Chapter 523: The Storm Water Eagle Staff
Lily’s advanced Angler skill never failed to amaze them.
Before Marcus and the others had even reached her, she gave the fishing rod a graceful flick of her wrist, the movement smooth and effortless, almost like a dance. The South Sea Jade Rod traced a brilliant arc of blue light through the air before something landed softly on the deck with a dull thump.
Whatever had taken the bait was no fish, and everyone hurried over.
Lying on the deck was a one-handed staff radiating a faint blue glow. This was already the third piece of equipment Lily had fished out of the sea. The first two, a helmet and a suit of armor, had both been level 50 Golden equipment, despite being caught in completely ordinary waters. That alone had been impressive, but with her Angler skill enhanced by the Mythic-grade South Sea Jade Rod, her luck had become almost unbelievable. Now, at the edge of a thousand-year-old battlefield beside the terrifying Storm Seal, she’d pulled up another weapon.
Marcus picked it up for a closer look.
’...No way.’
The item’s text was purple: a Divine Artifact. Marcus couldn’t help smiling.
’Seriously... Lily never stops surprising me.’
The staff’s description was disappointingly brief, and the detailed attributes were still sealed.
—
Storm Water Eagle Staff
Divine Artifact
Effects: Unknown
Cannot currently be used.
—
Amber bounced excitedly beside him. ’Marcus! Hurry and get it appraised! I want to know what it does!’
She threw her arms around Lily in excitement. "Lily, you’re incredible!"
Marcus laughed. Without wasting another second, he brought the luxury ship to a temporary stop and handed control over to Lily. After marking the ship’s location with Wanderlust, he activated a Town Portal Scroll, returned to the city, and sprinted straight to Old Man’s appraisal shop.
Less than three minutes later, another flash of light appeared above the ocean. Marcus returned through the teleport point, riding on Blackie’s back with a grin that already gave away the result.
Jade leaned over the railing. "Well? What is it?" Marcus landed lightly on the deck before opening the item’s information for everyone to see.
---
Storm Water Eagle Staff
Purple Divine Artifact
Requirement: Level 50 Sorcerer
Originally known as the Water Ripple Eagle Staff, this weapon had once been a low-level Mythic Artifact crafted by a demon eagle of the Arcane Beast Race using Water Ripple Gems and Water Ripple Oakwood.
During the great war a thousand years ago, its owner was killed by the Storm Seal, and the staff fell into the sea.
By sheer chance, it landed in the blood of a dying Mythic Beast, the Golden Crown Water Serpent, which had been torn apart nearby by a colossal tornado. The beast’s blood protected the staff from being destroyed by the storm.
Over the next thousand years, the staff continuously absorbed the serpent’s blood essence, along with the endless wind and water energy surrounding the Storm Seal, eventually evolving into the Divine Artifact known as the Storm Water Eagle Staff.
Attributes:
Attack +900
Attack Speed +7
Attack +30%
Health +500
Mana +500
Constitution +50
Agility +100
Focus +100
Normal attacks deal an additional 800 Wind Damage and 800 Water Damage
20% chance to Freeze the target, preventing skill activation
Skills:
Storm Shield:
Creates a storm barrier around the user and nearby allies. Defense increases by 20%, magic damage taken decreases by 10%, and Wind Resistance increases by 80%.
Water Ripple Shield:
Creates a protective water barrier. Restores 200 Health and 300 Mana over time while increasing Water skill damage by 50%.
Storm Surge:
A powerful technique born from the staff’s thousand years of absorbing storm and ocean energy. Releases a massive wave that sweeps through a thirty-meter area, increasing Attack by 30% and striking enemies twice in rapid succession.
Howling Tornado:
The staff’s ultimate skill. Summons three gigantic tornadoes that each deal five times normal damage, with a 30% chance to stun and immobilize enemies. Usable three times per day.
Summon Storm Blue Eagle:
While absorbing energy over the centuries, the staff also absorbed the soul of a Storm Blue Eagle. It has since evolved into a Level 8 pet that can be freely summoned by the wielder.
---
Everyone stared at the screen in stunned silence.
’So this... is a Divine Artifact.’
Even Marcus had to admit the staff was absurdly powerful. Its raw stats alone were incredible, but the ability to summon a Level 8 pet pushed it into another league entirely.
