Chapter 404: The Art of Concealment
In a short span of time, William had saved thousands of lives in the Nightmare Forest. However, upon his return to the city, he didn't divulge the nature of the crisis he had just faced. Instead, he swiftly headed back to the Far North. It was like a magical version of Xiake's travels.
Complete the mission, brush off the dust from your clothes, and hide your skills and fame.
William couldn't help but feel that his "Heart of Justice" talent was perfectly suited for him. Although its effect was quite general, it was indispensable when dealing with NPCs. Over time, he had accumulated more and more talents.
As one reached epic and Legendary levels, it was common for NPCs to possess dozens of talents, each enhancing their abilities and versatility.
William had also dealt with the Temple of the God of Slaughter and made contact with the Blue Moon people, which would be beneficial for his future endeavors. He sighed as he immediately activated a portal with Burned Cinders, swiftly traveling from the Southern Region to the Blue Frost Empire, Empirical City.
Exiting the transfer hall, they were greeted by a landscape of endless ice and snow. The bone-chilling cold penetrated deep into their marrow, and a snowstorm raged around them.
Before they could even change into warmer attire, William activated the Morale Shield to ward off the cold. He turned to Burned Cinders and said, "With Epic Level experts becoming the main force in the battlefield, it means there are more and more masters on both sides. You should head to the fortress first to prevent any high-level experts from breaking through."
"Yes, sir," they replied, nodding, and hurried towards Dawn Fortress. It was evident that Dawn City had a significant advantage when it came to Intermediate Level Professionals. With 1.8 million players, they could afford to be generous with their lives, and there were tens of thousands of high-level legions.
However, when Epic Level powers came into play, and Grandmaster Level Professionals dominated the battlefield, the entire Dawn City made up less than 1% of any Elf family.
Their current mission was to guard the fortress or act as reinforcements when the legions were out, thereby minimizing losses.
William, on the other hand, checked his recent merits. During the two days he had been away, there had been numerous battles, both large and small. He assigned the merits from the player kills to himself and distributed the Dawn merits to the players.
In essence, millions of players were now working for William. Notably, the feats of the Elves were more valuable than Dawn's merits. In just two days, William's merit had reached 80000 again.
One-third of those 80000 merits came from the Dawn Corps.
"Players have become a tremendous asset for my team to accumulate merits. The Dragon Blood Corps continues to excel in every battle and has already completed 8% of the mission."
Most of the veteran players had reached at least Intermediate Level. Their equipment consisted mainly of Fine-Gold Rank graduation sets, their skill scrolls were Intermediate Level to Advanced Level, and a few even had mounts.
How could he extract experience from players under these circumstances? William strolled through the streets, occasionally exchanging greetings with others.
He was now quite far from reaching level 140, with a gap of 230 million Experience Points. It was a substantial amount. Trying to acquire that much experience from players wouldn't be an easy task.
However, when he reached the Merit Exchange Officer, he had an idea.
"Skills! Yes, other special skills can also be a means to accumulate a significant amount of Experience Point. For example, the Spiritual Chain skill that I initially offered for exchange in the Contribution Exchange List was a huge hit. Though the price was relatively high, it sold well."
"But many squad captains, leaders, and even many high-level players were hesitant to take on leadership roles if they didn't possess the Spiritual Chain skill. Even now, it continues to bring in a significant income in terms of experience."
"What if there were more special skills?" William pondered the various special skills possessed by his team members.
Legolas's "Energy Focus" was incredibly suitable for Ranger players.
Burned Cinder's "Flame Boiling" was tailored for fire-based players.
Diablo's "Metal Ball Shield."
Not to mention "Temporarily Frozen," "Burst Attack," and others.
William had thought of ten special skills – skills without career restrictions and unique effects that would greatly benefit players. These skills could be upgraded and provided players with valuable abilities. Each skill could be obtained through the exchange of Experience Points, and one skill remnant page could be upgraded to level 10 for 100000 Experience Points.
William couldn't help but consider that more skills equated to a more diverse arsenal of life-saving and combat abilities. Moreover, these special skills were applicable to various professions, allowing players to learn and utilize them effectively. This would, in turn, slow down their leveling progress.
This development was quite significant, as players had to spend time leveling up their new skills, thereby delaying their overall progress.
William also realized that many players had achieved Advanced Levels and were already well-equipped with Fine-Gold Rank gear. Some even had mounts. Extracting experience from them wouldn't be as effective.
So, he decided to offer these ten special skills on the Contribution Exchange List for Mercenary Regiments.
