Chapter 241 - 167: The Real Treasure
At this, Forgotten Dao’s eyes lit up.
He then tried out the other three forms.
Without a doubt, the weapons produced by the Applicable Curse Formula were all quite effective. They were highly versatile, excelling in their "all-purpose" nature.
Despite having only four forms, it covered the needs of most classes, and its effects weren’t bad either.
Plus, it had another significant advantage—its attribute requirements weren’t high!
While its various forms still had some attribute thresholds, they were low compared to other specialized weapons.
’What a treasure!’
This item alone made all his suffering worthwhile!
Forgotten Dao was overcome with emotion. A wave of satisfaction washed over him, and he suddenly felt that all his effort had paid off.
’Right, there are other items.’
After savoring the moment, Forgotten Dao began to inspect the other items.
However, the results were slightly disappointing.
Aside from the Manlak Coins, whose use was still unknown.
The [Sound Recording Shell] and the [Ancient Stone Compass] weren’t weapons or equipment, but Special Items.
[Sound Recording Shell]
[Type: Special Item]
[Effect: Press and hold the tip of the shell to hear the sound of the speaker stored within.]
[Explanation: The unique structure of the Sound Recording Shell allows sound to be preserved for a long time, enabling them to emit the sound of their prime during mating rituals... They clearly had no idea they would be used for their current purpose.]
Forgotten Dao raised an eyebrow at this.
He then did as the information described and pressed the tip of the Sound Recording Shell.
A moment later, a low chuckle emanated from within.
"...It seems you were careful enough. The traps and misdirections couldn’t halt your progress. You may take these items..."
"As for my request, listen if you’re interested..."
"Since you’ve entered Gael’s Depression, you must also be searching for the legendary Swamp Divine Hall..."
"Let me remind you, this is but the smallest of its branch halls, yet it remains incredibly dangerous. Compared to it, my traps are nothing but childish tricks..."
"If you are willing, take this compass. It contains what remains of my power."
"Go now, head to the Divine Hall. It will aid you..."
Even with the ability to leave a recording, the owner of the Treasure Chest still hadn’t revealed his name.
As the voice from the Sound Recording Shell faded completely, Forgotten Dao thoughtfully put it away.
Without a doubt, the Sound Recording Shell had been left by the owner of the skeletal remains before his death.
’The legendary Swamp Divine Hall...’
’It must be the same Divine Hall the old woman spoke of, right?’
As he pondered, Forgotten Dao picked up the last item.
[Ancient Stone Compass]
[Type: Special Item]
[Effect: Slightly reduces the influence of powers that cause disorientation.]
[Explanation: Remnant Soul and Power are stored within, only awakening at specific moments.]
This was the compass the Treasure Chest’s owner had spoken of. It, too, looked completely unremarkable.
After a moment of thought, Forgotten Dao put it away.
He decided to head back first and see what the other players thought.
But before he left, Forgotten Dao stopped again.
He glanced around suspiciously, then took out his Banner and painstakingly blasted all the surrounding walls with Blood-colored Shock.
However, the hidden door he was expecting did not appear.
This left Forgotten Dao both disappointed and relieved.
...
Meanwhile, the players were in a heated discussion on the world channel about the contents of the treasure.
But contrary to expectations, the main topic of conversation wasn’t how amazing the new Weapon was, but rather...
"I’m tearing up! Besides the Frost Riding Spear, this has to be the first new Special Weapon in the entire game, right?"
"We finally fucking made it!"
"Four forms... Dammit, can’t they just get rid of the sword form! I’d rather share a weapon form with those damn holy rollers than with these Low IQ Knights! (angry)"
"Who are you calling holy rollers? Lookin’ down on us Believers? I’ll burn your damn feathers off with a Guard Flame Assault!"
"I’ve got nothing to say about this game anymore. There are two Special Items in total. The goddamn Knights get one all to themselves, and the other one is a fucking universal weapon. I’m done!"
"Why are Knights the developer’s favorite child? It’s not fair!"
"Can we get a Magic Staff already? You’re making us Mages look bad."
"Knight Spirit Candle. You think that’s just a name? (nose pick)"
"Fucking devs!"
