Broken and Ivana had made up their minds-they were going to raid the demon carriages. It would be another battle under the cover of night, with their target being the line of demon carriages heading toward the town for reasons unknown.
Before launching the attack, Broken double-checked his preparations: Mana and Stamina were fully restored. It had been a few hours since their fight with Infernak, giving him time to recover. Both his Stamina and Mana were back to normal.
After the intense battle with Gremory, the hunt in the forest, and the recent fight against Infernak, Broken had gained significant upgrades to his skills. Nearly all of his abilities from the Super Novice Class and Rift Digger Class had leveled up, making him feel stronger and more prepared for what lay ahead.
[Blessing of Health (Active Skill) Lv. 5]
[Healing Touch (Active Skill) Lv. 5]
Two of his support skills from the Super Novice class had reached Level 5, the maximum level before needing to undergo a breakthrough to level up further.
At this stage, when a skill hits Level 5 and accumulates enough experience, a special quest typically appears. This quest is required to break through the skill’s current limits, allowing it to advance to Level 6 or beyond. Sometimes, the skill not only levels up but also gets an upgrade or modification, and in rare cases, several skills can even combine into a powerful new ability.
[Charged Attack (Active Skill) Lv. 5]
[Quick Strike (Active Skill) Lv. 5]
[Blade Dance (Active Skill) Lv. 4]
The sword skills from the Super Novice class were looking impressive, especially with both Charged Attack and Quick Strike receiving significant upgrades.
The most impactful change was with Charged Attack, which now dealt damage equivalent to 720% of his base attack, with a cooldown reduced to 20 seconds from the previous 30 seconds. This skill gave Broken increased mobility and flexibility in battle. With it, he could leap up to 10 meters, closing the gap on his target swiftly, allowing for better positioning and more aggressive strikes in combat.
[Explosive Arrow (Active Skill) Lv. 4]
[Sniper’s Focus (Active Skill) Lv. 4]
And damn! These two bow skills were an incredibly powerful combination with massive damage potential. Though Explosive Arrow required a charge time, when paired with other item-based skills, the damage output was phenomenal.
Explosive Arrow now dealt an insane 7,500% physical damage in an area, which was absolutely massive! The only drawback was its steep Mana cost-requiring 1,200 Mana, nearly a quarter of Broken’s total Mana pool. Despite the high cost, the skill’s destructive power made it worth the investment, especially when combined with other abilities.
[Spiral Pierce (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 4]
[Spear Guard (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 4]
[Groundbreaker (Active Skill) Lv. 4]
Three of his spear skills from the Super Novice class had also reached Level 4. The improvements mainly focused on reducing cooldown times and boosting damage output.
[Quake Strike (Active Skill) Lv. 3]
[Miner’s Fortitude (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 2]
[Puzzle Smacker (Conditional Active Skill) Lv. 2]
Surprisingly, three skills from the Rift Digger class had also leveled up.
Quake Strike saw a significant damage upgrade, making it an even more powerful area-of- effect attack. Miner’s Fortitude increased Broken’s defense by 10% and boosted his maximum health by 3,000, giving him greater durability in battle.
Meanwhile, Puzzle Smacker now had an increased chance of success, making it more reliable in certain tricky situations, especially when dealing with locks or puzzles. These upgrades made the Rift Digger class more versatile and robust, balancing offense, defense, and utility. Well done. Broken felt quite satisfied seeing his skill damage levels rise so significantly. Though many of the skills he used came from the gear he wore, he reminded himself that, unfortunately, gear-based skills couldn’t level up like class skills. They could only be enhanced by upgrading the gear’s stats or using Soul Engrave, a method that allowed him to unlock new skills or even plant a soul into the equipment.
Afterward, Broken checked his current status. Because of his recent string of battles, his level progression had been slow-he was still at Level 131 for now. The frequent fights were yielding progress, but it would take time before he could make any major leaps in his overall level.
