Chapter 416: Hymn of Darkness
If possible, Zhou Ning really wanted to take them all. Except for the first option, which was somewhat lackluster, the other four were all outstanding choices.
After thinking it through, Zhou Ning finally made his decision. Skills could always be found in the simulation world—but a special trait like this was rare and invaluable.
[You have obtained the Legendary Feat — [Power of the Wind]!]
[Your wind affinity has increased by 75 points. All of your skills now deal an additional 5% wind damage and have a 25% chance to knock enemies back.]
[Description: Those who flow with the wind shall rise; those who resist it shall fall.]
Zhou Ning opened his personal stats panel and saw that his previously "mundane" zeroed-out attributes had finally changed.
Natural Force Affinity: 0
Arcane Affinity: 0
Wind Element Affinity: 75
This feat did far more than just grant a 5% wind-damage bonus. It also added a 25% chance to knock back enemies—a free soft-control effect, even if not fully reliable. Unfortunately, players couldn't normally obtain such a thing.
Otherwise, the Wandering Gunslinger would truly become every melee class's nightmare.
At that moment, Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel grateful to Gallagher.
Not only did the man bring him money and equipment—he even gave him a feat. Friend, you're a real saint!
Next, Zhou Ning turned his attention to the three strange items he had looted from Gallagher—each radiating a mysterious aura: a longsword that could slow enemies, a flintlock that gave off a dangerous, corrosive presence, and a ruby ring that seemed to hum with thieving energy.
He started with the sword. To his surprise, it was only an Epic-grade transcendent weapon, though its effects were decent.
Sword of Zeal
Quality: Epic
Attack Power: 149 – 779
Attack Speed: Very Fast
Required Level: 59
Attributes: Strength +6, Agility +3
Special Effect: 15% chance on hit to inflict Slow, reducing the target's movement speed.
"Only 15% chance?" Zhou Ning blinked. If he remembered right, when Gallagher struck him earlier, the effect triggered instantly.
Still, this weapon wasn't very useful to him—he already had Andúril, which surpassed it in both stats and effects. As backups, he also had the Sword of Triton and Cortés's Blade. After a brief pause, Zhou Ning decided to hang it in the guild shop for 7,000 contribution points—perfect as a goodwill trap.
Then came the flintlock. The moment Zhou Ning picked it up, a searing pain spread through his palm, and maddening whispers brushed against his ears.
It was cursed—unsurprisingly, an Unknown Relic.
The Justiciar
Quality: Unknown Relic
Attack Power: 198 – 989
Attack Speed: Slow
Required Level: 66
Attributes: Strength –3, Agility +19
Special Effect 1: Temporarily boosts your transcendent abilities for 2 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Special Effect 2: Fires without ammunition. Each shot inflicts a random debuff such as Stun, Freeze, Burn, or Knockback.
Special Effect 3: 50% chance to deal 150% weapon damage, 15% chance for 200%, and 5% chance for 300%.
Description: A righteous blacksmith named Elliot forged this gun, but he was soon corrupted by an evil god and died in torment. Those who wield it risk sharing his curse.
The weapon's effects were phenomenal—an extremely rare Unknown Relic with fully unlocked traits. Zhou Ning could only imagine the price Gallagher paid for it.
But the downside was terrifying. Even Zhou Ning, who had slain an evil god himself, couldn't guarantee immunity to such corruption.
Besides, his current combat style didn't suit a long gun like this. Better to keep it in storage—or maybe sell or trade it if a good offer appeared.
Finally, he examined the ring—the one that, by his intuition, was the most valuable of the three. The moment he touched it, he sensed an overwhelming spiritual presence radiating from within.
After the last cursed weapon, he handled this one with extra care.
Hymn of Darkness
Quality: Unknown Relic
Required Level: 75
Attributes: Agility +13, Spirit +7, Will –9
Special Effect 1: Greatly enhances balance, agility, and recovery, making you difficult to knock down.
Special Effect 2: Within 31 yards, randomly steals one transcendent ability from a target. The higher the target's rank, the higher the failure rate. On success, the target temporarily loses that ability for 6 hours, while you gain full proficiency with it for 30 minutes.
Description: Theft and lust—creations of the faithful of the Dark Spider Mother. Frequent use of its theft power will gradually transform the wearer into one of her believers. This process is irreversible. (Current uses remaining: 20).
"Theft…" Zhou Ning drew a long, steady breath. The ring's power was undeniable—but its side effects were horrifying. He was certain that "Wind General" Gallagher had fallen into the Dark Spider Mother's grasp precisely because he'd overused this ring.
It made perfect sense. Theft and lust were the goddess's domains, and she had used the stolen power to usurp the Elf Goddess's faith and wind authority alike.
Honestly, if not for the limited-use safeguard, Zhou Ning wouldn't dare wear it. But with only 20 uses remaining, the danger was manageable—and the power, irresistible.
After slipping the ring on, he tested his new feat and balance. The results left him very satisfied—his combat power rose significantly, reaching 43,920, an increase of more than 3,000 points.
Once he finished reviewing his spoils, Zhou Ning opened the forum again to check the results of the past two days of the Professional League.
Three more rounds had been held while he was busy. In the 128-to-64 matches, the Devil Fruit user Wrath of Thunder-Chasing Winds from Wolf-Dog Squad faced an internal duel against Super Blue Cat. After a brutal near-draw, Wrath of Thunder-Chasing Winds narrowly lost—but forced his opponent to reveal his Devil Fruit power.
It turned out to be a Zoan-type fruit—Turtle-Turtle Fruit. When transformed, the user could retract into a shell with such defense that even high-caliber firearms couldn't pierce it. Given that, Wrath of Thunder-Chasing Winds's loss was hardly unfair.
Of course, the nickname Super Blue Turtle spread instantly. He might've won, but the price was steep—his chat history in the pro-player group was now filled with rows of crying emojis.
Meanwhile, Sunken Star Beneath the Water advanced smoothly into the Top 64. From this stage onward, all matches would be best-of-three, and upsets would grow rarer.
Sunken Star Beneath the Water continued to astonish everyone with his offensive power. His opponent this round—a fully promoted Warrior—had tremendous defense and solid mechanics, yet still fell in just 57 seconds once Sunken Star Beneath the Water activated his Jackal Form. It was a clean speed-run victory and another showcase of the Wandering Gunslinger's dominance.
The performance also served as a reminder to Zhou Ning: it was about time to unlock the Demon Hunter class advancement for players.
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