"I get it, I get it. When the dev was a kid, he never had any allowance. He’d just watch other kids eat a whole bag of spicy snacks, and then he’d lick the empty wrapper after they were done with it."
"LMAO, I can’t..."
"...What’s all this gibberish? Eat my Frost Piercing!"
"Sigh, all the players in the game are targeting us Knights now. I’m so heartbroken. (Frost Piercing.jpg)(doge)"
"..."
That’s right. The players’ first reaction was to condemn the Knight players, dragging the developers into their tirade as well.
This was perfectly normal, though.
After all, from a Knight player’s perspective, they’d just be happy. ’Ooh, a new Special Item to use! Hooray!’
But from the perspective of players of other classes, it was obviously infuriating.
’Dammit, it’s bad enough we don’t have our own exclusive Special Weapons, but now the damn Knights get to horn in on this one too? It’s enough to make you sick!’
Of course, plenty of players were also focused on the items from the Treasure Chest itself.
"Four forms, melee and ranged, physical and Magic... it has everything. Isn’t that a little OP?"
"OP my ass! Don’t forget, this was exchanged for a Special Item’s Skill. Have you forgotten how broken the Frost Riding Spear’s Skill is? The only reason those damn Knights are so cocky right now is because of Frost Piercing! That Skill is at least half the reason!"
"My good sir, you seem to have a big problem with us players who use the Frost Riding Spear!"
"Bros, I just did the math. You only need to get to around level twenty-five to meet the minimum attribute requirements for all of the Applicable Curse Formula’s forms!"
"Sweet, I can make a jack-of-all-trades build now! Going to respec my points!"
"Pfft, what jack-of-all-trades build? Haven’t you ever heard of ’biting off more than you can chew’?"
"And have you ever heard of the ’weakest link’ principle?"
"My ass, you can’t just generalize like that!"
"And why not? (nose pick)"
"..."
Aside from the arguments sparked by the new Special Weapon, the topic of the Treasure Chest’s owner was just as hot.
However, the ones paying the most attention were a few of the Prison Players.
Storyteller: "This is most likely another side quest for the instance. Counting the one from the old woman, that makes two."
Crafty Frog: "Could it be a trap quest? Or a pit dug by the Firewood Thief and the Shadow of Deceit?"
Storyteller: "Hard to say."
My hamster’s name is Guagua: "Are you guys really this paranoid? (sweatdrop)"
Iced Lemon Tea: "Do you really have to jump into the swamp to get to the hidden passage?"
My Son Failed, But I’m On Shore: "Speaking of which, there should be more to this Treasure Chest owner’s story, right? I think he’s a pretty interesting character."
Brother Miao Won’t Fail the Exam: "You didn’t seem to think so when you were getting blown up by the Blast Poison Frost Toads."
My Son Failed, But I’m On Shore: "Screw you!"
Never Air Force Fisherman: "This Weapon looks pretty useful... I think I’ll go get one later."
...
Watching the players’ discussions and complaints, Luo Ge was also deep in thought.
How could he not know how powerful Special Weapons were?
But it truly wasn’t a case of Luo Ge favoring Knight players. If he could create other types of Special Weapons, he would have done so long ago. Why would he wait for the players to curse him out?
He had long since analyzed and attempted to create these Special Weapons.
Unlike Ordinary Weapons, Special Weapons seemed to contain a special "intent."
But the Spirit Candle was unable to analyze what this "intent" was.
Therefore, the most he could do was create weapons that had the right "form." Even when he tried to create a one-to-one replica of the Frost Riding Spear, the final product was a complete failure, turning out as just an Ordinary Weapon.
This was strange. They both used the power of the Spirit Candle, yet the Sin Furnace could create them, but he could not.
At first, Luo Ge was completely baffled. But then he had a thought... ’If I could create all the weapons myself, then what would be the point of the Spirit Candle creating the Sin Furnace?’
’There must be a deeper reason for this...’
It was worth noting that some Special Items were the same. Luo Ge had discovered this while trying to replicate an item that Burton Mage had produced.
The Spirit Candle gave no feedback on the matter.
Burton Mage naturally didn’t know either; his expertise was in scholarship, not smithing.
’Perhaps... I should find a High Level blacksmith or Craftsman from this world?’
Luo Ge mused.