Hikari saw the Black Dragon claw appear from a portal and her body shook. Previously, Draco had only released the aura of a Black Dragon as well as the Source Origin, but so far, he had never taken the full form of one in her presence.
Hikari hadn't been around when Draco fought the Dark Knight, so she hadn't had the unique pleasure of meeting a Black Dragon in the flesh yet. Just seeing the limb that was coated by that Destruction Energy made her heart thump.
Draco himself had used about 75% of his Bloodline Energy to summon that claw. It wasn't because he had gained some skill with the summon, but rather that his Bloodline Purity had risen.
He had gone from 95% to 99%, which sounded small, but it was actually a very big deal. If Draco could learn how to maximize his usage, as well as all the relevant techniques, he would remain undefeated in Boundless and much harder to kill in the real world.
Following his purer bloodline, the quantity of his total bloodline energy had increased. What previously required burning everything in his tank just to summon one claw, now took only 75%.
Not only that, but Draco had also gotten the inspiration for a new technique he planned to unveil during the Guild War.
His devilish face curled into an evil smirk as he imagined the faces of the playerbase dropping at that time.
Draco turned to the C.o.c.katrice and checked its loot. While Destruction Energy could destroy drops, that was more likely when it was concentrated, like in Omega or the previous Black Dragons Roar, which used to have a 60% destruction chance.
He had coated his summoned claw with as little Destruction Energy as possible, so the chances of destroying the loot shouldn't have been higher than 2%.
Draco found 54 gold, 17 silver, and 20 bronze. He also found two recipes; one meal and a poison, a skillbook that he identified as a Rare-tier and the rest were miscellaneous items like materials for Cooking, Blacksmithing, Alchemy, and a few others.
｢C.o.c.katrice's Poison – Recipe
Rank: Epic
Use: Alchemy
Materials:
1. C.o.c.katrice's poison gland paste 0.1-2.5 ml
2. Deshar Extract 0.3-1.7 ml
3. Salamander blood 0.7-3.5 ml
4. Basilisk's Tooth 2-5
5. Strand of a Naga's Hair 2-7 ｣
｢Braised C.o.c.katrice – Recipe
Rank: Epic
Use: Cooking
Materials:
1. C.o.c.katrice meat
2. Hiko salt
3. Kio pepper
4. Wild Boar bacon
5. Half of an onion
6. Half of a leek
7. Garlic
8. Premium white wine
9. Tomato paste｣
｢Poison Shower – Active Skill (Poisonmancer only)
Rank: Rare
Effect: Spray out a shower of toxic discharge over an area of 5 yards. This skill deals 200% poison damage.
Note: 500 Poison Mastery required.
Duration: 2 seconds
Cooldown: 10 minutes｣
Draco smiled. He had achieved Expert Rank in Alchemy (level 40-60), so he could see the majority of the recipe's specific ingredients.
With the recipe being catered for Master Alchemists, he would need to either test out the correct ratio, or wait to level his Tradeskill up more, so that the error margins became less and less and revealed themselves to him.
As for Cooking, he was merely an Amateur at level 3, so he should be happy to see the general category of ingredients without being able to get a handle on the exact quantities. This was rather unfortunate, but Draco planned to fix that soon enough.
As for the Poison Shower skill, it was certainly good. Draco currently had barely any Rare skills. Absolute Void, Revenger, and Cloud Feet were all Uncommon Avenger class skills.
Draco had never managed to find any Avenger class skills which had been Rare or above, but looking at the Uncommon skills alone, they should be a killer.
Acquiring them would certainly be worth it. Too bad he had no idea where to even begin looking, so, for now, he would have to either hope to get lucky at a Divine Auction or try to maybe haggle with the Hidden Powers in the future...
It wasn't something simple money could just buy. Otherwise, wouldn't he have more Avenger class skills by now with how rich he was?
He only gathered three of them so far, because the blank Uncommon skillbooks that had been part of the Master Package allowed him to select any Uncommon skill from a class of his choosing. As such, he wisely selected those three.
However, he was now optimal, meaning he could use any skill or any weapon as long as he met the conditions. For weapons, he couldn't learn their skills unless he had a high enough mastery, but he could naturally use them on his own to acc.u.mulate it.
