Chapter 569 - 305: Classes Level: 9_2
Although the storm clouds overhead have not dispersed and still densely cover the sky, the rain has lessened considerably. With his Dark Vision, he could clearly see the scattered, armored corpses of the dwarf elite lying around.
In just a hundred-meter radius, there were at least several hundred bodies, and considering the entire battlefield, the Mountain Dwarf Kingdom must have suffered nearly a thousand casualties.
His gaze fixed.
Only to see Elder Grenum and Centurion Krom gathered in one spot, while his mentor Humbert was rushing over from a dragon-hunting crossbow station.
Without hesitation, Raine quickly followed suit and hurried over.
What he saw was a charred, smoking stout body. Although the chest no longer rose and fell, Elder Blum, now deceased, still had his eyes wide open in anger, his hands firmly gripping the wide-bladed giant axe, unwilling to let go.
On his neck, chest, and abdomen were three large gashes that could have eviscerated him, and even inside, everything was scorched, blackened, and charred by an overwhelming electric current.
This is why Elder Blum was sent flying without uttering a sound.
Perhaps when he launched his charge, his life force was already on the verge of extinction.
"Grandfather!" Centurion Krom was in agony.
"Old friend! Sigh..." Elder Grenum bent down, somberly reaching out to gently close Blum’s glaring eyes.
There were so many things he wanted to say to this old friend now resting in eternal sleep, but for the moment, he didn’t know where to begin.
His lips quivered slightly, and Elder Grenum patted Krom on the shoulder before turning to Blum’s body and saying:
"Blum, you were a warrior of the Kingdom, a model of the Stonehammer Clan! Offspring of the Iron Hills, rest in peace!"
Raine wanted to say something, but his Adam’s apple bobbed twice, and ultimately he chose not to speak.
Initially, he wanted to say he could perhaps give it a try.
But he was quite sure that he didn’t have enough Spiritual Power to cast the Seventh Level Spell ’Regeneration Technique’ from the Mother Bloodline now.
Moreover, ’Regeneration Technique’ was ultimately not the Ninth Level Spell ’Resurrection’. For a hero who was already dead, even if the Regeneration Technique were successfully cast, they could not come back to life.
’Giant Dragons, truly an inherently privileged race, their individual power so much stronger than humans and Dwarves.’
Raine couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
If not for humans’ numbers, some of whom are geniuses, they would be unable to establish themselves in the sword-and-magic world of Valzeg Continent, and would be wholly ravaged by Giant Dragons and other top-tier demons.
’I’m still not strong enough!’
Once again witnessing death, Raine couldn’t help but recall the recent demise of Viscount Olsen.
Although he was advancing in strength rapidly, the monster bloodlines he acquired were increasing in strength.
Yet Raine realized it was still not enough.
He was still not strong enough!
Images of familiar faces like Elise, Reya, Sulfur Vine and the tranquil scenes of Oak Village’s wafting smoke came unbidden to his mind.
He couldn’t bear to imagine, should one day come when an unbeatable foe appears, these familiar faces and places vanishing one by one before his eyes.
’I need to become stronger!’
Raine unconsciously tightened the grip on the dual hammers in his hands.
The surviving dwarf elites on the battlefield quickly started to collect the bodies and belongings of their fallen comrades, while on the other side, Elder Grenum and Humbert directed carts to haul away the corpse of the Blue Dragon Kazrian.
Raine gathered his thoughts.
Besides leveling up to Level 9 Classes, he also comprehended a new Class Skill during the battle—’Frost Combo lv1’.
Frost Combo lv1, effect: Can deliver three consecutive attacks on a frontal enemy, whether unarmed or armed, inflicting frost and shock effects on hit.
(Note: Shock effect requires blunt weapons, piercing effect will occur with sharp weapons.)
(Note: Attack range and armed status affect attached effects and their duration, influenced by the target’s Constitution and resistances.)
The rapid hammer swinging just now randomly led him to comprehend this Class Skill.
"If I remember correctly, this seems to be a Monster Skill of the Elite Enchanting Demon." Raine mused.
"From this perspective, aren’t his Class Skills, at their core, all Monster Skills?"
