The Ultimate Evolution
chapter-695

Trista's escape had utterly extinguished all of Drizzt's remaining hope. Right from the start of the battle, Trista could observe the cohesiveness, coordination and teamwork of the enemy, was much greater than theirs! ....naturally, at the most critical moment, seeing the situation going out of hand, Trista oiled her feet and slipped away.

This wasn't merely her feeling fatigue from fighting, or that she felt her opponents were too formidable. It was mostly due to the dreadfulness of Sheyan's viruses!

Violent coughs, headaches, sneezes and shivers! Innumerable successions of negative buffs compounding onto her comrade's bodies; like a ticking time bomb that would explode unexpectedly. Yet when surveying the state of their own bodies, they just couldn't detect a single negative effect! This was simply too frightening.

Most crucially, this was only two tiers of viruses terrorizing the opponents. However, their opponents weren't aware of that! They didn't understand that Sheyan was already an arrow at the end of its flight. Instead, they believed that as time dragged on, more negative buffs would descend. The dawn of an unknown terror was the most dreadful feeling!

In another perspective, Drizzt's method of managing this party branch by being the autonomous spine dictating all their every move, was also worth criticising. Although in an enormous party, such a managing method was the most effective, but in such a battle, he became the main culprit leading to the collapse of his party's cohesiveness.

Hence, under such conditions, it was inevitable that his party eventually crumbled apart, and he was destined to death. The speed he took so much pride in, had been curbed by the various viruses and abilities. Whereas his speed lowering ability was rendered futile by the powerful MT, Reef!

In the end, huffing and wheezing desperately, Drizzt resorted to learning from Sheyan and Reef, and fled into buildings to postpone death for as long as they could; hoping that this could lead to the viruses dissipating.

Yet he wasn't aware that as long as he couldn't escape a hundred metre radius of Sheyan, the viruses would unceasingly ravage his body!

*******************

Five minutes later, the trio assembled. After healing up, Reef led the trio as they scurried into a house. At this moment, Sheyan received a notification from his nightmare imprint.

[ Virus 'Bronchitis' dealt 38 points of hemoptysis blood loss damage ]

[ Growth-Hunter ? died to hemoptysis from your Virus 'Bronchitis' ]

Upon browsing through those notifications, Sheyan didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. In the end, the redoubtable Growth-Hunter, Drizzt, actually fell to a minor loss of blood!

Such a conclusion was truly a heartfelt irony.

Observing a long trickle of blood streaming down Drizzt's lips and the reluctance in his eyes, Sheyan shrugged his shoulders in sympathy.

Following that, the rewards surfaced. From killing two Growth-hunters, they received eight achievement points, and another four from killing two other Reserve-duty contestants!

With the regulation of this world, one could only accumulate ten achievement points from slaying. Since he already took four previously, he could only retrieve six this time. Anymore would be wasted on him. Thus, the remaining achievement points were distributed evenly between Mogensha and Reef.

Furthermore, Reef also concurrent discovered a change in his dark-gold grade shield. Originally detailed '? ? ?' for one of the shield's ability, a hidden passive ability 'Blistering Breath' had appeared in its place.

[ Passive ability: Blistering Breath – This shield has been blessed by the sphinx and is immune to all ice element speed reducing negative buffs. Also reduces fire element damages to you by 20%. 'Blistering Breath' has 'Authoritative' precedence.

Without a doubt, the activation of this ability brought great joy to Reef. According to Mogensha's inference, the activation of his ability probably required resisting ice element damages many times.

Evidently, the previous owner of this shield didn't face off with that many ice element experts. Thus, Drizzt, through his countless frost daggers and frost flying knives, unfortunately became the final key to unlocking the hidden property of this dark-gold grade shield.

At present, Sheyan recalled his own dark-gold necklace. The '???' property of that necklace hadn't been activated either. "Looks like I have to analyze this upon returning this time'.

After acquiring the six achievement points, Sheyan didn't dare to be stingy with it. Right now, after retaining ten plus of free attribute points, he gradually felt his position in the party leaning more towards close combat output and support. This absolutely wasn't a good development.

Right now, he was relying on his leadership and equipments to maintain his authority. However, with the elapse of time, his impact on the party would inevitably become easily marginalized. Who could tell what would happen after long periods of time?

"It's time to quickly upgrade myself."

Contemplating on them, Sheyan started by pouring some achievement points into his 'Influenza' virus ability. After spending two achievement points, the ability rose to level 7.

When reaching level 7, an option to randomize four bonus properties naturally surfaced.

