As soon as Alexander's talent upgraded, he felt an immediate change in his vision. Everything became sharper, clearer. He could even see a grain of sand 30 meters away.
That sensation was incredible—Insight Eye had not only enhanced his perception but also improved his physical eyesight. This was the first time his body had been directly altered by a talent.
While his Basic Attribute Absorption talent had gradually improved his physical attributes through combat, it hadn't affected his senses in such a noticeable way. Now, with 5 points in Perception, Alexander could see details and information that had previously been hidden from him.
Curious, he pulled out the Aether Ore he had found earlier. This time, he could see its full description.
[Item: Aether Ore]
[Quality: C-grade]
[Function A: Can be used by a blacksmith to forge weapons. 1% chance to create a B-grade weapon, 45% chance to create a C-grade weapon, 35% chance to create a D-grade weapon, 19% chance of failure.]
[Function B: If consumed before a weapon reaches 50% evolution, it increases the success rate of evolving a C-grade weapon by +40%.]
[Acquisition: Extremely rare drop from Instances.]
"So, this ore can significantly boost the success rate of weapon evolution!" Alexander exclaimed.
Without hesitation, he fused the Aether Ore into his Windblade, increasing the success rate for its evolution to B-grade to 53%.
Feeling pleased, Alexander picked up the armor that had dropped earlier. Thanks to Insight Eye, the armor's details immediately appeared before him.
[Armor: Guardian's Plate]
[Quality: D-grade]
[Level: 35]
[Defense: 168]
[Note: This armor is damaged. Striking the waist area will bypass its defense entirely.]
Alexander blinked in surprise. "Bypass its defense entirely? So, if I hit the waist, the armor's defense becomes useless?"
If he dealt 200 damage, and the armor normally absorbed 168 points, only 32 damage would get through. But if the defense was bypassed, the full 200 damage would hit the target.
This effectively increased his attack power.
Insight Eye was a fascinating talent. It could reveal weaknesses in equipment—what would it show if he used it on enemies?
Looking ahead, Alexander spotted a group of Bloodthirsty Sand Crabs. He stepped closer, staying just outside their aggro range, and activated Insight Eye to check their stats.
[Bloodthirsty Sand Crab - Elite]
[Level: 45]
[Attack: 51-79]
[Defense: 128]
[Speed: 15]
[HP: 3600/3600]
[Skill: Bloodthirsty Claw—Attacks cause intense pain, dealing 130 damage and applying a bleed effect for 5 seconds.]
[Weakness: Strike the joints of the claws to interrupt its skill.]
In Alexander's vision, the joints of the crabs' claws were highlighted with green markers.
His left eye emitted a faint blue glow as he drew his sword and charged forward, aiming directly at the green markers.
With a swift strike, one of the massive claws was severed.
"Wow, cool!" Alexander marveled.
When he had first entered the Crimson Flame Desert, he had encountered Bloodthirsty Sand Crabs, but they had been normal monsters. Back then, he had tried the same tactic, but the crabs' claws had been as solid as if they were welded to their bodies.
Now, with Insight Eye, he had easily disabled the Elite crabs' ability to use their skills by targeting their weak points.
In no time, Alexander dispatched the entire group of crabs. As he looked back at the path he had come from, a thought crossed his mind.
What would happen if he used Insight Eye on players?
Alexander's mind drifted back to the earlier events. He had killed the rogue and the warrior, which meant he had thoroughly angered the Bradford family.
Jessica, too, was clearly on the opposite side of the Bradford family.
And as the saying goes, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
With that in mind, Alexander decided to head back to where he had last seen Jessica. Helping a "friend" in need might earn him an ally. Plus, he could ask her about Instances and other things he was curious about. It seemed like a worthwhile endeavor.
Alexander quickly returned to the spot where he had encountered Jessica, but both she and the Bradford family members were gone. However, the signs of battle were still fresh.
Following the trail, Alexander soon heard Jessica's angry voice coming from a cluster of sand dunes ahead.
Peeking over the top of a dune, Alexander saw that the number of players attacking Jessica had dwindled to twelve, but Jessica herself was in rough shape.
Her armor was heavily damaged, her once-smooth hair was singed and uneven, and the glow of her weapon had dimmed significantly.
Without hesitation, Alexander activated Insight Eye.
In an instant, his left eye transformed the scene before him.
The players surrounding Jessica were now marked with numerous green points—some on their equipment, others on their bodies.
Even though they were far away, Alexander could still see the details clearly.
He focused on a green marker on Jessica's left leg.
[Severely injured. If this area takes another 1000 damage, it will cause a serious fracture, greatly reducing mobility.]
Next, he checked the green marker on the head of Jessica's staff.
[Note: Weapon durability at 30%. Striking this point will significantly reduce the weapon's durability.]
There wasn't much information, just straightforward weak points.
Alexander understood now. He didn't need to open a full status panel—just targeting the green markers would reveal weaknesses or tips. In battle, he could simply aim for these weak points without needing to click anything.
After observing for a moment, Alexander formulated a plan.
He pulled a D-grade bow from his inventory.
[Weapon: Frost Arrow]
[Quality: D-grade]
[Attack: 7-18]
[Skill: Each arrow applies a frost effect, slowing the target by 5%. 1% chance to cause a 1-second stun.]
[Note: Due to Luck attribute, stun chance increased to 11%.]
Alexander was quite pleased with the bow's stats.
He didn't plan to engage in direct combat. Jessica was already serving as the frontline fighter. What she needed was someone to provide long-range support and relieve some of the pressure.
With his left hand holding the bow and his right hand drawing the string, a white light formed into an arrow, nocked and ready to fire.
Alexander aimed at the green markers on the Bradford family players.
Whoosh—
The arrow flew silently through the air, striking the nearest Bradford family player.
The damage wasn't enough to kill the level 50 player, but it triggered the stun effect.
The sudden change immediately drew everyone's attention.
Jessica looked up and saw a man standing atop the highest sand dune, holding a bow.
The Bradford family members also turned to face him, but before they could react, another arrow flew.
This time, the arrow struck a rogue who had just flashed behind Jessica. The rogue's movements slowed, and Jessica, quick to react, swung her staff at his head.
The attack landed a critical hit, and the rogue's already low health was instantly depleted. He died on the spot.
Jessica quickly realized that this man wasn't an enemy—he was here to help.
Without exchanging a word, Alexander fired a third arrow, hitting a warrior in front of Jessica. She seized the opportunity and charged forward.
The warrior, still stunned, could only watch helplessly as Jessica finished him off.
In less than three minutes, the battle was over.