And the Howling Tornado skill... Marcus couldn’t help glancing toward the towering cyclones raging inside the Storm Seal. If the staff’s tornadoes were even a fraction as destructive as those monsters of nature, then this weapon’s offensive power would be terrifying.
The only downside was its requirement: a level 50 Sorcerer. Marcus couldn’t equip it himself, so for now it would have to wait until Crystal reached level 50. Only then would the Storm Water Eagle Staff reveal its true potential.
Looking out across the endless sea, Marcus found himself thinking about the ancient battlefield beneath the waves. If one Divine Artifact had survived, there were almost certainly countless other treasures still hidden down there. Unfortunately, without Lily’s specific Dream Angler skill, they would remain buried forever. Thinking about it only made Marcus appreciate just how ridiculous that skill really was.
The ordinary Angler profession wasn’t anything special. Once players reached level 10, they could complete a long but straightforward quest from an old fisherman outside Dragon’s Peak Citadel to learn it. The basic version only allowed players to catch fish, and even then, the best catches were simply high-quality species.
To reliably catch Mythic-grade fish, an angler needed at least Grandmaster proficiency. As for Divine-grade fish... most anglers would never see one in their entire lives. Dream Angler was an entirely different story.
Even at the Advanced rank, Lily could already catch Mythic-grade fish, and the skill wasn’t limited to fish at all. Anything that had been lost beneath the water could potentially be reeled in, whether it was weapons, armor, pills, pet eggs, jewelry, or other forgotten treasures.
As long as she cast her line in the right place, there was always a chance. Combined with the Mythic-grade South Sea Jade Rod, the results were almost unfair.
During the past two days alone, despite fishing from a moving ship, Lily had already caught two pieces of Golden equipment, one Divine Artifact, and two species of Mythic-grade fish.
Juvenile Dragonhead Fish: These harmless fish remained in their juvenile stage for only ten days. Before their nutrients fully matured, eating one permanently increased Health by 100. Lily had caught three of them, and the girls had happily eaten every last one. Not only were they valuable, they had tasted incredible.
Bouncy Black-Stripe Fish: These adorable fish only reached Mythic rank after surviving for five hundred years. Eating one permanently increased Defense by 100. Lily had caught five of them, but Amber and Jade had fallen completely in love with their appearance. Instead of cooking them, they’d carefully placed them in a large bathtub aboard the ship and insisted on raising them as pets.
That wasn’t even counting the mountain of rare, delicious fish Lily had caught along the way. Selling them all to Magnolia Restaurant would earn a tidy fortune.
Out on the open sea, Lily was completely in her element. With Dream Angler and the South Sea Jade Rod working together, she was now bringing in wealth at a rate that even Marcus’s monster hunting couldn’t match.
Jade’s eyes sparkled. "Lily, this place is incredible! You actually pulled a Divine Artifact out of the water. Try another cast! Maybe there’s another one nearby."
Lily smiled and gently shook her head. "It doesn’t work that way. Every fishing area has its limits. Once something at the Divine tier or higher has been caught, the chances of finding another valuable treasure nearby become almost zero. Everything within roughly ten miles has probably been exhausted. It’ll take a few days before the area naturally replenishes."
Everyone nodded in understanding before reluctantly turning their attention away from the staff. Marcus walked over to Crystal. The usually expressionless beauty looked up at him with quiet curiosity.
He held the staff out. "Crystal. This belongs to you."
The surrounding women immediately turned to look at her, and Crystal hesitated for only a heartbeat.
Ordinarily, she would never have accepted such an expensive gift, especially not from a man. Yet before she even realized what she was doing, her hand had already reached forward and wrapped around the staff.
Only after taking it did she freeze. ’...I accepted it without even thinking.’ The realization left her momentarily speechless. Somewhere along the way, trusting Marcus had become so natural that she no longer questioned it.
A faint blush slowly spread across her fair cheeks, softening her normally cold, distant beauty. For just a moment, the woman who always seemed untouchable looked unexpectedly shy, making her even more breathtaking than usual.
Marcus smiled to himself but wisely kept the thought to himself, not wanting to embarrass her any further. He clapped his hands lightly. "Alright, everyone. Time to focus."
His expression became serious again as he looked toward the endless wall of thunder and wind. "Let’s move."
Pebble once again took the lead, with the two Sea Demon Souls guarding both sides as they followed the route marked on Silas’s map. Slowly but steadily, the luxury ship advanced toward the raging Storm Seal waiting five hundred meters ahead.