For magic, he needed mastery to even learn the magic, otherwise wouldn't every spell be in his character sheet? He had learned Instant Healing because that was the basic self-heal ability of the Holymancer class. If he wanted to learn more potent healing spells, he would have to start spamming this skill.
He had also learned Rain of Arrows before he gained the Omnipotent Archer passive skill because it did not require any mastery whatsoever.
He could learn this skill later, but Draco smirked and decided to save it for his Aunt. Since she had the hidden Poisonmancer class, it would serve her much better than it would serve him.
Not to mention he couldn't be bothered to grind for Poison Mastery.
He put away all his gains and turned to Hikari, who was looking down at the mashed Kilean with a mixture of sadness and regret.
She bowed to the paste lightly and put her hands together as if saying a prayer: "I'm sorry you had to become a stepping stone for my success. I will forever remember your name and resurrect you once I reach the pinnacle."
Draco froze. He gazed at Hikari with incomprehension before his expression hardened. He walked up to his White Dragon and grabbed her shoulders lightly, much to her surprise.
"Tell me, Hikari. Can you resurrect anyone without any limitations?"
Draco's serious question made her unsure, but she answered still.
"There is no such thing as a resurrection without limitations. Even us White Dragons cannot bring everything back to life."
Draco's intense emotions cooled down as he thought about it.
Hikari was right, how could there be such a good thing in the world? Draco began to question the utility of the Dark Resurrection skill he shared with Roma.
He made a vow to try it out as soon as possible to discover its limitations.
However, Hikari wasn't done. "The main limitation of our Resurrection skill is that we can't revive ourselves."
Draco shook. "You mean that you can revive anyone except yourselves?"
Hikari nodded. "As long as the ones in question aren't Gods, I should be able to bring them back to life instantly."
Draco held Hikari a little tightly. "How many can you revive at once?"
Hikari's eyebrows rose but she answered immediately. "As long as there is enough Worldly Energy, the number shouldn't be a problem."
Draco's legs began to shake. "Do you need a body or can you revive someone as long as you know the person? Do you need to be in the vicinity or could you resurrect someone, even if they died on the other side of the continent?"
Hikari smiled. "A body is preferred but I can revive if there is none. However, I would need a little Divine Energy for that. The closer I am to the place where he or she died, the easier it will be. I could theoretically revive someone from a great distance, but the cost for doing so will be immense."
Draco inhaled deeply. "How long does the date of death need to be?"
Hikari pondered a little before answering. "About 5-10 years... maybe more if I become a God-Rank Dragon."
Draco exhaled heavily and released her shoulders. He gazed at Hikari with seriousness and a bit of intensity.
Hikari, who was on the other end of this gaze, blushed. "Why are you looking at me like that, Draco?"
"Nothing. I just can't believe how great you are and how lucky I was to meet you." Draco answered honestly.
His words that were spoken with frankness really pleased Hikari. It seemed that her abilities really meant a lot to Draco, so she was doubly motivated to unlock them.
From killing the C.o.c.katrice, Draco gained 334% experience while Hikari gained 1227% experience. Draco leveled up four times and reached level 29. He placed his 12 stat points into Strength, bringing it from 18 to 30.
Hikari also went from level 2 to level 14. Just when she was about to ask Draco about what kind of loot he got, she was interrupted by a new screen popping up before her.
｢Congratulations on learning the skill:
White Barrier.｣
｢White Barrier – Active skill
Effect: Create a defensive barrier that reduces all forms of damage by 50% and restores 20% of that damage as health to the target of this skill.
Duration: 5 seconds.
Cooldown: 30 seconds｣
Hikari knew this skill. It was something all White Dragons learned at level 10. Most of their skills were unlocked in exponential amounts. This was the first at level 10, with the next one unlocking at level 30, then the one after that at level 60 and so on.
The White Barrier from her mother had usually been unbreakable, but the accursed Dragonlance had pierced through it like paper.
Draco couldn't see Hikari's character sheet because she wasn't bound to him in the same manner Roma was. Hikari didn't bother to check her sheet as well since her stats were auto-assigned by the system.
The same went for Roma and even King. Only players could allocate their stats freely.
"Draco, I just learned a new skill."
Hikari then told Draco about the White Barrier skill, while the fellow marveled. After all, a skill that could resist half the damage and restore HP on top was definitely overpowered.
