After going into the sea, I met the witch.

Chapter 121 [Super-Heart Inlaid Glass Bead], the strongest special skill

The faint light emitted by the ferns on the cave walls illuminated the large trees below, some of which were growing inside the cave, making them appear as lustrous as jade.

Several little deer sized up Ryan, their bright eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.

Ryan ignored the curious little ones and instead focused his gaze on the reclusive dragonman above.

"This greatsword was forged from the 'Crimson Horn,' which speaks volumes about my achievements."

“It is indeed… its aura… that valiant and aloof spirit… the wandering knight… everything will eventually return to its origin…” After uttering a bunch of incomprehensible words, the reclusive dragonman threw something at Ryan.

He reached out and caught it. Upon closer inspection, Ryan realized it was a very beautiful glass bead.

Its main body is black, with brilliant blood-red light spots spreading outwards from the inside, resembling a star map. Looking at this glass bead is like looking directly at a blood-red starry sky.

At that moment, a prompt appeared before Ryan's eyes on the panel.

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【Super Heart - Inlaid Glass Bead】: An extremely rare inlaid glass bead of unknown origin. Skilled craftsmen can inlay this bead onto finished equipment to grant it specific special skills. Inlaying this bead grants the special skill [Fatal Strike Lv.1]: When dealing damage to an enemy's vital points, total damage is increased by 30%. Manifesting it on the user requires 10 Spirit Points.

(Please note that each piece of equipment has a limit on the number of glass beads that can be inserted, based on its own characteristics. If the insertion is forced after the limit is reached, the equipment and glass beads will be destroyed.)

-

Ryan's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the information before him.

A composite glass bead that can be directly added to finished equipment to imbue it with special skills!

Special skill: Fatal Strike!

Unlike the [Living Glass Bead] that the reclusive dragonman had given him before, which needed to be added during the forging process, this glass bead only needed to be inlaid into the equipment to take effect, and the [Fatal Strike] effect made Ryan drool.

This is the strongest special skill he has ever seen in his travels, bar none, and the terrifying spiritual energy required for it to manifest in his true form also proves this point.

Keep in mind that even the [Living Glass Bead] only had 3 spirit points when Ryan manifested it in his physical form, yet it requires an absurdly high 10!

Equal to the cost is the powerful effect of [Super Heart - Inlaid Glass Bead]: at just level one, it adds 30% to the total damage!

The system defines "total damage" as the sum of all damage dealt, including bonuses from various sword techniques and other special skills.

This is a solid, undiluted 30% damage increase!

Of course, the skill [Fatal Strike] is not without its flaws; it only works when it hits a vital part of the enemy.

But this isn't a big problem for Ryan.

Because of the huge size difference between him and the monster, his attacks are basically aimed at the monster's head, which, except in some very special cases, is undoubtedly a "vital part".

The more Ryan thought about it, the more excited he became.

Unfortunately, the "inlaid glass bead" could only be inlaid after he finished his travels and went to Master Jinchui.

After carefully putting away the [Super Heart·Inlaid Glass Bead], Ryan's gaze toward the reclusive dragonman grew even more fervent.

This native of the mysterious island seems to possess many wonderful things...

Such a huge temptation even made Ryan have the idea of ​​"robbing the rich to help the poor".

Of course, he was just thinking about it.

Firstly, the strength of the reclusive dragon is unknown. Secondly, once he takes action, regardless of whether his "robbing the rich to help the poor" is successful or not, his relationship with the reclusive dragon will deteriorate rapidly, and he will no longer be able to obtain any intelligence from the reclusive dragon.

Overall, the risks outweigh the rewards.

Ryan wouldn't do something that loses money.

At this moment, the reclusive dragon man standing on the cliff began a new round of mystical ramblings.

"The black tiger roaring before the gate... that is an absolute power, a wall of despair blocking the way..."

"Moonlit oasis... shimmering lightning... a peerless hunter silently emerges from the devastating thunder..."

"The End... The Origin... Only Master Hunters are worthy of an audience."

After saying these words, the reclusive dragon man turned around and his figure gradually disappeared into the cave.

Below, Ryan was lost in thought.

Although the hermit hunter's words were still somewhat cryptic, they were generally still somewhat understandable.

Ryan had seen the term "Roaring Black Tiger" in the notes left by the vice-captain of the hunting party. Without a doubt, it was an extremely powerful [high-rank] monster, even being called an "absolute powerhouse" by the reclusive hunters.

While there may be some exaggeration involved, the fact that it has this title suggests that "Roaring Black Tiger" is stronger than "Desert Knight".

Since the first sentence refers to the "Roaring Black Tiger," a [high-rank] monster, by analogy, the "Peerless Hunter" in the second sentence undoubtedly refers to another [high-rank] monster.

Desert... Oasis... The reclusive dragonman's words pointed out that the location of the "Peerless Hunter" was most likely not an underground cave, but the surface area of ​​the Stone Wasteland—the desert region.

It's unclear whether "Peerless Hunter" is in the "second petal area" or a deeper "petal area".

As for the third sentence, its meaning is even simpler.

The terms “end” and “origin” were already discussed by the reclusive dragon man last time, so they are not new terms.

The difference is that obtaining the "Proof of Valor" only proves that you are qualified to embark on the journey to the "End" and the "Origin". To "pay homage", you need to defeat two more powerful [Higher Rank] monsters to prove yourself.

