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Path to Prosperity - B1 Chapter 34
🕑 Added 2024-07-07 10:00:06 +0000 UTCNiko regretted everything. From following that naive-looking rookie, thinking he would be easy prey to attacking the rookie even after they’d seen him kill a Gnoll before devouring it. At that time, the darkness consuming the monster carcass didn’t feel dangerous or eerie.
Now Niko knew better.
But it was already too late. They – No. He – had been too greedy.
His lover was dead, devoured by the abomination under the rookie’s control, and his comrades had faced the same fate. Though he cared little about the latter, losing his lover was painful.
Niko roared at the top of his lungs and charged at Percy, his broadsword resonating as its runic enchantment triggered. The large blade hummed when Niko brandished it, cleaving the mighty Artifact down to kill the root of all his problems.
Percy watched the Adventurer closely and stepped to the side. He evaded the first attack by a hair’s breadth while the Gnoll attacked the Adventurer’s back. Niko sensed the danger in his back and swung around. His momentum was lacking, but the force of a Silver Rank Adventurer was still strong enough to kick the Gnoll in its chest.
Blood sputtered out of Hyean’s wound in the chest, and his ribs cracked at the impact. The summoned monster was hurled back and crashed against a nearby tree.
Niko might be alone, but he was naturally stronger than Percy and the Gnoll as a Silver Rank Adventurer. He was filled with fury, and his Artifacts’ enchantments were active, further boosting his power and agility.
Percy tried studying the situation calmly, but the result was unpleasant no matter how he looked at it. Niko overwhelmed Percy with speed and power. He spun around, sweeping his broadsword horizontally to get rid of Percy once and for all.
But contrary to Niko’s expectations, Percy didn’t throw himself to the ground or jump back in a hurry to evade the attack. Percy braced his body and mind for the impact instead. Only at this moment Niko saw the lifted corners of Pecy’s lips and his bulging muscles. His broadsword didn’t even cut into the rookie’s flesh, yet Percy groaned in pain.
[Gnoll Card’s Augmentation -[Minor Strength Boost⭐] has been unsealed. 30,000 Prosperity have been]
Percy didn’t know what would happen when he unlocked [Minor Strength Boost] or how effective the Augmentation was, but it was obvious that he and Hyean needed a power-up. Niko had the highest Tier among the four Adventurers and held onto most Artifacts. [Blade Mastery] was powerful, but it wasn’t enough to overpower someone like Niko, no matter how rusty the veteran Adventurer had become.
He unlocked the Gnoll Card’s third and final Augmentation when Niko charged first but sensed the Augmentation’s effect only after the Adventurer kicked Hyean in the chest. Both Cardist and Monster Card sensed the surge in power. The power surge arrived at the perfect moment. A quarter of a second later, Percy would have suffered greatly.
His mana stirred at his command while his muscles bulged and twitched wildly. The [Reinforce] enchantment of his chestplate was already active, ready to take Niko’s blow, but that wasn’t enough. Percy spread [Reinforce]’s effect across his forearm guards, draining his mana rapidly before he activated [Guard] on both forearm guards. Maybe it was [Reinforce], but it could have been something else. One way or another, the [Guard] shields surrounding his forearm guards were thicker and less translucent than they used to be.
They manifested instantaneously, coating his forearm guards tightly an instant before the massive broadsword smashed heavily into them.
A thunderous sound reverberated through the vicinity at the moment of impact, and Percy was certain something in his hands had broken. The first [Guard] shield shattered immediately. It was cut neatly and shattered, releasing the enchantment’s mana in all directions. That affected the weapon’s momentum, slowing the attack considerably. The second shield didn’t shatter instantaneously. It absorbed the broadsword’s remaining momentum before it also dispersed.
Niko was surprised about the events but reacted quickly when he saw Percy’s pain-distorted expression. His hand shot forward, ready to squash Percy like a puny ant, when a third small [Guard] shield manifested.
Percy’s remaining mana had entered the [Guard] enchantment right after the first [Guard] shield broke. Ignoring the pain, Percy lifted his arm as Niko’s massive paw reached him. The [Guard] shield manifested again, blocking the Silver rank Adventurer’s follow-up attack.
