"Kneel, and accept the glory you deserve, as well as... the gift bestowed upon you by me, Karsas, the 'Tomb Keeper'!" The voice of mentor Karsas, like a great bell, echoed repeatedly through the empty stone cavern. The figure, composed purely of shadow, exuded an unprecedented, mountain-like solemnity at that moment.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement surging within him from the successful trial. Without the slightest hesitation, he knelt on one knee as instructed.
This was not merely a job change in a game; it was the highest recognition of all his persistence, wisdom, and courage throughout his journey. He knelt for this hard-won legacy, and for the Tomb Keeper who had lived for countless years and witnessed the fall of innumerable geniuses.
"Very good." Karsas seemed very satisfied with Lin Mo's attitude. His right hand, formed of shadow, slowly lifted, and a ball of darkness, so dense it seemed capable of devouring all light, condensed in his palm.
Immediately following, a tiny gray flame quietly ignited in the center of the dark energy ball.
The flame appeared weak, yet it carried a terrifying aura of Wither and Corrosion. This was the essence of Lin Mo's Endless Poison Source talent!
"Shadow is our disguise; Deadly Poison is our fangs."
Karsas's voice became solemn and majestic, as if chanting an ancient hymn.
"Today, in the name of the seven hundred and thirty-sixth generation Tomb Keeper of the Shadow Sanctuary, I formally bestow the seeds of 'Poison' and 'Shadow' upon you."
"Successor Lin Mo, from this moment on, you shall no longer be a nameless wanderer in the world. You shall walk in the seam between light and darkness, and you shall become the most lethal nightmare in the eyes of all enemies."
"You shall be—Shadow of Deadly Poison!"
The instant the words fell, the energy sphere of darkness and Deadly Poison in Karsas's palm transformed into a streak of light, plunging instantly into Lin Mo's glabella!
Boom!
An indescribable torrent of information, like a bursting flood, violently rushed into Lin Mo's mind.
It contained countless techniques and knowledge concerning Stealth, assassination, poison preparation, and aura concealment—the combat essence of an ancient organization passed down for thousands of years!
Simultaneously, his Endless Poison Source talent began to furiously boil and transform, as if receiving the ultimate catalyst.
[System Notification: Job Change Ritual has begun!]
[System Notification: Your talent Endless Poison Source and Shadow Power have begun merging... Merging progress 10%... 30%... 70%... 100%!]
[System Notification: Merge successful! Your profession has been confirmed as—Shadow of Deadly Poison (Hidden Profession)!]
[Your level has increased to LV16!]
[All your base attributes +20!]
[You have gained 20 free attribute points!]
[You have learned the passive professional skills: Shadow's Protection, and Poison Affinity!]
[You have learned the active professional skills: Stealth, Shadow Strike, and Poisoned Weapon!]
A series of system notifications, like the most beautiful symphony, flooded Lin Mo's ears. The increase from Level 15 to Level 16, along with the full attribute boost and extra free attribute points, made him feel an unprecedented sense of power surging through his body.
He eagerly opened his attribute panel, and the sight of the complete overhaul caused his breath to hitch.
[Character: Lin Mo]
[Profession: Shadow of Deadly Poison]
[Level: LV16]
[Life: 1250 / 1250]
[Mana: 1100 / 1100]
[Strength: 65]
[Agility: 80]
[Constitution: 75]
[Intelligence: 105]
[Spirit: 90]
[Talent: Endless Poison Source (Bound to Profession)]
[Reputation: 1850]
[Free Attribute Points: 20]
Compared to before the job change, all his attributes had received a massive boost, especially Intelligence, which officially broke the 100-point mark after adding the 20 free attribute points! This meant his poison damage and spell effects would be elevated to an entirely new level!
But this was not the main focus; the true qualitative change lay in the new professional skills!
[Shadow's Protection (Passive): You merge with the darkness. In shadowy or low-light environments, your Stealth effect is increased by 20%, and movement speed is increased by 10%.]
[Poison Affinity (Passive): Your understanding of poison has penetrated your soul. All your poison damage is increased by 20%, and the duration of applied poison effects is extended by 10%.]
[Stealth (Active): LV1 (0 / 1000). Consumes 10 Mana per second. Causes you to enter the Stealth state, significantly reducing the chance of being detected by enemies. Movement slightly increases the risk of exposure. Attacking or being attacked will break the Stealth state.]
[Shadow Strike (Active): LV1 (0 / 1000). Consumes 100 Mana. Cooldown: 15 seconds. Requires the Stealth state to activate. Instantly moves behind a designated target within 10 meters, launching a surprise attack that deals 150% Physical Damage and applies the 'Crippling' effect, reducing the target's movement speed by 30% for 3 seconds.]
[Poisoned Weapon (Active): LV1 (0 / 1000). Consumes 150 Mana. Duration: 10 minutes. Coats your weapon with Deadly Poison. All your attacks will deal an additional (20 + Intelligence * 0.2) Poison Damage and apply one stack of the Endless Poison Source poison effect to the target.]
Powerful! Too powerful!
Lin Mo's heart pounded violently with excitement.