[Name: Broken]
[Level: 131]
[Class: Unique – Super Novice | Unique – Royal Blacksmith | Unique – Rift Digger | Unique – Elemental Forger]
[Health: 2930 | Mana: 5388]
[Strength: 865 | Agility: 324 | Intelligence: 449 | Constitution: 293 | Stamina: 285]
[Charisma: 100 | Luck: 35 | Dexterity: 50 | Survival: 30 | Perception: 20]
[Available Stat Points: 70]
[Weight: 433/5190]
Those stats were Broken’s base values, not factoring in any gear except his rings. And yes, his Constitution and Stamina were in rough shape, noticeably lacking. However, his Intelligence had surged by an impressive 100 stat points after defeating Gremory, which was
extraordinary!
To balance things out, Broken spent 40 points in Constitution and 30 in Stamina, bringing a sense of relief. The boost was definitely satisfying, giving him a sturdier foundation to work with in future battles.
[…]
[Health: 8235 | Mana: 5388]
[Strength: 1074 | Agility: 424 | Intelligence: 449 | Constitution: 651 | Stamina: 783]
[Charisma: 100 | Luck: 35 | Dexterity: 50 | Survival: 30 | Perception: 20]
[Weight: 4012/6444]
And now, with 70 stat points spent and fully equipped with his Invincible Paragon Armor, Infernak Helmet and Molten Bulwark Chest Armor, and wielding The Scorchslayer, Broken’s
final stats were in place.
“Alright, Ivana, let’s go welcome our guests,” he said firmly.
Ivana smiled and nodded. She donned her Infernak Helmet, mirroring Broken, and together the duo of Flame Riders charged down the hill, their fiery steeds blazing beneath them. They weren’t just greeting their guests-they were ready to meet their benefactors head-on.
***
Inside the luxurious carriage, the demon lord-Rithrath, with sharp, reptilian features and cold, calculating eyes-sat in silence, lost in thoughts of vengeance and conquest. Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by a guard’s shrill voice.
“Lord Rithrath! Bats! Hundreds of them-outside!”
Rithrath scowled, annoyed by the interruption. He pulled back the heavy curtain and peered out the window. His eyes widened in shock. A massive swarm of bats filled the sky like a living storm, blotting out the moonlight. Their screeching echoed through the air, a chilling, nightmarish chorus that sent a shiver down his spine.
“What the fuck is that? Is someone trying to mess with me?” Rithrath growled. Before he could react further, the ground beneath the carriage trembled violently.
The earth shook with such force it felt as though the ground itself was awakening. Outside, demons stumbled, struggling to keep their footing.
“An earthquake?” one demon shouted, panic creeping into his voice. But there was no time to process what was happening-the chaos was already upon them.
Without warning, the sky above seemed to tear open, as if ripped apart by some unseen force. Massive boulders rained down with terrifying speed, smashing into the carriages with a deafening roar. Wood and metal crumpled under the impact, horses screamed in terror as they were crushed beneath the falling rocks, and demons scattered in every direction, desperate to
escape the carnage.
Before the demons could even begin to comprehend the chaos, the ground erupted violently beneath them. A thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield as the earth split open, revealing the massive maw of a monstrous worm. Its gaping mouth, wide enough to swallow entire carriages, was lined with razor-sharp teeth that gleamed in the dim light. And then, as if things couldn’t get worse, another disaster struck-a series of massive explosions, each one more devastating than the last. The ground quaked with the force of the blasts, shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The supermassive detonations tore through the demon ranks, obliterating everything in their path.
Rithrath’s carriage, barely holding together amidst the chaos, was suddenly struck by one of
the colossal boulders. The impact sent the carriage careening violently, flipping several times before smashing into the ground, splintering into jagged debris. Rithrath was flung from the wreckage, slamming hard into the shaking earth.
Dazed, his vision blurred, and his ears ringing from the destruction, Rithrath struggled to his feet. As he steadied himself, his eyes locked onto the sight of two riders approaching-both mounted on horses cloaked in fire.
A thin smile crept across Rithrath’s face. “So, these pieces of trash have come to offer me their lives? Do you really think you have much to spare, daring to confront me like this?” He chuckled darkly. “Good. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down.”