Chapter 88: Sea God’s Trident [Epic]
Time slowly passed.
Several minutes passed before Aurelius moved for the third time.
His movements this time were far less sudden.
Elements gathered into his hand under the control of his Spirit, transforming into an azure-colored trident.
It very much resembled the one floating a few dozen feet ahead of him.
However, the difference in appearance and aura made it impossible to compare the two.
The original resembled the silver moon towering above their heads, while Aurelius’ imitation resembled a mere firefly.
But the impact of Aurelius’ comprehension of such a seemingly simple skill was shocking.
The ground throughout the entire plain began to shake violently, as though an earthquake was taking place.
The trident shimmered with an azure brilliance.
The mist surrounding it swiftly dispersed, and its true appearance was revealed for the world to see.
It was made from an unknown meta.
Countless runes were woven along its handle, mirroring those that Aurelius had previously comprehended.
Although she was hundreds of feet away, Selene was able to see these runes clearly.
The moment she focused on them, her consciousness grew hazy.
The image of a boundless sea emerged in her mind, and she found it impossible to snap out of it.
She no longer had the will to pay attention to the extraordinary phenomena in reality. She fully focused on the scene before her.
On the other hand, Aurelius was in a much better state.
The illusory figures transformed from the patterns had long since vanished from his vision.
Only then did his consciousness finally return to reality.
"Congratulations, you’ve learned: Water Arrow."
"Congratulations, you’ve learned: Ice Defense."
"Congratulations, you’ve learned: Azure Mirage."
Three notifications flashed.
One for every skill he had successfully copied from the figures.
Aurelius only briefly skimmed through them.
He had more important matters to deal with.
To be exact, he stared at the violently trembling trident.
He could sense a summoning call emanating from it.
It had first appeared when he copied Water Arrow. With each extra skill he had learned, that feeling had become increasingly apparent.
By now, an invisible connection had been established between him and the Relic, binding them together.
’Is this what it means to gain the Epic Relic’s approval?’ Aurelius muttered inwardly before shaking his head.
His gaze swept through his surroundings.
The completion of the trial had led to an immediate reaction.
The temperature suddenly plummeted even further, while the snow surrounding him had grown even denser.
The ice beneath his feet cracked, causing hundreds of giant rifts to spread throughout the plain.
Even so, Aurelius felt no fear. If anything, he felt strangely calm.
He had the feeling that the world itself was embracing him. With every breath, his strength seemed to increase.
It was not a mere illusion. This sensation stemmed from his new connection with the Relic.
Aside from this strange resonance with the world, Aurelius felt he had gained another ability.
Glancing at the trident, he calmly raised his hand, his fingers pointing toward the sky.
"Come!" A single word came out of his mouth.
His voice was not too loud, yet it spread throughout the plain.
For a moment, all the phenomena abruptly stopped.
Whether it was the shaking of the earth or the descent of the snow, they all paused halfway through their movements.
The sound of crashing waves echoed in his ears.
A blue light cut through the night’s darkness, firing toward Aurelius as though aiming to cleave him in two.
Reality proved otherwise.
The blue light did not attack him. Instead, it settled into his raised hand.
Its true appearance was revealed.
A large trident that looked exceptionally exquisite, as though it had been forged in the hands of the Gods.
Aurelius’ fingers clenched. He found it difficult to maintain his composure.
His eyes flashed with undisguised excitement.
An Epic Relic!
He had finally obtained his own Epic Relic!
He had once believed that he would have to gather the materials of the Mystery Cloak and personally forge it before he could get his hands on an Epic Relic.
Yet he had succeeded long before that goal was achieved!
Based solely on Selene’s words, he knew how valuable such an item was. Alchemist’s Touch only further reinforced that idea.
Aurelius couldn’t calm down.
His entire focus remained on the trident, foregoing his surroundings.
As his eyes settled on the weapon and he focused on it, lines of text appeared.
...
[Sea God’s Trident (Epic): A Relic blessed by the God of the Sea. It grants the user superb control over water and natural disasters. Using it will massively increase the Favorability of the God of the Sea’s believers toward its wielder.]
[Note: It is currently in a sealed state and cannot unleash its full power.]
[Effects: ]
[Frozen Prison: Sea God’s Trident can create a cage around its enemies, imprisoning them in a seal of ice. Once sealed inside, enemies of the same Rank can be directly obliterated.]
[Lightning Domain: Sea God’s Trident can form a Domain of lightning around its wielder.]
[Stats: ]
[+30 Strength, +30 Vitality, +300 Spirit]
[Durability: Indestructible]
...
The description was lengthy and complicated.
Aurelius had never expected that this Relic would be related to the God of the Sea, one of the Seven Righteous Gods.
’However, it makes sense... Its shape is that of a trident, after all.’
’Who else could have forged it but the people of the Storm Church?’ he nodded inwardly.
After briefly skimming through the description, he intended to look at its actual effects, his eyes bursting with enthusiasm.
Yet as he lowered his head, that enthusiasm faded away.
A deep frown formed on his face.
His eyebrows knitted together as he stared at the reminder.
He hadn’t expected the Epic Relic to be sealed.
Could it be that this was the reason it had remained unowned, with no Awakener seeking to obtain it?
That idea disappeared as soon as it took root in his mind.
As though sensing his confusion, the trident passed some information through their connection.
Realization dawned upon Aurelius.
’So that’s how it is...’ He realized.
Rather than claiming that the Relic had been sealed by someone, it would be more accurate to say that it had sealed its own strength.
The reason was simple.
Aurelius was far too weak.
If he wished to unleash its true strength without suffering backlash, he would have to reach Rank 3.
Otherwise, he would be akin to a small child playing with a giant heavy hammer.
Not only would wielding it not help him, but it could even hurt him in the long run.
The seal was a protection method the Relic had prepared for him.
Aurelius nodded.
He was quite satisfied with his new weapon.
The Base Stats it provided were far more than any other item he had possessed before.
As for its accompanying skills...
Aurelius’ gaze landed on Frozen Prison.
Then, it subconsciously moved toward the many ice cages around him.
His eyes flashed.
As if affected by his emotions, these prisons began to tremble. The monsters sealed within them seemed to sense the fate that awaited them.