Richmond had a similar shield, but he was Rank 7 Mage God. Hikari was only level 14 and she could use such a wonderful skill which only had a 30-second cooldown.
Draco swore that apart from during their pregnancy, he would take Hikari and Roma everywhere with him from now on. The two of them had skills and abilities that were just too good to pass up.
Draco then looked around and smiled. This clearing that the C.o.c.katrice had resided in was rich in materials. Draco went around harvesting various plants and herbs that were useful for either Alchemy or Cooking.
Most of them ranged between Common to Rare tier. The ratio was 30% Common, 55% Uncommon and 15% Rare.
With such a harvest - and in just one small part of the area - the nerfs from the area as well as its crazy requirements suddenly seemed fair. If guilds just swarmed this area in their full numbers, wouldn't the area be stripped bare?
Players were like locusts.
One should not forget, the Land of Riches was smack dab in the center of the Paradise Lands. The Paradise Lands was a neutral zone that remained unconquerable by any Kingdom because of the indigenes who resided below the earth.
If a huge number of people entered this Field Zone - or any Field Zone in the Paradise Lands - they would have to face a painful retribution from the natives. Especially since the Adventurer's Guild was in the midst of withdrawing.
They hadn't paid Vita Settlement any mind because it had just been a small settlement and Draco's reputation with the whole continent was high thanks to his achievements as well as Richmond's Heraldry.
Now that it had become a City State, Draco could expect a visit relatively soon. However, the indigenes would be hesitant to mess around with so many Rank 7 powers having an active interest in the continuation of the City-State.
Since the hidden powers had already tried to go with the logic route, Draco expected the indigenes to try to use the moral route of 'this is our home and you're encroaching', but that was for another time.
For now, he harvested the area and stripped it bare of resources before leaving with Hikari.
As they traversed the Land of Riches, the two met a lot more monsters. Unlike before where Draco had been forced to fight with them, any monsters below Sergeant Rank were killed instantly.
Draco got bored and activated his Ultima Sunt abilities. Ultimate Stealth was usually toggled off since it affected everyone regardless of friend or foe. He was invisible to all monsters below Sergeant Rank at Rank 1.
As such, he would just tell Hikari to stay behind while he went forth and cut the monster's head clean off its body with the Dragorugio sword. Using Fragarach on monsters below the Captain Rank was simply bullying.
Draco sometimes used Beckon. This made any monster below Sergeant Rank willing to lose its hesitation and stand before him like a lifeless pup.
Draco used this ability to allow Hikari to test some things on them.
Draco first asked Hikari to punch the monsters in the face after he damaged them a little. He refused to believe that a punch thrown with the laws of physics behind it could be twisted.
As such, he could only look on with foolishness as Hikari's full-body punch restored the monster's HP to full.
Draco felt like he was in a dream.
After sucking it up, he made sure that there were no monsters that could get here within 5 Kilometers around them. With a serious expression, he asked Hikari to transform into a dragonwoman.
Draco once again dealt a little damage to the monster and asked Hikari to claw it with all the force she could muster.
Hikari hesitated for a while because punching something and clawing something had very different consequences to the victim. However, she soon remembered Draco's earlier lesson and clenched her teeth.
Hikari clawed the monster with all her strength, and Draco could only fall to his knees and cough blood when he saw the monster not only regain health, but gain a buff.
After calming himself down, Draco weakly performed the final test.
He asked Hikari to transform into a full Dragon and stomp the monster into paste. Hikari complied and transformed.
Due to their proximity, their mutual bloodline l.u.s.t was sparked, but Hikari focused on her task.
She shakily raised her claw and then with a fierce look, she brought it down with all her force onto the poor monster.
Draco was incomparably excited when he felt the tremor from the force of her stomp. That proved that the laws of physics still applied to Hikari and she could apply heavy force to objects.
However, when she lifted her claw, Draco almost screamed. After all, the Specialist monster had not only recovered all its health and received a higher-tier buff, but it had become slightly stronger permanently.
Draco grabbed his hair and almost pulled it out. What the hell was this nonsense? How could such a huge stomp make someone better rather than hurt?!
