Chapter 1171: One Ring to Nerf Them All

Chapter 1171: One Ring to Nerf Them All

As the days passed by, Alkahest had still not contacted me regarding our upcoming match together. I could somewhat understand what was going on, as I was only just promoted to Rank Five, so he likely did not believe that I had anything valuable to offer as a trade. Either that, or he was still consolidating his growth after he had to reset a few years ago.

It was also possible that he was simply too busy. From what I recall, he was the type to get extremely involved in his own worlds, whether it was managing them directly or simply helping out with construction projects. Personally, I wasn’t comfortable doing something that would make me such an easy target, especially when there are so many abilities in my world that could apply instant death if a target was out in the open like that.

I was sure that his world wouldn’t have had so many such things, if he were willing to stay out in the open like he did. After all, he was a far more experienced Keeper than myself, having been around back when James was in charge of things.

As I was thinking that, the door to my office opened. Turning my head, I saw Dana walking in with a small smile. “Did you finish your joint project with Tubrock?” I asked, and she let out a low groan.

“Yeah, I really didn’t expect him to be so excited about it. Even when we had the item done, he insisted that we go through a long series of detailed tests. Anyways, here it is.” She said, opening her inventory and retrieving a jet black ring.

Looking at the ring curiously, I couldn’t help but question. “So... what does it do?” I could see a bit of information, thanks to my abilities as the Keeper, but it was still better to have a more comprehensive explanation.

Dana smiled a bit wider at that. “Simply put, it’s a Void Stability Ring. It has the passive ability to weaken or eliminate void-related effects in the bearer’s vicinity, depending on the strength. Simply having it on you will make Origins uncomfortable around you, but it will also protect you to a degree against their abilities, as well as the abilities of Fallen Gods or memetic monsters.”

“If you infuse your mana into it, you can temporarily strengthen this effect. However, I should note that with the ring on, you won’t be able to access void gates to travel anymore. Every type of void gate that we’ve tested has immediately closed itself around the ring. Even manifesting an Origin power related to travel through shadows didn’t work. According to our theory, it’s because transportation effects are highly complex, so weakening them like that will completely unravel the power.”

I blinked in surprise, looking down at that ring. “If it makes Origins uncomfortable, wouldn’t that apply to you, too?” I asked, and Dana chuckled slightly.

“Yeah, but it’s not too bad. It’s not a discomfort as if I feel like my body is about to break down. More... as if I’m around something with a strong smell. I feel an aversion to it, but as long as I understand the source, I can generally ignore it.” She explained, before blinking.

“Oh, and I should add a bit more to that explanation from before. The ring can be safely stored in your inventory. However, even if it’s in your inventory, the energy from it will leak out, providing the passive effects. I wanted to try to find a way to seal it off in the inventory, but we couldn’t come up with a solution that didn’t involve weakening the ring itself. Additionally, you won’t be able to supply mana to the ring when it’s in your inventory, so it is generally better to wear it when you can.”

Nodding, I reached out to take the ring, slipping it on my finger. Dana let out a sigh of relief, shaking her hand slightly. “Sorry. Like I said, uncomfortable. Basically, felt like I was holding sludge. Anyways, do you have any other questions regarding the ring?”

I thought about that for a moment, before looking at Dana. “How strong is the protective effect?”

Dana pulled a face when I asked that, and I could already tell that it was not something that could be mass produced. “Ignoring the cost of the tools, or the advanced magic that I had to use, and focusing purely on material costs... Each ring costs about a thousand black gold coins. And that’s assuming that you’re able to craft it properly on the first try.”

My eyes went wide at that. As I had recently come to understand the value of a black gold coin, I knew that meant a single ring was equivalent to a billion dollars. And since she mentioned her magic, I can only assume that a normal mage wouldn’t be able to craft it as reliably as she had. Suddenly, the ring felt far more heavy on my finger. “What materials could have possibly cost that much...”

Dana chuckled, crossing her arms. “The condensed heart of a neutron star, the blood of a thousand year dragon, and the tears of a perfected World Spirit. That last one doesn’t really have a price tag, by the way. If you aren’t close with her, she’s definitely not going to give you her tears, no matter how much you pay.”

“So... the heart of a neutron star, and blood from a dragon that has lived for a thousand years... okay, I can understand the price tag a bit more now. How did you even find a dragon that old? I thought that they’d all have died during the apocalyptic invasion.” I asked, incredulous.

“There are a few compatible draconic races in the new Metong universe.” Dana answered with a grin. “The ones that live that long are pretty rare, but we managed to negotiate for a blood sample from one of their elders.”

Honestly, the heart of a star alone could easily be worth a billion dollars. I thought to myself, nodding my head. “Got it. Any final notes about the ring?”

Dana tilted her head in thought. “Hmm... oh, it will feel like it has gained additional weight whenever it comes into contact with an ability it defends against. Not much, but it’s worth noting. Basically, I had to use magic to reduce the weight of the heart of a star, and whenever it starts working, that magic is very slightly impacted.”

I couldn’t help but pause at that, looking down at the ring. It definitely felt heavier than it did when I first put it on. “Does that include when you’re around?” I asked, and she nodded her head.

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t be close enough to activate it right now. I don’t feel the effects of the ring.” Dana shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, it seems a Fallen God somewhere is targeting me with something.” I pointed out with a wry smile, causing Dana’s face to stiffen up.

Don’t worry. Terra spoke up mentally with a light laugh. This isn’t a malicious attack or anything. It’s actually one of your fans. They’re trying to watch you through their fallen domain.

...I have fans that are bored enough to watch my daily life with void powers? I asked, eyes widening slightly.

Oh, definitely. Not many can get past the protections Tubrock put on Olympus, so I keep a close eye on the few that do, just to make sure they don’t do anything they shouldn’t.