Mage Artifact - Skull of Resentment

"Arnold," Clark began. 

"Yeah, Clark? What's up?" Arnold responded, turning his head to look at Clark, still filled with excitement from their journey.

"I have a few things for you," Clark said casually as he tossed the Stitcher's Thread and the two skill books into Arnold's lap. With the increase in his own strength, his perspective and mindset had also evolved.

To Clark, these items were not particularly precious. However, in the world of the apocalypse game, any one of these items could make players go to great lengths to obtain them. Especially the Stitcher's Thread; even Awakeners would be willing to pay a hefty price for it.

"Clark, are these for me?" Arnold questioned as he touched the items. After a few seconds, his breathing quickened, and he found it hard to believe. Especially the Stitcher's Thread, which could repair limbs, was a dream come true for him.

"Clark, maybe these are better suited for you," Arnold said, conflicted. The recent experiences had made him realize the importance of strength. He might not be very cunning, but that didn't mean he was foolish. The Stitcher's Thread and the two skill books could turn an ordinary player into someone with similar strength to him, or even someone who could survive in the world of the apocalypse game.

"Clark, it's not that I don't want them, but I feel like I don't deserve your things," Arnold continued with a wry smile, speaking earnestly to Clark.

"When we first met, you saved my life. Later, I accompanied you to the hospital, but I didn't really help much. When we killed The Stitcher, I didn't contribute much either. Instead, you used a Bloodstone to save me. My strength is so low, it feels like a waste for you to give me these things."

Clark was slightly taken aback. He had assumed that Arnold would be thrilled to accept the items. But Arnold thought his strength was inadequate and that he hadn't been of much help?

Clark smiled and shook his head, "Your strength isn't inadequate. It's just that the enemies we've faced recently have been quite different."

Arnold remained silent, turning off the music in the car. He felt that Clark was only trying to comfort him. Clark, on the other hand, felt a bit troubled. Ever since they had met, they had been facing enemies who were either third-tier or second-tier peak Awakeners.

The other players encounter small groups of zombies most frequently, and the most formidable enemy they face is The Licker. There's nowhere else as dangerous as these creatures.

In normal circumstances, if Arnold hadn't joined them, he could definitely lead a team of a hundred players as the leader all by himself. When it comes to ordinary small groups of zombies, he can easily handle them on his own.

"Arnold, remember this: no Awakener is weak! Anything you take, you'll use to become stronger. And you also have to protect Marlene. She's your sister, and you're the one she can truly rely on," Clark said. 

He had never been stingy when it came to helping his companions. In their current situation, they needed someone who could stand by his side, especially during their efforts to establish a safe zone and face the first wave of zombie attacks. Clark alone wouldn't be able to handle it.

Arnold glanced at his sleeping sister in the rearview mirror, then nodded resolutely and accepted the items.

*Ding* Member Arnold, loyalty increased to maximum value (100/100). Loyal.

Clark smiled faintly. He had indeed made the right choice with Arnold. However, the Mind's Resentment he held in his hand was causing him some headaches. It felt somewhat underwhelming.

With Arnold's current Will attribute, the minor Spirit cost of using Power Surge was almost negligible. Furthermore, if they engaged in prolonged battles, Lynn could share her Spirit, allowing Arnold to fight continuously.

Learning the skills was beneficial for Arnold, but the equipment was not particularly useful for him. His Will attribute was too low to make use of its bonuses. As for Sandra, who couldn't become an Awakener, she didn't need Spirit at all.

It was ironic that a "mage" artifact ended up in Arnold's hands, where its potential was wasted. Clark suddenly remembered that he had a significant Spirit-consuming "skill."

"Spirit Spike!" Clark recalled this skill. While incredibly powerful, the last time he charged his gloves, it had nearly knocked him unconscious. Subconsciously, he hadn't considered recharging his gloves since.

"Black Dragon, can I use my Spirit to charge my gloves now?" Clark shook his wrist, trying to rouse the dormant creature.

"Hiss," the Black Dragon hissed in dissatisfaction, spitting out some venom. However, as a juvenile, it was practically indistinguishable from an ordinary snake.

"Charging... not enough, at least 1200 points. Charging now would still make you faint. Fainting too often, and you'll die," the Black Dragon replied.

"Black Dragon's words instantly poured cold water on Clark. 1200 points... No wonder last time, the charging nearly turned him into a dried-up person.

"Can you still help me charge, then? Or should I ask Lynn to activate the mental power sharing? Can two people do it without losing consciousness?"

Would I die if I lose consciousness? Well, thinking about it, being unconscious is not much different from being a vegetable, and that dispelled his idea of trying to charge even if he loses consciousness.

After all, the Soul Scream is just too useful. Clark, not giving up, looked eagerly at Black Dragon, who seemed ready to fall asleep.

"Not enough."

Perhaps due to more communication, Black Dragon's speech became smoother, but his tone was not very happy.

"Both of you together, still lack about 500 points. I need to eat well to have the energy to help you. I'm hungry now. I want to sleep."

After saying this, Black Dragon ignored Clark and instantly curled up his wrist to continue sleeping.

Need to eat well? Clark fell silent. He was hoping that Black Dragon could help him in battle after waking up this time, but it seemed there was little hope in the short term.

Black Dragon had eaten well twice, once consuming his own epic-level equipment and once eating a second-tier top-level mutant.

Feeding this guy was really difficult. Clark was too powerless to complain. It seemed that he needed to increase his Awakener level as soon as possible.

After killing the second-tier The Stitcher, he was only 12 first-tier mutants or 4 second-tier mutants away from the next level. With his current strength, as long as he didn't encounter top-level ones, he had no reason to fear second-tier mutants.

After becoming a second-tier Awakener, he could unlock the second talent skill. Hopefully, it would be a skill that consumed a lot of mental power; otherwise, it would be a waste of his current attributes.

Second-tier... Once he advanced to the second tier and mastered elemental skills, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap.

After turning off the music, Arnold seemed to be somewhat preoccupied. The off-road vehicle was running smoothly on the highway, and the three women in the backseat were sound asleep.

After equipping Mage Artifact - Skull of Resentment, Clark felt a significant increase in his already powerful mental power, and his thoughts became even clearer.

After finishing the inventory of the harvest, it was time to see what missions the Rescuers had issued."