The more Hikari wanted to harm something, the better the thing would feel. What kind of twisted result was this? Were the laws of cause of effect for her switched around?! Was today opposite day?
Draco calmed himself down - barely - and killed the Specialist monster while leaving with Hikari. His poor heart couldn't take it anymore.
The two continued to explore the Land of Riches. Draco harvested so many raw materials that even his nearly unlimited inventory was feeling the weight. It was almost 50% full and he had only gone through 10% of the Field Zone.
Draco and Hikari had gained 146% and 475% experience respectively. After all, they had both killed over 30 Private and Specialist Rank monsters that were almost 20 levels above them.
When Draco reached level 30 though, his experience gain per kill began to slow down greatly. He decided to let himself stay at level 30 for now and placed the rest into Pair Dadeni.
That amounted to 67%, so Draco was now level 30, 0%. He placed his three stat points into Dexterity this time, bringing it to 23. His character sheet looked like this.
｢ Name: Draco
Class: Avenger (Optimal)
Race: Hybrid (Human/Ultima Sunt)
Rank: Adventurer (1)
Level: 30
Exp: 0%
Str: 30
Dex: 23
End: 10
Int: 20
Spr: 15
Cha: 10
Lck: 10
Combat Skills: Absolute Void, Armageddon, Instant Healing, Rain of Arrows, Necrotic Hands, Evil Curse, Life Steal, Divination, Dark Resurrection, Beckon.
Non-Combat Skills: Soul Bond, Omnipotent Archer, Charm, Insight, Foresight, Flexibility, Nymph Lord, Illusion, Evolution, Ultimate Stealth, Pinnacle Intelligence, Revenger, Cloud Feet, Dragobond, Aether Conversion.
Tradeskills: Smithing (level 38, 93%), Alchemy (level 45, 89%), Enchanting (level 100, 0%), Cooking (level 3, 15%), Taming (level 1, 0%), Tactics (level 1, 15%), Magical Engineering (level 1, 0%)｣
He planned to bring Dexterity and Endurance to 30 each then he could focus on Intelligence and Spirit. Since he planned to use magic at some point, those stats would be important.
Luck he had different plans for.
He hoped to reach a level where he would able to craft potions and items that could increase that stat.
After all, the almighty Fitter Cleric wouldn't always be around him. If he encountered situations where he couldn't bring chests away, he would have to rely on himself.
Not only that, but the loot drops should also become better. Draco didn't care about weapons or consumables, but skillbooks, Tradeskill books, and materials were a different story. Those were extremely important to him.
Draco and Hikari continued to act like a plague in the Land of Riches. Well, Hikari didn't do anything, but an accomplice to the crime was still a criminal.
Draco filled his Inventory to 90% with all sorts of materials and consumables that would be useful to others. The quantity of Rare stuff in his inventory occupied 20%, while Uncommon was a whopping 70%!
Common items - despite the name - only made up 10% in a grand total and even that was solely because he could use them with Pair Dadani.
This Field Zone was just too good for normal players or even Epic Guilds.
Legendary Guilds would cradle it and Divine Guilds would send their elites to harvest it a little from time to time, before they found other more profitable ground.
After all, the quality of items in a Field Zone would drop after the first clear. They would certainly respawn, but it was already a godsend if the quality remained on the same level.
Draco and Hikari were currently standing at a waterfront that was in the middle of a forest area. It was like a small waterfall that emptied itself into a lake. The lake water was pristine and clear, with no fish swimming within.
The bank was surrounded by green grass with thick bushes nearby as well as closely packed trees.
(Author's Note: Like this i.imgur.com/Qrbv9RV.jpg)
Draco sat on the bank sunbathing with his n.a.k.e.d body out while Hikari swam in the water like a child. Dragons were serpents, so they did have a strong affinity with water.
Hikari was also n.a.k.e.d, and her large chest and big butt danced about in the water as she laughed.
Hikari wasn't shy of being n.a.k.e.d around Draco, as she was his Dragobonded mate. It might also be that her mental state had matured greatly since Draco had asked her to give her first time to him.
She was now completely ready and willing, no longer having any doubts or hesitation. It was now up to Draco as to when he wanted to consummate their bond.
Draco just watched the beautiful and alluring body of Hikari in the water with a light smile. He found that he quite loved watching the women he considered important being happy while bathing.