If this continued, the rot might spread throughout his body, and he could lose his life!

"Don't worry about me. Take care of those beasts outside first." Irving said through gritted teeth.

His strength was completely depleted, making it impossible to cast any spells. The festering wound on his arm seemed to be affecting his mind as well, making his head feel foggy.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The intense sounds of impacts echoed as the thorn-covered wall trembled from the hits.

"Don't worry, they can't get in for a while," Sophia explained. "I upgraded this wall entirely with [Black Iron Ore], making it incredibly sturdy. The outside is covered with thorns. The more they crash into it, the more they hurt themselves. They won't last long."

When Sophia had secretly stored some[Black Iron Ore]while the Nightblade Brotherhood occupied the mine, she had not expected it to come in handy like this.

"Irving, you should rest. You don't look well at all." Vicky said as she began casting a[Healing Art]with all her might to treat Irving's wounds.

As beams of green light seeped into Irving's body, he felt his groggy mind becoming slightly clearer.

About ten minutes later, he looked at his wounded arm again. The ulceration had stopped, and there were signs of healing.

The outside collision sounds had also subsided. Irving let out a sigh of relief, but a hint of bitterness crossed his face as he recalled the tense moments before.

"What's going on with those beasts outside?"

Sophia had just climbed up the arrow tower and looked outside. Due to the previous impact, many of the pursuing beasts were riddled with holes from the thorns on the wall and were lying on the ground, barely alive.

As for the remaining beasts, though they had stopped charging, they were still unwilling to leave.

"These strange beasts, though never seen before, did not appear to be particularly intelligent..." Sophia said, looking quizzically at Irving.

The matter of the altar, especially the source of disaster after the coffin was opened, Irving felt that it was not so simple. He shook his head and said, "I don't know. After it encountered me halfway, it kept chasing me here."

"You don't know?" Sophia frowned, but didn't ask more. "Alright, preparations for today are almost done. I have some things to deal with and need to log off. I hope the materials bought in the trading area can all be delivered by tomorrow, otherwise..."

She sighed deeply, a worried look on her face.

After Sophia logged out of the game, Irving took out the strange stone from his arms. His brows furrowed as he studied the runes engraved on it.

Vicky frowned, quickly realizing that the sudden assault of the beasts outside might be related to this strange stone.

"Irving, where did you get this stone?"

Irving didn't answer, as a system prompt appeared before his eyes.

[Item: Heart of Plague]

[Description: This gemstone is said to be related to an ancient plague and has been buried in the dust of history. It is believed to contain the source power of the plague, which is both powerful and evil, capable of causing devastation... Many power-seeking mages have yearned for this gem, but few could truly harness its power...]

"Heart of Plague?" Irving looked at the content in the description, his brows furrowing tighter. He thought of the snake woman in the coffin, the rotting beasts, and his own ulcerated wound...

Just then, as his staff accidentally approached the strange stone, it began to tremble violently, as if there was some magnetic force between the two.

The next moment, the strange stone flew out of his hand and landed on the top of his staff.

With a crisp crack, a sound echoed through the air.

The stone merged with the staff's handle, causing the staff to shake even more violently. The dark outer layer completely fell off, revealing a golden light.

The once ordinary-looking staff now appeared to be made of pure gold, revealing its true form.

[Notification: The Heart of Plague has been automatically inlaid into the staff. Affinity: 99.9%!]

[The staff has been upgraded!]

[Item info: Evil Source Wand]

[Grade: Legendary]

[Description: This is a staff imbued with mystery and power. The gem embedded at the top, the "Heart of Plague," is the core source of its abilities. According to legend, the "Evil Source Wand" was once wielded by a powerful dark sorceress who used it to bring about countless disasters and calamities.

The Evil Source Wand contains immense power, capable of unleashing devastating magical attacks and even exerting a degree of control over the minds of living beings!]

"Holy crap!"

Irving felt like he'd been injected with a shot of adrenaline, instantly becoming more alert.

He stared wide-eyed at the staff radiating a golden glow before him, his face filled with incredulity. He had suspected that this staff was extraordinary, but he never could have imagined that it would turn out to be a legendary piece of equipment!

Moreover, the[Heart of Plague]obtained from the snake woman in the coffin exhibited a strong attraction to the staff, merging almost perfectly with it.

This suggested that the two were likely meant to be one, forcibly separated for some unknown reason.

Equipment is categorized by quality: Trash, Common, Advanced, Rare, Epic, Legendary.

Legendary equipment is the pinnacle, nearly impossible to obtain by simply defeating beasts. Irving's heart was in turmoil, and his body couldn't stop trembling.

He had actually acquired a piece of legendary equipment, and not just any piece, but a staff, the main weapon that countless mage players dreamt of!

"Irving, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Vicky rushed forward, worried that his ulcerated arm was acting up, ready to support him.

"No... I'm fine." Irving waved her off with a smile, clutching the[Evil Source Wand]in his hand. He felt a surge of immense power emanating from the staff.

Vicky's eyes fell on the "pure gold" staff, and as if guessing something, she excitedly asked, "Could this be a rare piece of equipment?"

"Rare?" Irving's smile widened. If he told Vicky it was a legendary item, she would likely lose her composure more than he did.

However, he decided not to reveal this. Sёarch* The NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Sometimes, showing all your cards can put you in a passive position. Having been betrayed by his closest loved ones in his past life, Irving understood this well.

In the face of immense profit, no one is reliable.

Irving had waited for Sophia to log out before taking out the[Heart of Plague]because he was deeply wary of her, not knowing enough about her.

"Yeah, it's just a rare piece of equipment that suits me well." Irving replied dismissively.

Unexpectedly, Vicky became even more excited upon hearing this. Her excitement was genuine. She had already come to see Irving as her pillar of support.

Irving observed all of this. After a whole day of effort, he was thoroughly exhausted. Just as he was about to put away the [Evil Source Wand] and log out of the game, the system notification sound chimed once again.

[The "Evil Source Wand" has appeared! It will be announced to all players in the game in three minutes…]

[This weapon was once wielded by a powerful dark sorceress who caused countless disasters and calamities with it. The wielder of this equipment will be cursed and become the "Public Enemy Number One"!]