**Chapter 108: A Letter Full of Affection**
"This is beyond anything I'd call 'Tarzan's top.' More like a '25x Earth Shield'!" Su Yu grinned, watching the enormous "-13,266" damage mark and the shattered remains of the Sapphire Golem.
With his **Earth Shield** now upgraded to legendary quality, it had gained a new feature: *chargeability*. Just like **Magic Bullet** can charge up to 20 times, boosting its power from 300% to a colossal 6000% of his spell power, **Earth Shield**—as a defensive skill—could be charged to an even higher degree, up to 25 times.
Originally, **Earth Shield (Epic)** offered:
- **Earth Shield (Epic)**: Conjures an earth-based shield around the caster, absorbing damage equal to 400% of spell power. Physical damage taken is reduced by 20%. Instant cast. Duration: 60 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Cost: 30 mana.
With Su Yu's spell power at 178 points, charging **Earth Shield** to the maximum multiplier raised its shield value to an astounding 17,800 points. Combined with the **Tarzan Overhead** effect, which converts all shield value into a one-time explosive strike, it delivered an instant kill against the boss.
However, such immense power came at a cost.
Charging **Earth Shield** to a full 25 times required 15 seconds of casting time and 750 mana—steep for practical use. In any competitive scenario, an opponent would likely exploit that casting time, making this move a risky bet. Moreover, the mana drain limited its use, impacting Su Yu's ability to maintain extended combat afterward.
Still, Su Yu was thrilled by this feat. Instantly taking down a boss of the same level? It was incredibly satisfying.
As the **Sapphire Golem** crumbled, Su Yu moved forward, pushing aside chunks of sapphire to reach the boss's loot. The spoils were plentiful:
- Plate Gloves [Bluestone (Rare) lv21]
- Bow and Arrow [Green Wind (Excellent) lv21]
- Skill Scroll [Lightning Strike (Normal)]
- Skill Scroll [Bone Bite (Normal)]
- Material [Sapphire Core (Excellent)] x1
**Bone Bite** was a skill for Assassins, but **Lightning Strike** was a first-tier mage spell from the Thunder branch, one Su Yu hadn't acquired yet. He quickly learned it from the scroll, then spent 666,660 psionic coins to upgrade it to legendary quality.
- **Lightning Strike (Legendary)**: Calls down thunder from the sky, inflicting massive damage to the target.
This new skill dealt nearly twice the damage of **Lightning Bolt** but came with a 3-second cooldown. Su Yu was pleased, as it was an ideal candidate for his main single-target spell going forward.
With the Sapphire Golem defeated, Su Yu soon located the exit to the secret passage. He replenished his mana with several bottles of **Intermediate Magic Potion**, activated **Invisibility**, and stepped out from the underground route.
---
Emerging from the passage, Su Yu found himself in the sprawling **Duke's Manor**, surrounded by dozens of buildings of varying sizes. Navigating carefully to avoid patrolling guards, he approached the manor's grandest building, likely the Duke's primary residence.
Inside, the guards remained unaware of his intrusion. The manor was accustomed to occasional disturbances as the Duke was known to adjust pieces on his enchanted chessboard, often to amuse a particular lady he favored. Thus, they dismissed any recent sounds from the underground passage as routine.
With no one the wiser, Su Yu stealthily entered the main building and ascended to the second floor, where the Duke's study awaited.
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The Duke's study was modest in size, about 40 square meters, yet lavishly furnished. Masterful paintings adorned the walls, and the leather chairs exuded a subtle violet fragrance. Moving silently, Su Yu meticulously searched the bookshelves, desk drawers, and wall panels for hidden compartments, a favorite storage spot for noble secrets.
---
After two minutes, Su Yu's patience was rewarded as he discovered a hidden space on the eastern wall. Within it, he found a platinum ring set with a tiny, jet-black gem.
- **Jet Black Star**
- *Type*: Ring
- *Classification*: Luxury Item
- *Description*: A black gemstone ring crafted by the master jeweler Villemi, valued at 50,000 psionic coins — goblin merchant Buffett.
While not player equipment, this item was worth a substantial amount, easily tradeable to NPCs for a handsome profit.
The find also helped Su Yu realize something: the 15th quest in the Queen's storyline wasn't merely to gain 1000 experience points; exploring the Duke's study was an integral part of the reward.
He pocketed the ring and continued searching the study.
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A few minutes later, he discovered a finely wrapped letter hidden within the title page of a book titled *Scenting the Fragrance to Know a Woman*.
- **Letter Full of Affection**
- *Type*: Quest Item
- *Description*: A letter exchanged between Duke Anzu Cypher and Prince Jarvan IV of Demacia from the Wind Chime Empire. It seems to contain a significant secret.
"This must be the item the princess wanted. But why is it called a 'Letter Full of Affection'?" Su Yu muttered, baffled by the affectionate descriptor. The idea of "affection" between two men left him scratching his head.
He tried to open the letter, but it was sealed with powerful magic, forcing him to stash it in his backpack for now.
With this, the 15th quest in the Queen's storyline was complete. All he had to do was backtrack and deliver the letter to Queen Elijah. But leaving without further exploration felt like a wasted opportunity.
Based on his **Dark Star** intel and past game experience, Su Yu suspected that the Duke's study was a **treasure trove**. The longer he lingered, the more treasures he could uncover.
Of course, staying carried risks—detection would mean instant mission failure. However, Su Yu glanced at the **Random Teleportation Scroll** in his backpack and felt confident. If things got dicey, he'd just teleport out, no problem!
So, Su Yu resumed his search.
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Meanwhile, five kilometers northwest at Wolf Howling Fort, Duke Anzu Cypher sat in a dimly lit chamber, sifting through documents in preparation for tomorrow's negotiations. The flickering candlelight cast a shadow on the wall, giving him a somewhat less-than-majestic silhouette.
Suddenly, a disturbance caught his attention. He looked up, his sharp gaze piercing toward the southeast.
"Lake?" he called.
"Yes, my lord." A light-armored warrior knelt before the Duke.
"Head to the southern manor. I sensed an unwelcome presence."
"Understood!"
With a curt nod, the armored warrior left swiftly.
*End of Chapter*