Raine glanced at his new Class Skill, thoughtful.
After a while, as he internalized and assimilated the new Class Skill ’Frost Combo’,
his gaze shifted downwards, moving to the Bloodline column.
For there was an important matter pending to be addressed.
In the bloodline column, there were: "Drow Mother Bloodline ×1, Adult Black Dragon Bloodline ×1, Adult White Dragon Bloodline ×1, Blue Dragon Mage Lord ×1."
Of course, the problem wasn’t with the Bloodline column, but rather the sixteen-slot pack was completely full.
This means that, after obtaining the Adult Blue Dragon Bloodline, not even the sixteen-slot pack could accommodate any new monster bloodlines.
As of now, the sixteen-slot pack contained the following monster bloodlines:
"Adult Blue Dragon Bloodline ×1, Adult Green Dragon Bloodline ×1, Hate Lord Bloodline ×1, Elite Enchanting Demon Bloodline ×1, Especially Strong Elite Flom Demon ×1, Deadwater Boarman Dominator Bloodline ×1, Gray Dwarves Battle Priest Bloodline ×1, Drow Elite Mage ×1, Frost Giant Commander Bloodline ×1;"
"Claw Ghoul ×1, Shapeshifter Bloodline ×1, Bloodline of Counter-attacking Ice Spirit ×1, Frost Blade Leopard Bloodline ×1, Deep Moss Spider Bloodline ×1, Giant Bloodsucking Bat Leader Bloodline ×1, Cold-Enhanced Goblin Bloodline ×1."
The latter half was collected earlier, but at the time thinking it might be useful later, or out of sentiment, Raine hadn’t discarded them yet.
Of course, these weren’t all the monster bloodlines Raine had collected.
Before this, he had already discarded many monster bloodlines, like Hate, Fang Ghoul, various bloodlines related to Wild Boar People, Gray Dwarves series bloodlines, and so on.
"With the Hate Lord..."
Raine pondered while glancing at the ’Claw Ghoul Bloodline’, and chose to discard it, freeing up a slot.
"Shapeshifter, keep. Counter-attacking Ice Spirit?"
After some thought, Raine decided to discard the ’Bloodline of Counter-attacking Ice Spirit’.
This bloodline was exceptionally strong early on, helping him slay many demons, and even the Class Skill ’Ice Shield Reflection’ came from it.
But ever since acquiring the White Dragon Bloodline, he hadn’t used the Ice Spirit Bloodline for a long time.
"Thank you," Raine silently said in his heart.
"Frost Blade Leopard Bloodline, discard; Deep Moss Spider Bloodline, discard; Giant Bloodsucking Bat Leader Bloodline, discard...."
After discarding the Ice Spirit Bloodline, Raine’s subsequent actions quickly followed, until he saw the icon for the ’Cold-Enhanced Goblin’, and he paused once more.
His gaze rested for a long time on the icon, representing his first monster bloodline fusion.
"With six empty slots, it should suffice for now."
Choosing not to discard, Raine decided to keep it, after all, this was the bloodline formed from the ’Cold-Enhanced Goblin’ fusion.
It was the beginning of his journey in this world, his start on the Valzeg Continent.
He looked again at the bloodline column and sixteen-slot pack.
His gaze hovered between the Four-Colored Dragon Bloodlines.
The issue before Raine now is whether to immediately fuse the Four-Colored Dragon Bloodlines or to wait.
The reason for an immediate fusion need not be overexplained.
Stronger bloodlines and stronger Monster Skills.
As for not fusing immediately...
This is due to information Raine previously read in the Adventurer’s Guild records, noting that the Mother of Five-Colored Dragons, recorded several times to descend on Valzeg Continent, always manifested as a red dragon-headed form.
That is to say, even the Mother of Five-Colored Dragons, at its core, had the head of a Red Dragon.
The problem is, though he has gathered the Four-Colored Dragon Bloodlines, he’s missing the crucial Red Dragon Bloodline.
So, is there a possibility that fusing the Four-Colored Dragon Bloodlines now would result in a weaker amalgamation?
If it’s not strong enough, wouldn’t it be a waste of the effort to collect the Four-Colored Dragon Bloodlines?
...