Epic Equipment

The necklace was thrown towards the black serpent. Although the black serpent had saved him and even displayed some inexplicable favor towards him, Clark would never arrogantly assume that the black serpent would never harm him. A being that could ignore the psychic shockwaves of a third-tier mutant, with a speed equivalent to 45 agility points, was a force to be reckoned with, almost invincible at this stage.

Clark admitted to himself that if this serpent were to attack him, he wouldn't be able to even block a single blow. With its speed, he wouldn't even have time to react.

Although he didn't know the origin of the black serpent that transformed into the black python, Clark vaguely sensed that this creature was different from the mutated creatures infected by the zombie virus.

After dropping the necklace, the red-dressed girl didn't hesitate and flew away in mid-air. However, when Clark observed the direction in which she flew, he was surprised to find that it was toward the city center. He wondered what could possibly be there.

Clark remembered the mountain of corpses he encountered when entering the city. There were also traces of a third-tier mutant, and the target seemed to be the city center as well. He felt uneasy and had a headache. The direction of this post-apocalyptic world was completely different from what he remembered, making him feel like he had lost control.

However, he quickly suppressed these thoughts. No matter how things had changed, he had to face them. There was no use for pointless emotions.

A cold wind blew, and the weather after the apocalypse was unpredictable. Clark remained in the deep pit, watching as the black serpent, carrying the necklace in its mouth, swallowed it regretfully.

Clark let out a sigh. It seemed that the black serpent's target was also the obsidian stone on the necklace. He just didn't understand why it had intervened to save him.

Regardless, it appeared that his hope of completing the equipment was completely shattered. He couldn't contend with either of these two monsters.

Putting aside his desire to obtain the obsidian stone, Clark touched his [Skullcrusher's Hand] on his right hand. It was a pity; if he could complete this equipment, he would have had a strong chance of defeating [The Stitcher].

But the outcome wasn't too bad. At least he could survive an encounter with a suspected third-tier mutant, which was already extremely lucky.

Clark's injuries were gradually healing, and with his high constitution, his physical recovery speed was approximately seven times that of an average person. Although he couldn't regenerate limbs, he could rapidly heal wounds and repair internal organs. He felt like he was waiting for a verdict.

Up to this point, Clark still didn't understand why the black serpent had suddenly appeared and then saved him.

Just when Clark was anxious and unsure, the black serpent transformed back into its slender form and swam joyfully to Clark's feet. It then opened its mouth, and the necklace, covered in a viscous substance, was presented as if it were a treasure.

Breathing heavily, Clark stared fixedly at the black serpent and the necklace. What is this? In his mind, a childish voice rang out: "Fusion Equipment!"

The sound came from a psychic transmission. Clark was not unfamiliar with this method; it was similar to the intra-team communication. However, only those with the third-tier strength could master this psychic communication, and there was no one else around who could do it except for Black Serpent. 

Surprise and disbelief washed over him. Could it be that Black Serpent had asked for the necklace from the Crimson Variant for himself? 

Clark subconsciously reached for the necklace, not caring about the sticky substance on it. Not to mention the stickiness, even if it had fallen into a pile of corpses, he would have retrieved it. The necklace felt cold in his hand. 

"Ding, obtained blue equipment (fine): [Soul Shard]."

"Equipment attributes: Willpower +5, Psychic Amplification +10%, Psychic Recovery Speed +30%, Attack Speed +10%, Inflicts Psychic Impact during attacks (Psychic Impact: Inflicts damage on any creature with psychic power, causing harm based on the difference in strength and stunning effect)."

"Equipment description: A fragment of a shattered soul that seems like it can be embedded somewhere. Perhaps you can find its vessel."

"Note: This fragment is not complete; it can fuse with other fragments after acquisition."

It was too powerful. Clark's heart raced. Even if he didn't use the [Soul Shard] to complete the [Skullcrusher's Hand], just the effects of this equipment were already incredibly strong. 

Especially the effect of inflicting Psychic Impact during attacks, it was considered top-tier among blue equipment. These two blue equipment items, either one of them on their own, would drive players crazy. Clark could hardly imagine how powerful [Skullcrusher's Hand] would be once completed.

"Hurry, merge it," Black Serpent urged Clark through psychic communication, sounding somewhat impatient.

It coiled its body and lowered its head, looking a bit dejected. It seemed that the battle with the Crimson Variant earlier was not as one-sided as it had portrayed.

Clark snapped back to attention and immediately took off his gloves.

"Merge!"

The obsidian stone on the necklace instantly erupted in dazzling colors. The two pieces of equipment combined, the radiance disappeared, and the missing part on the glove was completed by the obsidian stone.

In the expectant gazes of Clark and Black Serpent, new patterns appeared on the originally pitch-black glove.

"Ding, obtained orange equipment (epic): [Soul Gauntlet]."

"Equipment attributes: Strength +6, Constitution +6, Willpower +6, Agility +6."

"Attack Speed +20%, Psychic Amplification +20%, Psychic Recovery Speed +50%."

"Attack Special Effect 1: Inflicts temporary stun with each attack and provides additional bonuses based on the wearer's Willpower attribute."

"Attack Special Effect 2: Soul Devour. After killing an enemy, you can extract their dead soul to replenish psychic power."

"Equipment attached skill: Soul Scream (Grade B): Instantly generates a ring-shaped psychic shockwave, indiscriminately damaging all creatures within the kill range. (Daily usage: 1/1, recharges the next day.)"

The attributes were incredibly luxurious, and Clark couldn't contain his excitement. Looking at the [Soul Gauntlet] in his hand, covered in intricate patterns, Clark was too delighted for words.

Epic equipment truly lived up to its reputation, as it could essentially elevate a medium-sized safe zone on its own. A total attribute increase of +6 was almost equivalent to raising a Tier 2 Awakener level or a player level out of thin air.

Even the weakest regular player, if they got their hands on this equipment with its luxurious attribute bonuses, could compete with Awakeners. For an Awakener, this equipment alone could enable them to overpower a Tier 2 entity! Moreover, attributes like attack speed and psychic amplification were exceedingly rare.

However, what excited him the most were the skills and special effects attached to the equipment. The enhancement of the Psychic Impact effect was particularly impressive.