CH.389 Card Summoner skill orb

CH.389 Card Summoner skill orb[Brian POV]

“Those two really are strong. I should probably take Ria with me to the next fissure. Maybe she can get Limit Break.” I pondered, as I was finishing everything with the dungeon core.

Wilma was also very impressive. The way she was able to get the monster's attention even without the Taunt skill. If she keeps that up, she’ll get the skill in no time.

“Let’s finish this so we can regroup.” I said to myself as I got back to work.

A little while later, I was done with the core so I walked to floor 7 and regrouped with Wilma and Ria.

“Hey Brian. Did you do it?” Ria asked.

“Kind of, but also no. I was able to add an exception to an exception, but the core doesn’t allow me to make Card Summoner skill orbs directly.”

“You should just do that thing you did with the prison dungeon. Maybe that way you could do it?” Ria suggested.

“Hack the dungeon? ... would that even..? Yeah. That might actually work. I’ll try that before we leave.”

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“... hacking a dungeon? What does that mean?” Wilma asked.

“Did I never tell you about how we found Cailie?” I asked.

“Yes? She was banished and trapped in some kind of prison, right?”

“Yeah. In a prison dungeon to be specific. Basically, the Nixie clan, the merfolk clan she was a member of, have a powerful dungeon somewhere near the dragon coast. But at some point, a member of the clan came inland and took over a small dungeon that was made to be a sub-dungeon of their more powerful dungeon. And because the sub-dungeon is effectively a slave to the more powerful dungeon, they can order the weaker dungeon around. And they used it as a sort of prison or punishment. They would send someone there using the main dungeon, the person would automatically be made the dungeon master of the slave dungeon, and they couldn’t get out until they got enough points to ‘buy’ their freedom. They would have to do that by hunting the fish in the lake around the dungeon and if they go too far, the dungeon would forcefully teleport them back to the core.”

“So Cailie was trapped in that kind of prison. I see. What about that ‘hacking’ part?”

“Hacking is just a term I use to for when I take over something without the owner’s permission. Kind of like hijacking, but not quite, as with hacking, the goal is usually just temporary control. You do what you want and then give the control back to the real owner, preferably without the real owner noticing.”

“... but you are already in control of this dungeon.”

“Yes. I didn’t even consider using a card like Enemy Controller on the dungeon core, because it is my core. But when I hacked the Hallow Prison, I was able to access parts of the dungeon’s ‘code’ that you can’t by just using the core, even if you are the dungeon founder. Well in HomeBase I can, but HomeBase is a special case. So maybe by hacking the core, I can get past the regular limitations of normal dungeon cores, so if I hack the core, I might be able to directly make the skill orb.”

“Alright. ... directly? Does that mean you had an indirect way of doing it?”

“Yeah. I won’t really go into detail on how Card Summoner drop works because it is a pain, but I was able to add an exception. If someone who already has Card Summoner, or in my case Pack Opener, would be given Card Summoner as a drop, the dungeon can now give them a Card Summoner skill orb instead of trying to give out the skill, which will at most level up the skill, but will more likely do nothing.”

“But isn’t getting the skill very difficult?”

“There is a very low chance for it, yes. Well technically there is a full formula on how you can calculate it and I can have Laura write it down. But honestly, don’t. Just accept the fact that it is random and you’ll get away with less.”

“... then how did you plan on getting the skill orb?”

“Simple. I go to a challenge room and have Laura and Tahlia calculate my every move. That way, I should be guaranteed to get a Card Summoner skill orb and then I should be able to make more with HomeBase.”

“That doesn’t sound so simple.”

“No. It really is simple. But simple doesn’t mean easy.” I corrected. “I mean, compare it to forging a sword. All you do is hit metal with a hammer. Simple, but simple doesn’t mean easy.”

“Yes. I understand now.” Wilma said. “... but do you really think you can do it?”Cheêck out latest novels at novelhall.com

“Sure. It is really nothing but practice where I do exactly what Laura says.”

