Although the critical rate only increased by 2.5%, which seemed a little underwhelming, John Young still thought it was better than nothing. What intrigued him more was the actual damage multiplier of a critical hit—1.3x, 1.5x, or even 1.8x?
"Maybe when I return, I can ask some of the older guys in the Awakened group if they know about this," John mused. "Or I could test it out myself by landing a critical hit. But then again, with just a 2.5% chance, that's going to take at least forty attempts. Even then, there's no guarantee I'll land a crit—it's too much of a hassle."
The low critical rate was clearly a challenge for John, who felt that dealing with crit damage mechanics at such a rate was more trouble than it was worth.
Apart from the critical rate, John's attention turned to another feature of his equipment: the various compartments and pouches on his newly acquired belt. After a quick inspection, he counted nine separate sections. This seemed to match its advertised "multi-functional" nature, though he could only identify a handful of uses so far. Some pouches appeared to be designed for carrying pistols, grenades, magazines, and flashlights.
After examining the belt, John moved on to the most significant piece of equipment he had acquired: the watch. This wasn't just any ordinary timepiece but an integral part of a set he was piecing together.
[Raccoon City Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics Squad Standard Multifunctional Waterproof Watch]
[Quality: White]
[Type: Equipment]
[Origin: Ash World, Raccoon City, Police Station, SWAT Logistics Storage Room]
[Durability: 12/12]
[Defense: 13]
[Requirements: None]
[Score: 7 (White items are scored from 1 to 10)]
[Set Effect 1: Violence – Strength +1, Critical Strike Rate +2.5%]
[Set Effect 2: Bloody (Unlocks with four-piece set)]
[Set Effect 3: Sin (Unlocks with six-piece set)]
[Set Effect 4: Killing (Unlocks with eight-piece set)]
[Set Effect 5: Creed (Unlocks with ten-piece set)]
[Description: The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit of the Raccoon City Police Department specializes in anti-terrorism and high-intensity combat. Renowned for their technological advancement and precision tactics, they excel at suppressing enemies while minimizing risks to hostages.]
"Finally, I have a watch! This wasn't easy to get," John said with satisfaction. With the watch, he could now keep accurate track of his time in the Ash World. It even came equipped with a compass, a handy feature for navigating the challenging, disorienting terrain.
Although John considered himself reasonably good at finding his way, hunting monsters in the Ash World without a map or clear direction was a surefire way to get lost. With the compass, his chances of staying on track were much higher.
Once he was done sorting through the treasure chest loot, John began debating whether or not to use a talent orb he had acquired earlier. The decision wasn't easy, and after a few moments of internal struggle, he decided to stop overthinking it.
"Well, since it doesn't have any side effects, I might as well use it," John muttered as he picked up a small black orb of light and crushed it in his hand.
[You have acquired the E-level talent "Slow Rot."]
John immediately opened the talent menu to inspect the effects of "Slow Rot" and see if anything unexpected had occurred.
[Slow Rot]
[Quality: E (0/3)]
[Ability 1: Tirelessness – In zombie form, decay rate reduced by 90%, and physical exhaustion reduced by 90%.]
[Ability 2: Energetic – Physical stamina +10%.]
"Huh? Huh? Huh?" John couldn't help but express his surprise through three consecutive hums. The talent seemed to have a progress bar associated with it. Did this mean it could be upgraded?
"If I'm understanding this correctly, the progress bar fills by using three identical talents to enhance it, right?" John theorized. The mechanic felt oddly familiar, likely inspired by features he'd encountered in various games. It reminded him of systems where players upgraded equipment by combining identical items, much like synthesizing gems to improve gear.
"I got seven of these Slow Rot orbs from the treasure chest earlier. Looks like they're actually useful." Without further hesitation, John picked up another small black orb and crushed it.
[An E-level talent "Slow Rot" has been detected in your talent list. Would you like to merge the talents?]
"Yes, merge."
[Merging complete.]
[You have acquired the E-level talent "Slow Rot."]
"Still E-level, huh?" John grumbled as he reopened the talent menu to see if there had been any noticeable changes.
[Slow Rot]
[Quality: E (1/3)]
[Ability 1: Tirelessness – In zombie form, decay rate reduced by 90%, and physical exhaustion reduced by 90%.]
[Ability 2: Energetic – Physical stamina +10%.]
"Looks like I need two more to fill the bar. Good thing I've got seven of these orbs," John remarked, crushing two more light balls in quick succession.
[An E-level talent "Slow Rot" has been detected in your talent list. Would you like to merge the talents?]
"Yes, merge."
[Merging complete.]
[You have acquired the D-level talent "Longevity."]
"D-level talent? Let's see what's changed," John said eagerly, pulling up the new talent description. The drastic difference in the names of "Slow Rot" and "Longevity" suggested significant upgrades had occurred.
[Longevity]
[Quality: D (0/9)]
[Ability 1: Tirelessness – Physique +1.]
[Ability 2: Energetic – Physical stamina +40%.]
[Ability 3: Lifespan Extension – Adds 20 years to the user's life expectancy.]
"Just one step up from E-level to D-level, and the changes are already huge. Not only did it increase my stamina and add a point to my physique, but it also tacked on 20 years to my lifespan. That's wild," John said, shaking his head in amazement.
John had always assumed that extending his lifespan would only become possible after mastering the second level of his Universe Infinite skill. He hadn't anticipated that a D-level talent alone could grant him such a benefit.
"Not that I care too much about life expectancy at this point," John thought. At just 20 years old, an additional 20 years of life didn't feel particularly significant. If he were middle-aged, though—say, in his forties or fifties—he'd probably be dancing with joy.