With these thoughts in mind, Ryan let out a soft sigh.

Although the reclusive dragon man's words were vague, having a clear goal is never a bad thing.

Moreover, after defeating the target, you can obtain the extremely rare "Glassy Bead" from the reclusive dragonman.

Ignoring the spirit deer that was curiously touching his boots with its antlers, Ryan turned and left the "Hidden Dragonman Cave".

Before heading out to find these two unknown [higher-rank] monsters, he planned to make a trip to the Rotten Abyss first.

This is the second time... It's time to take revenge.

After retracing his steps, Ryan returned to the [Campfire Point - Corruption Outpost].

Sitting cross-legged by the campfire, he checked the supplies prepared for the expedition.

First, let's talk about weapons. With the Greatsword Crimson Crown Horn, the Artifact Embrace of Blood no longer needs to be materialized as the "Blood Greatsword," but instead has a new purpose.

Whether manifesting the "Blood Spear" as a ranged attack or manifesting the "Blood Core" to create a defensive barrier, both can greatly assist in the conquest.

Secondly, there were the resources to dispel the miasma—[Elimination Fruits]. Ryan counted them; he had used one when removing the "Heart-Eating Seal" from Qingling, and now he had seven left. In the past, these [Elimination Fruits] would definitely not have been enough to support a major battle, but with the further improvement of his [Physical] attribute, Ryan's resistance to miasma had also increased considerably, and seven [Elimination Fruits] were about right.

Finally, and most importantly, is the "binge eating level." Through daytime supplementation, the "binge eating level" has been raised to 51/100.

It must be said that the flesh and blood of the [superior] unicorn dragon are truly nourishing. Even though this wasn't the first time Ryan had eaten it, it still provided a rich source of nutrition after consuming a large amount.

A gluttony level of 51/100 is enough to sustain one's energy for a battle.

After confirming that the three most important things were in order, Ryan got up, left the campfire, and stepped into the "Rotten Miasma" area.

Ryan's expression was serious as he walked through the large cave filled with miasma.

[High Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon is like an assassin lurking in the shadows, ready to emerge from the miasma at any moment and deliver a fatal blow.

To Ryan's surprise, he did not encounter any attacks until he crossed the miasma zone.

Even after leaving the miasma area, the "Rotten Wyverns" that should have been dwelling and hovering there disappeared.

The entire miasma cave was empty and eerily quiet.

"what's the situation?"

Ryan's expression grew increasingly serious.

He was currently in the shallow center of the surrounding miasma area, where the miasma was so thin that it was almost negligible. Directly in front of him was the miasma area that the [High Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon had left during his last travels.

After standing there for a few seconds and thinking, Ryan finally decided to continue forward.

Since we've already come all this way, wouldn't it be a huge loss if we didn't gain anything?

As they ventured deeper, the miasma in the air gradually became denser.

For some reason, an unsettling smell filled the air.

The rustling sound was like some kind of insect crawling across one's skin in the dead of night, sending chills down one's spine.

"Sizzle—"

Ryan stopped abruptly, looking down at his feet. He saw that his boots had stepped on a puddle of pale blue liquid on the ground, and the part of his boots that had come into contact with the liquid was emitting a pungent, white odor.

"So corrosive!"

Ryan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly moved his foot away.

Fortunately, his boots were made of a special material; if they were ordinary shoes, they would probably have corroded into black ash by now.

"How could such a highly corrosive liquid, similar to sulfuric acid, appear on the surface deep within the Rotten Abyss?"

Ryan was puzzled, but soon his face twitched.

Could this be bodily fluids from a corpse?

Thinking about it, it's actually quite possible. The Rotten Abyss is essentially a giant graveyard for monsters, and the putrid fluid produced by the decomposition of corpses, if not properly treated, would accumulate over the years and form such a highly corrosive liquid.

Thinking about this, Ryan suddenly felt a little nauseous.

"call……"

Let out a soft breath. While the resistance effect of [Eliminating Fruit] was still active, Ryan didn't want to waste any precious time and ventured deeper.

Having made preparations, he was extra careful on the ground, trying to avoid the pale blue liquid.

After advancing for about a minute, Ryan suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on the figure that was faintly visible in the miasma ahead, his expression gradually becoming serious.

The dark figure darted through the miasma, emerging suddenly in just a few seconds.

The grayish-yellow miasma surged and churned, from which a blood-red shadow emerged.

Those iconic, gruesome claws were exactly what Ryan had been searching for—the [High Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon.

To Ryan's surprise, the [High Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon was covered in corrosive, charred, and festering wounds, and its expression showed visible panic and disorientation, as if it were being hunted by some terrible enemy.

This scene caused Ryan's pupils to shrink sharply, and he was about to turn and run away without hesitation.

But just then, the miasma behind the [high-ranking] Bloodclaw Dragon began to churn violently.

In the next instant, a thin but extremely concentrated gray pillar swept out, and wherever it passed, the miasma dissipated. In an instant, it caught up with the [High-Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon.

As the gray pillar swept across, a violent "sizzling" corrosive sound emanated from the [Upper Rank] Bloodclaw Dragon, while Ryan, standing a little further away, immediately activated the "Blood Core" and deployed the "Blood Barrier".