The two passive skills perfectly enhanced the core concepts of "Shadow" and "Poison." Furthermore, the three active skills constructed a complete combat system!
Stealth was the foundation; Shadow Strike was the perfect opener, combining mobility, burst damage, and crowd control; and Poisoned Weapon completely solved the predicament of previously having to rely only on Poison Blade and Venom Spray to stack poison, allowing his every basic attack to become a source of Deadly Poison!
From now on, he was no longer a "Poison Mage" who could only whittle down enemies with damage over time, but a true—Poison-Magic Assassin!
"Feel this power, child." Karsas's voice carried a hint of satisfaction. "This is only the beginning."
His shadow-formed hand flipped over, and an ancient, completely black ring silently floated in his palm.
"This is the extra reward you deserve. As the only successor in the history of Thorn of Shadow to pass the triple trial with an 'Ultra Perfect' rating, you are worthy to possess it."
Lin Mo respectfully extended both hands and accepted the ring.
[mentor's ring]
[Quality: Dark Gold]
[Equipment Requirement: Profession 'Shadow of Deadly Poison']
[Slot: Ring]
[Attributes:]
[Intelligence +30]
[Agility +20]
[Spirit +15]
[Special Effect One: Abyssal Gaze—The effectiveness of all your skills is increased by 30% when first activated from the Stealth state. (Includes damage, crowd control duration, Healer amount, etc.)]
[Special Effect Two: Poison Shadow Shift—You can consume 500 Mana to completely merge yourself into a shadow for 5 seconds. During this time, you cannot be targeted or attacked by any means, but you also cannot move or attack. Upon exiting this state, you are forced to enter the Stealth state. Cooldown: 5 minutes.]
[Description: A gift from the Tomb Keeper Karsas; a hint of chill from the abyss seems to linger on it.]
Hiss—!
When he clearly saw the ring's attributes, Lin Mo couldn't help but gasp.
Dark Gold grade equipment!
This was absolutely a rarity on the entire epoch server at the current stage!
The basic attribute bonuses were already luxurious, and the two special effects were utterly heaven-defying!
Abyssal Gaze directly boosted his most crucial opening burst capability by thirty percent! This meant his Shadow Strike, when cast from Stealth, would deal terrifying damage approaching 200%!
And Poison Shadow Shift was an undeniable godly skill! Five seconds of invulnerability was enough to save his Life in any desperate situation.
Whether it was used to dodge a BOSS's fatal skill or to avoid focused fire in PVP, it offered infinite strategic possibilities!
Even more incredible was the fact that after the invulnerability ended, he was forced into Stealth, allowing him to calmly disengage from combat or search for the next attack opportunity!
This ring elevated his survivability and burst damage capabilities by more than one level!
"Thank you, mentor!" Lin Mo bowed sincerely in thanks.
"It is what you deserve," Karsas's voice returned to normal. "Lin Mo, now that you have become a member of Thorn of Shadow, there are some things you should know."
"Please enlighten me, mentor." Lin Mo put on the ring and listened attentively.
"Thorn of Shadow was once the most terrifying organization on the continent. But that glory belongs to a thousand years ago."
Karsas's voice held a hint of desolation. "Now, as you can see, the entire Sanctuary is left only with me, a Tomb Keeper nearing death, and... you, the sole successor."
Lin Mo's heart stirred. Sure enough, there was a deeper storyline behind this hidden profession.
"There are two things I need you to do for the organization."
"First, survive, and become stronger than anyone else. Only when your name echoes across the entire continent can the prestige of Thorn of Shadow possibly reappear in the world."
"Second," Karsas's voice paused, and a flash of deep-seated hatred crossed his spectral eyes, "Go search for clues regarding the 'Wither Council,' find them, and then... eradicate them completely, leaving none behind!"
[Ding! You have triggered the guild-unique hidden quest—The Fading Legacy!]
[Quest Content: Restore the prestige of Thorn of Shadow, investigate the whereabouts of the 'Wither Council,' the culprits who caused the organization's downfall a thousand years ago, and ultimately destroy them completely.]
[Quest Reward: ???]
[Quest Penalty: None]
Lin Mo accepted the quest without hesitation.
"I understand, mentor."
"Go." Karsas's figure began to grow faint. "The outside world is your true trial ground. Remember, do not easily trust anyone, especially... those guys carrying the aura of Decay."
Before he finished speaking, his figure completely vanished into the darkness.
Lin Mo bowed once more toward the empty stone cavern before turning and heading back the way he came.
The moment he passed through the "Silent Corridor" again and stepped out of the Shadow Sanctuary's gate, the noon sun of the City of Glory suddenly shone upon him.
It was warm, yet dazzling.
Lin Mo instinctively squinted, feeling the sunlight dispel the last trace of coldness from his body.
He looked down at himself; his equipment hadn't changed, but his entire demeanor was completely different.
Before, he was a sharp blade hidden in its sheath, with its edge contained.
Now, he was a walking shadow, a Shadow of death capable of unleashing the most lethal Deadly Poison at any moment!
"Mad Dragon, Overlord..."
A cold curve lifted the corner of Lin Mo's mouth.
"I'm back. I hope you are ready to welcome my... rebirth."