[ A: During an outbreak of 'Influenza' virus symptoms, negative effect durations increases by 50% ]

[ B: Radius of 'Influenza' virus dissemination range increase by 50 metres ]

[ C: Reduces 'Influenza' virus outbreak duration from seven minutes to three minutes ]

[ D: Probability of sneezes, shivers, and headaches increases by 4% after 'Influenza' symptom outbreaks ]

After selecting to draw, he received option 'A' in the end. When observing the statistics now, he realized the virus name had been altered to – [ Viral Influenza ]

Furthermore, it now cost ten achievement points to promote from level seven to level eight. Even with the 50% discount from his 'Stairway of the Sun' virus system, it still required five achievement points.

Pondering over slightly, Sheyan selected to waste two achievement points to reduce the 'Viral Influenza' ability back to level 6, and wasted another two achievement points to bring it to level 7 again; thus receiving another chance of drawing.

Indeed, Sheyan recognized the flaw of having a lack of manpower in his own party, which was facing an arduous challenge to drag out the battle. By lowering the outbreak duration from seven minutes to three minutes, a total of four minutes shaved off could result in a matter of life and death. It was exceedingly vital!

Thus, Sheyan spared no liberties with his four achievement points for a new chance of drawing, just for the sake of getting the 'C' option attribute.

This time, Sheyan's gamble paid off and he shockingly drew option 'C' and heaved a deep sigh of relief.

At this moment, the process of slayer rewards had also concluded. Of the four contestants they killed, an equipment or item would be drawn from each, and transferred to the trio.

Very quickly, Sheyan discovered that in his own personal storage, astonishingly housed a new dark-gold grade equipment!

This was shockingly the pair of skintight pants that Drizzt wore earlier. When Sheyan had activated 'Horn-Rage' and collided in previously, this skintight pants actually expelled the stun effect. Furthermore, when Sheyan attempted to stun him with 'Ambition', Drizzt unexpectedly flew backwards as well!

Those two events had left an incomparably distinct impression on Sheyan.

He them projected the attributes and properties of the skintight pants to Mogensha and Reef.

[ Versace Boa Pants ]

[ Origin: Manufactured by contestant no. 89b13 ]

[ Equipment rarity: Dark Gold ]

[ Material: Rare Bloodline Boa leather + Vine silk + Griffin velvet feather + ??? Horcrux ]

[ Addons: Enhancing Pockets (increases 33% of personal interspatial storage space) ]

[ Position: Legs ]

[ Type: Pants ]

[ Weight: 4.11 kg ]

[ Usage requirement: Agility 45 points, perceptive sense 30 points, 'Basic Footwork lvl 7', 'Basic Long Range Combat lvl 10' ]

[ Durability: 111 / 247 ]

[ Property: Lowers wearer's explosive strike rate by 3% ]

[ Property: Agility +10 ]

[ Property: Duration of all negative effects that lowers wearer's movement speed lowered by 33%. This effect takes 'Authority' precedence ]

[ Property: HP +150 points ]

[ Special ability: Snakemolt (Passive) – Upon receiving an attack, there's a chance of activating 'Snakemolt'. Wearer will slither a distance backwards in tandem with the incoming damage direction, thus pulling open a gap between the foe. Simultaneously, damage received will reduce by 20% ]

[ Detail: Upon triggering 'Snakemolt', you can choose slithering direction, or choose not to slither ]

[ Special property: Craft – This is a rare finished equipment forged by a contestant. Therefore, it's best to repair this equipment at the manufacturer's location. Otherwise, every time you repair this in the realm, apart from incurring more mending fees, the maximum durability will permanently decrease by 1-3 points. When durability reaches 0, equipment will vanish ]

[ Ability: Spiritsnake – Summon a giant boa constrictor spirit to guard your body. All negative effect dispelled instantaneously, and restores 33% of HP and MP. As a price of summoning the boa constrictor spirit, it will claim 100 points of durability and will reject your summoning for a 12 hours period ]

[ Ability: Pestersnake (activated) – When attacking your opponent, there is a chance of summoning a forest boa spirit to pester the opponent for 1 second. If your attack is an ability that carries the same effect, the duration of 'Pestersnake' will stack onto your attack effect ]

(This means that if Sheyan wore the pants, a curse-mix would deal 2 seconds of stun, while the new 'Stinkbug' curse-mix will deal 2.5 seconds stun. Drizzt's regret was that even though his frost dagger dealt frostbite, Reef naturally countered him with his shield. Hence, this ability hadn't been exhibited to its fullest potential)

[ Ability: Snakeweave – The hidden giant boa constrictor in your equipment accidentally enhances your mobility, increasing your basic movement speed by 25 points ]

[ Description: After a giant boa constrictor was hunted, its grievous serpent spirit thirsted for rebirth. Therefore, when it finally fused into an equipment and reunited with the world, it poured its full efforts into guarding the existence of this equipment, because it didn't wish to return to the slumber of darkness once again. If you enhance this equipment to sufficient heights, you will attain the approval of the invincible giant boa constrictor spirit; causing this equipment to change wholly ]