“Okay Ria. Unsummon Nephthys. I’ll open the challenge room for you.”

“I think they are perfect for you.” I said, and then explained to Ria what they were. I then recommended that she turn some monster cores into magic stones. Maybe get some help from Agunan so that the magic stones will hold some of his draconic fire magic in addition to Ria’s own fire magic. I’ll give her two B or A-rank cores to use for that and lend them Dark Sage to compress the cores.

Then it was my turn to try floor 7 challenge room. I didn’t do it to test anything, but to earn myself a Card Summoner skill orb. I was a little hesitant to do it on floor 7, but Laura said it would likely be the only floor I could even get the skill orb from, as the easier floors would die too quickly, even if I was holding back.

My opponent in the challenge room was something I had never fought myself and had even only seen once. Well, I had seen a regular variant of it, this one was skeletal.

A skeletal twin-headed hydra. Higher B-rank monster, but I can take it on. The only question is, can I take it on while following the optimal route?

(Laura?)

(Yes. This monster will work. I’m still calculating optimal moves, so just go at it normally for now. Try to only use Sword Technique and Shield Technique for now.)

(Alright. I’ll buy you some time.)

I looked at the hydra that looked at me with its empty eye sockets. It then screeched before rushing at me, with its two maws ready to bite me in half.

As if I’d let the monster do so. Using my duel disk as a shield, I blocked the left ... wait is it technically the right mouth because from the hydra’s POV, that is right? Well for me it is the left mouth. I blocked it with my duel disk, while also using my sword to stab at the nostrils of the right mouth, causing it to pull back the right head while screeching in pain.

“Now let go of my duel disk!” I yelled at the hydra, as I stabbed one of the empty eye sockets of its other head that was biting my duel disk.

I then jumped back to take some distance, trying to buy time for Laura and Tahlia. Sadly I couldn’t just run in circles, as that would make it more difficult to get the reward I want.

(Lucky for you, we have a plan.) Laura said in my mind. (And I do have to commend you on those two critical hits. They will help us a lot.)

(Thanks. Now let’s do this.) And thus began the task of playing a game with the hydra, with the skill orb I need being the reward.

(You have to take this hit, then slash at the right leg.) Laura instructed.

I steadied my footing to take the hydra’s tail slam, and then rushed towards its legs. Cutting the leg off completely, I then quickly moved to the side before the hydra completed its 360.

(Now use Dark Chain to chain up the other leg, then wait for the hydra’s reaction.)

Again, I did as instructed.

With the hydra’s uninjured hind leg chained up and the other being out of commission, the hydra began gathering mana into its two maws.

(Use Space Shield, then dodge when the shield gives.)

“Space, consolidate into a wall and protect me, Space Wall.”

My shield of consolidated space blocked the double breath-attack for a while, but eventually it began to crack, so I quickly moved out of the way.

(Now rush in and slash at one of the necks while the hydra is recovering from the attack.)

The battle continued like that for some time. Me taking or blocking a hit, before going in with a powerful counter. Each of my hits was to hit a specific point on the skeletal hydra’s body. I was essentially farming critical hits to boost my score.

After a total of 9 critical hits, as well as the two accidental ones I started off with, Laura finally said that I should end the fight with the next attack, so I started chanting some spells.

“Time, quicken my movement, Time Accel. Time, slow down my opponent, Time Decel.” I started off with my two supportive Time spells. I then began chanting the Space Magic spell I’d use to end the fight.

“Space, cut apart my enemy, Space Cutter!”

With the spell flying at the hydra, it cut off both of its necks that I had already weakened with my sword, thus ending the monster.

As it disappeared, a marble-like thing about the size of a tennis ball appeared from its disappearing corpse.

I held it up high and basked in my victory. Now I can cheat Card Summoner onto my employees without having to put them through difficult fights.