Use!
John, both expectant and anxious, immediately used the Attribute Fusion Stone.
Buzz!
The Attribute Fusion Stone transformed into a stream of light and merged into his body, with no other noticeable changes.
"Is that it?" John wondered, feeling no immediate difference in his body. It seemed he would only be able to verify its effects once he returned to the real world.
He wasn't in a rush, so he turned his attention to the other two items.
The Death Land Token would allow him to freely enter and exit this area.
However, what excited him most was the token's sealing function. Unfortunately, his current power was too weak to refine it.
The Contract Scroll was even more powerful, allowing him to make a soul contract with any being, ensuring eternal loyalty.
Imagine if he could contract with a god; John would be unstoppable.
However, given the gods' immense power, he knew he wasn't yet strong enough to challenge one, likely getting obliterated before he could even present the contract.
"My health is down to just over 300!" John noticed, alarmed.
He could sense powerful creatures lurking in the mist but had no health recovery potions left and couldn't risk staying longer.
John quickly used the Death Land Token to teleport out.
Buzz!
With a spatial ripple, John found himself back in the ruins.
His health was now down to 220.
He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of joy. This adventure had been entirely worthwhile.
Two powerful hidden classes, a significant boost to his attributes.
The Death Land Token, and the Contract Scroll.
The most rare and valuable of all was the Attribute Fusion Stone.
Beep!
John's private chat chimed; it was Ritchie.
Ritchie: "Godslayer, I'm at Jade City. Where are you?"
Godslayer: "On my way."
Ritchie: "Okay, I'll wait for you at the arena."
John closed the chat and quickly headed to Jade City.
With over 300 points in agility, John moved at incredible speed, almost like a shadow.
The arena was a place provided by major cities for players to spar. Death in the arena carried no penalties.
In less than ten minutes, John arrived at the Jade City arena.
He immediately noticed a young man leaning casually against a pillar. The man, around eighteen or nineteen years old, was handsome and youthful. He had a blade of grass in his mouth and was whistling at the passing female players, drawing glares from the onlookers.
The man couldn't care less and continued doing as he pleased.
This was none other than Ritchie.
John had seen Ritchie's family discipline, strict to the point of being harsh.
He couldn't understand how such a rigorous upbringing could produce such a rebellious troublemaker.
John jumped onto the arena and called out, "Ritchie, come up here."
Ritchie was staring intently at a scantily clad beauty. Hearing John's call, he frowned.
Everyone around him always addressed him respectfully as Master Wu. Who was this impudent guy?
Shit!
Ritchie spat out the blade of grass and sized up John on the stage. After a moment, he realized, "You... you're Godslayer?"
He had seen John's real-life profile and recognized his appearance.
"Interesting!" Ritchie jumped onto the stage, curiously examining John. "I've met many players who enhance their looks, but you're the first I've seen who downplays them. You look like a pretty boy in real life, but here in the game, you seem more impressive."
John smiled, already accustomed to Ritchie's demeanor. He wasn't offended.
Taking out his staff, he said calmly, "Enough talk. Let's get started. I'm on a schedule."
"Alright," Ritchie said, his playful demeanor shifting to seriousness. A long spear appeared in his hand. "Just so you know, I won't use my artifact. You go first."
John shook his head, remaining calm. "If I attack first, you won't stand a chance."
Ritchie's eye twitched.
No one had ever dared to act more arrogant than him.
Without another word, Ritchie charged at John, his spear thrusting like a dragon breaking through the sea.
The speed and angle made it seem unavoidable.
John stood still, showing no intention of dodging or even casting a spell.
"Hmph, overconfident fool. It's over!" Ritchie thought disdainfully. To equip the Diamond Giant Shield, he had allocated all his points to his knight, with his talent and the hidden class of Earth Knight boosting his strength to 500 points.
He was confident this strike would kill John.
Just as Ritchie closed in and his spear was about to hit, John calmly raised his staff, not to cast a spell, but to block.
Clang!
With a swift motion, John's staff deflected the spear.
The immense force numbed Ritchie's grip, and before he could react, John's staff struck him on the head.
