Chapter 47: The Power of Engravement
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As Gabriel stepped into the mysterious realm once more, the familiar, eerie atmosphere of the dungeon greeted him. The chilling air and dim light served as a reminder of the dangers that lurked within.
Gabriel began his adventure by confronting a Fallen Knight who had crossed his path. Surprisingly, the battle was over sooner than he had anticipated. Thanks to the recent addition of the final piece to his equipment set, his skill cooldown had nearly halved, allowing him to cast his abilities with greater frequency. This was particularly evident with his [Light Hurricane] skill, which he could now unleash twice in rapid succession, in less than a second. Each hit dealt an average of 50,862 damage points, and considering [Light Hurricane] is a multi-hit skill, he inflicted at least 150,000 damage in total, factoring in the 75% additional damage from the elemental advantage. With this newfound power, a few casts were more than enough to bring down his enemies.
Moreover, [Light Hurricane] had a 20% chance to stun the enemy, which, though not overwhelmingly high, proved invaluable. This stun gave Gabriel a critical 2-3 second window to catch his breath and plan his next move—a small but vital advantage in battles where every second counted.
Five minutes later, another Fallen Knight appeared, only to be swiftly defeated by Gabriel's enhanced abilities. With the kill came a series of system prompts.
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[Prompt! Congratulations, you leveled up! +1 Level]
[Prompt! You obtained 20 status points!]
[Prompt! You obtained 4 skill points!]
[Prompt! You obtained Engraved Dagger!]
[Prompt! You obtained Engraved Stone!]
[Prompt! You obtained 20,000 copper coins!]
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Gabriel was engrossed in the flood of prompts on his screen, each one bringing him closer to advancing his class. A smile spread across his face as he exclaimed, "Yes! Only three more levels to go!" His excitement was palpable.
After adjusting his status to the same ratio as before, Gabriel took a moment to appreciate his progress. "My [Goddess Blessing] is now at level 9," he muttered, "which means I can theoretically withstand damage not greater than 50,000 points." However, his moment of pride was short-lived as reality set in. "But that's still not enough to endure a few hits of the full force of the Fallen Knights' [Jump Slash]," he realized. "Unless I cast the mutated skill [Demon Curse (☯️)], which at level 9, reduces the enemy's attack power by 47%. Only then could I withstand it."
Gabriel looked over his status screen again, his eyes scanning the various numbers that represented his growing strength. "I need to be cautious," he thought to himself, "I might need to fully reverse the buffs to debuffs for survival here."
With that, he turned his attention to the spoils he had just acquired—an [Engravement Dagger] and an [Engravement Stone].
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[Name: Engravement Dagger]
[Type: Miscellaneous Item]
[Grade: Common]
[Description: The Engravement Dagger is a common-grade item used for carving slots into equipment or accessories. The number of slots directly influences the success rate of engraving; the more slots, the higher the chance of failure. Upon a failed attempt, the equipment's durability decreases, with the amount of durability lost proportional to the number of slots. The first engraving has a 100% success rate. Every successful engraving increases the base Matk/Patk, Defense, and durability by 10% using the base equipment stats as the factor for the increase for every successful attempt. There's also a small chance of gaining a random attribute during engraving.
Usage Limit: 3/3
Maximum Slots: 2
Note: The higher the grade of the dagger, the more slots can be added.]
(A/N: Equipment slots vary by grade—White rank: 1 slot, Green rank: 2 slots, Blue rank: 3 slots, etc.)
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[Name: Engravement Stone]
[Type: Engrave]
[Grade: Green]
[Description: This stone possesses a mesmerizing quality, revealed when touched. Its surface is adorned with intricate runic etchings, adding to its allure. The stone's unique purpose is to be compounded into an equipment slot, enhancing the status of the item it's added to.
Attribute Bonus:
+15% Matk
+15% Magic Penetration
Note: Removable]
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Gabriel's heart filled with joy as he read the descriptions of the items. He felt as if fortune had smiled upon him. "My luck strikes again," he grinned.
Without hesitation, he swiftly took out his [Golden Staff] and held it in one hand. With the [Engravement Dagger] in the other, he prepared to engrave the staff.
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[Prompt! Do you want to use the Engraving Dagger? Y/N]
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Gabriel clicked "Yes," and immediately, both the staff and the dagger were engulfed in a dazzling silver light. The sound of carving echoed as the system began engraving the staff. A moment later, the light subsided, revealing the staff with a small yet intricate engraving just below the cross.
With the first engraving complete, Gabriel then held the [Engravement Stone]. A new prompt appeared, offering the option to use the stone. Gabriel clicked "Yes" again, and felt a sudden vibration in his hand as the stone began to levitate, enveloped in a radiant light. The stone then flew toward the engraved slot with magnetic precision. The process was seamless, leaving Gabriel in awe.
As the stone successfully integrated into the staff, Gabriel felt a significant surge in its power. The staff's aura, already majestic, seemed to magnify, now infused with an ancient, arcane energy. Gabriel marveled at its newfound strength and beauty.
Feeling the boost from the Engraving's additional attributes, Gabriel considered his options. "Should I continue engraving the staff and maximize the slots?" he pondered. The temptation to increase his staff's magical attack by another 10% and enhance his skill damage was strong. Finally, he decided to proceed.
Repeating the earlier process, he took out the dagger and prepared to engrave the staff once more.
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[Prompt! Do you want to use the Engraving Dagger? Y/N]
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He clicked "Yes," but instead of proceeding, another prompt appeared.
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[Prompt! 75% success rate! Do you want to proceed? Y/N]
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"25% less than the previous attempt," Gabriel noted aloud.
Before he could confirm, yet another prompt appeared.
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[Prompt! Use Harmony Essence points to increase chances. 1% increase will use 1000 points, proceed? Y/N]
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"Wow!" Gabriel exclaimed in shock. "So, Harmony Essence can be used this way? Let's see." He paused to assess his current balance of 61,000 points, feeling a tinge of disappointment. "Alas, I don't have enough Harmony Essence right now. Deducting points wouldn't be wise, especially since I plan to upgrade all my equipment to blue rank. I'll need to save up."
With a firm decision, he chose to proceed with the engraving without using Harmony Essence points.
The silver light enveloped the staff and the dagger once more, and Gabriel waited nervously. Even though a 75% success rate was high, there was still a 1 in 4 chance of failure.
As he watched intently, the engraving process seemed to drag on longer than before, causing a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a notification appeared.
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[Prompt! Engraving successful!]
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With eager anticipation, Gabriel checked the staff's updated status.
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[Name: Golden Staff]
[Type: Staff]
[MATK: 600]
[Rarity: Green]
[Description: A special staff with a red pattern of a divine cross, this staff is used by high-status clergymen.]
[Additional Attribute:
+15 INT
+15 VIT
+10% Max HP
Equipment Effect: Healing + 20%]
[Set effect: ….]
[Engravement (1/2):
+15% MATK
+15% Magic Penetration]
[Durability: 240/240]
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Gabriel's face lit up with a bright smile as he reviewed the staff's enhanced status. The sense of accomplishment filled him with renewed determination.
"Let's keep going," he said, his voice full of resolve. This time, he decided to engrave a shield, intending to maximize his overall defense.
With focused precision, Gabriel began the engraving process again, carefully repeating each step, intent on maximizing his newfound power.