The Adventurer’s eyes widened again, and he reacted a quarter of a second too late when Percy’s other hand whizzed upward. Both arms hurt, and Percy was certain something was broken, but the adrenaline coursing through him aided the youth. The iron dagger flickered once, and a stream of blood spurted through the surroundings like a fountain.
Niko managed to pull back just a little, but it wasn’t enough to evade the incoming attack. His broadsword was too heavy to make sudden movements after his first two attacks used his entire momentum. The iron dagger sliced across his wrist, cutting deep into it.
Niko squinted his eyes in pain but smoothly switched the weapon to his left arm. His wrist was useless, but that didn’t mean he was dead. As a full-fledged Adventurer, Niko could wield his weapon in both hands.
However, what he couldn’t do as an ordinary Adventurer, a man filled with rage and pain, fully focused on the enemy ahead? He couldn’t comprehend that he’d fallen victim to Percy’s plan, the plan of a Cardist.
Mana coursed through Niko, and his armor and broadsword hummed peacefully as mana filled the Artifacts, but it was already too late. Niko had forgotten about the summoned monster in his fury. Percy was the only target in his view and mind. The summoned monster was never his primary target.
Out of sight, out of mind. It was a simple tactic but exactly what Percy had hoped for.
Niko didn’t seem stupid, but emotions got the better of him. He wasn’t particularly talented in combat, spatial awareness, and other important combat-related aspects if he had never managed to leave Raewood. Not if he stayed in the town for years after his promotion to a Silver Rank Adventurer.
Hyean appeared behind Niko as he stepped back to evade Percy’s dagger. The Gnoll Blade, [Sharpness] activated, sliced through the air in a beautiful arc, and Niko’s head slid down from his neck smoothly.
The Adventurer’s head landed on the ground with a resounding thud, and the rest of his body followed a moment later.
[Niko Glenn – Elite-2 Gifted – 20,000 Prosperity]
It was over. Niko was dead.
His arms felt like he’d been allowing bulls to charge at him before he hurled them around, only to repeat the same process several times. But even so, Percy didn’t lower his guard. The battle had been loud, and Percy was certain monsters would find them soon. In the worst case, the Archyeas would come this way. They hadn’t heard much about the Lesser Demon in the last few days, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t present anymore.
[Consume] triggered without his doing again, but Percy didn’t even try stopping it anymore. It was helpless either way.
The abomination of darkness burst out of his palm and devoured Niko Glenn alongside his Artifacts in one go.
[Niko Glenn (Elite-2) and goods have been consumed. 43,533 Prosperity has been added.]
You didn’t have to take the Artifacts, you know? But maybe that was for the best. The fewer things I have to hide, the better.
Consuming the fourth Adventurer pushed Percy closer to his next Tier uprank.
I’m injured and still in the middle of the forest. My mana reserves are empty as well.
There was no excuse for being stingy in a situation like this. Hyean was injured, and its condition was worsening. Thus, Percy retrieved the Gnoll back into the Monster Card, where it could recuperate slowly. He was left alone, could barely move his arms now that the adrenaline coursing through his body dispersed, and he couldn’t even use his mana to activate his Artifacts to defend his life.
My savings…
Percy triggered [Consume] and consumed the coins in one of his full coin pouches.
[50 Silver Coins have been consumed. 5,250 Prosperity has been added.]
His progression to the next Tier increased gradually, but Percy had no time to waste. He used [Consume] on Prosperity, and several aspects of his interface lit up. Some didn’t react, but a bunch glowed dimly while others glowed brightly. Percy used his Ego to upgrade his Tier.
[50,000 Prosperity has been consumed.]
[Your Tier increased by one rank.]
[Your Tier increased to Elite. Additional Monster Card Slot has been unlocked.]
[Your attunement to the Coin of Prosperity increased. Your understanding increases.]
The last message was unexpected. However, Percy didn’t expect a sudden nausea either, or his sight blurring all of a sudden. His legs caved in suddenly, and he vomited on the ground, tears trickling down his cheeks.
A moment later, a stream of mana flushed the youth.