Bang! Bang!
-907
-911
Two damage numbers appeared. Ritchie turned into a white light and reappeared at the edge of the arena.
He stunned and bewildered.
He was a knight, known for defense, with 120 points in physical resistance and nearly 1300 health points with his equipment. And a mage had just beaten him to death with a staff?
Ritchie glared at John, shouting, "You cheated! You're a warrior pretending to be a mage!"
John smiled, "Not satisfied? Then let's go again!"
"Fine!" Ritchie climbed back onto the stage, abandoning his earlier bravado. The artifact Diamond Giant Shield appeared in his hand.
It granting +1000 physical defense, +500 magical defense, and an additional 1000 points in constitution.
Ritchie was confident. This time, John wouldn't even be able to scratch his defense.
John's physical attacks indeed couldn't break through Ritchie's defense with the artifact enhancement.
However, John was a real mage.
Whoosh!
Waving his staff, two massive fireballs shot out one after the other, heading straight for Ritchie.
Boom! Boom!
-1424
-1439
The fireballs exploded, flames surging, and terrifying damage numbers appeared above Ritchie's head.
Ritchie was startled. If it weren't for the high health and magic resistance provided by the artifact, he would have been killed by just one fireball.
Could this guy really be a mage?
Ritchie was getting nervous. Seeing the incoming Wind Blade and the lightning striking down from above, he immediately activated his artifact's skill.
Diamond Protection!
Damage received was halved, lasting ten minutes, with a cooldown of one hour.
Boom!
Bang!
-708
-711
…
Amidst the continuous booming and magical surges, John's magical attacks were relentless, leaving Ritchie in agony.
Though powerful, the artifact had a downside—it reduced his speed by 100 points.
Ritchie had become nearly a sitting duck, only able to take the hits.
With the barrage of magical attacks, even a shell would eventually break.
Boom!
Ritchie was hit by another spell, turning into white light and reappearing at the edge of the arena, looking defeated as he slumped to the ground.
He could accept defeat.
But this wasn't just defeat; it was a complete thrashing.
Is this even the same game?
Cheats!
This guy must be cheating!
Ritchie got up, pointing at John, shouting angrily, "You're a cheater! I'm reporting you for using hacks!"
John frowned, sensing that this defeat had hit Ritchie hard.
Glancing at the furious Ritchie, he said calmly, "Are you out of your mind? You know more about the world of Gods than I do, right? If you don't believe it, we can continue."
Ritchie fell silent.
Indeed, it was impossible to cheat in the world of Gods because it wasn't just a game.
The authorities had confirmed this was a real world.
Though they hadn't announced it to avoid unnecessary panic.
The game had such a massive global impact that even the authorities couldn't shut it down.
As for cheats, they were simply impossible.
Ritchie quickly switched to a friendly demeanor, running up to John with a grin, "Boss, teach me. How did you do that?"
John understood Ritchie's personality and didn't say much. He simply said, "Let's find a tavern and have a chat."
"Sure," Ritchie replied, delighted, and quickly followed.
In the cities of the world of Gods, hotels, inns, and various other consumer facilities were fully equipped.
Moreover, eating and sleeping here could also reflect benefits in the real world.
John and Ritchie arrived at a fairly upscale tavern and got a private room to avoid being disturbed.
"Boss, are you sure you're paying for this meal?" Ritchie asked repeatedly, eyeing the menu and swallowing hard.
John, feeling impatient, nodded, "Yes, I'm sure. Order whatever you want."
"Heh heh, then I won't hold back," Ritchie grinned slyly.
He had long heard about the delicious food in the world of Gods restaurants, but the prices were too high, and only in-game currency was accepted. He simply couldn't afford it.
Now, hearing that John was treating, his eyes lit up, and he started picking the most expensive items.
Soon, a lavish spread of food filled the table, looking and smelling delicious.
Ritchie couldn't wait, stuffing his mouth full of food and speaking unclearly, "Boss, what's the deal? Why did you bring me here?"
He knew John wouldn't treat him without a reason, especially not in such a quiet and elegant high-end private room.