It didn't take long for players to discover these skills.
Many discussions erupted on the forums.
"Energy Focus, Level 1 – Increases critical hit damage by 10% for 10 minutes, consumes 100 Chi and Mana, with a cooldown of 15 minutes."
"Exchange restrictions: Elite Mercenaries."
"Exchange restrictions: Intermediate Level Professionals."
"Skill Creator: Legolas."
"Wow, this is an incredible skill!"
"Isn't this a Ranger skill from Dawn City?"
"Watch your words, folks. Our Ranger is William…"
"Well, isn't it hypocritical to act so humble on the third floor? Your Highness, you're also a Ranger, aren't you? Why pretend otherwise?"
"The key here is that there are no career restrictions on these skills. This one is especially remarkable, with such a short cooldown. Even melee Professionals can benefit from it. It's practically equivalent to a passive talent."
"Seriously, it's amazing. What's more, these skills don't require money, merit Points, or contributions. Just Experience Points. One skill remnant page can be upgraded to Level 10 for 100000 Experience Points."
"Ridiculous, isn't it? What's more, I bet the experience required for each additional remnant page will be twice the previous one."
"Don't be so sure. You'll find that after you've upgraded this skill to Level 10, the cost of the second remnant page will likely double."
"Don't worry too much. Focus is a must for us Rangers. This skill is something William uses, so why wouldn't we?"
After William stumbled upon this discussion, he hesitated to say anything. He hadn't learned the "Energy Focus" skill because, for him, even if the skill was maxed out, it would only increase critical hit damage by 80%. For someone with a Legendary Rank equipment set like him, it wouldn't make much of a difference.
Furthermore, others had a certain level of OCD. If the skill wasn't maxed out, it wouldn't be effective.
William had a feeling that the experience required for each additional
skill page would increase exponentially. To be cautious, he decided to add 100000 Experience Points to each subsequent remnant page.
In just a short while, players in Dawn City discovered these skills. Many players chose to selectively exchange one or two skills, as acquiring all of them at once would be costly. However, for those who were willing to spend and had the time, getting all ten skills was a tempting proposition.
This situation was not limited to Dawn City; it played out in front of many players as well. For high-level players, Professionals, and die-hard enthusiasts, obtaining all ten skills was a challenge they couldn't resist. To them, these were free skills that they couldn't afford to miss out on.
The Glorious Club, in particular, gathered its members, all with a glint in their eyes, discussing their plans to acquire all ten skills.
Chu Liuqiu, after giving it some thought, pounded the table and said, "We should exchange for all ten of these skills."
"Ah?" Some were taken aback. It seemed like a daring move.
Xiao Yin, concerned, asked, "Will this slow down our advancement to become high-level Professionals and affect our Professional competition?"
"It won't slow us down that much. Furthermore, Dawn City's task is not just about quality; it's about gaining more Experience. If we intentionally suppress our levels a bit, we won't lag behind other Professional players."
"And you should know, these skills are functional in nature. For example, 'Temporarily Frozen' can provide us with a considerable advantage. During that time, it significantly boosts our defense and Health Point recovery. I doubt William would release such a treasure for nothing. He's exchanging them for experience. Isn't he afraid of the Orc Empire? Does he want to strengthen us?"
Changli Jiuge, the loyal servant of the prince, obediently raised his hand. Chu Liuqiu gave him a knowing look, signaling him to speak.
With a smile, Changli Jiuge said, "Your Highness, I'm afraid I have to inform you that you've been deceived. Although this is a Legendary Rank item, what I've been consuming is 'Bunao Pill' [a modern medication used for sleep disorders], not 'Melatonin' [a natural sleep hormone]."
Chu Liuqiu was left speechless. "You and your nonsense. In any case, don't worry too much. We're currently using Epic Level scrolls, but once we reach Advanced Levels, we should be able to replace them with Legendary Rank ones."
"Really?" Many Professional players asked in amazement.
"Why would I lie to you? In the 'Gods' game, things are slowing down a bit. With more and more players joining, we now have over 100000 members in our subsidiary guild, 'Glorious.' It's not a problem to fleece some sheep and exchange them for Legendary scripts."
This situation, where all ten skills were being exchanged, occurred among many players. However, it posed a dilemma for civilian players who lacked the resources to acquire all the skills at once. They could only choose one or two skills that were most suitable for their professions.
Nevertheless, these ten special skills had earned William a whopping 180 million Experience Points in just three days, with 50 million more needed to level up.