Chapter 230 - 230 Kantelu Ruins
Gazing at Song Jian’s retreating figure, Canaan was momentarily stunned, followed by a flurry of expressions crossing his face, leaving him at a loss for words.
“Hey, 1 say, don’t go. I have a hiring task here. Are you interested?” Canaan suddenly shouted towards Song Jian’s retreating figure.
“Hiring task?” Song Jian paused, stopped in his tracks, and turned around to ask, “What hiring task?”
“I need to go to the Kantelu Ruins, but there could be some minor dangers along the way. I need a powerful companion!” The Canaan Goblin Merchant said, “I don’t know if you’re willing to accompany me. Of course, I’ll pay you. You can check my…”
Before Goblin Merchant Canaan finished talking, Song Jian interrupted directly, “Choose any Skill Book from your collection of swordsman skills, and I will accept your hiring task. Moreover, for your safety, 1 need you to provide me with the reward for the task in advance!”
“How can that be? You haven’t escorted me yet, how can I give you the reward in advance? What if you run away after taking the reward? What if, what if…” the Goblin Merchant’s eyes darted around nervously, looking completely flustered.
“Well, whatever. The highest quality of your sword skill books is just a blue-quality skill. As for the Kantelu Ruins you mentioned, just from the name we can tell it’s not a friendly place. We don’t know what level the monsters inside are, and you have no fighting power. Escorting you might even cost me my life. So, if you don’t consent, don’t bother with the task. Even if you offer, i’ll refuse!” Song Jian said with an indifferent demeanor.
“But, but…” Canaan stammered anxiously. Although he was prepared for what lay ahead in the abandoned city, the number of monsters turned out to exceed his expectations. Despite having treasures that can reduce monster perception and provide invisibility, Canaan was cornered by a zombie in an alleyway. If Song Jian hadn’t come along just in time, Canaan would have been left with no choice but to use a Town Return Scroll or become a corpse.
After hesitating for a while, as Canaan watched Song Jian reach the alley’s exit, he finally gritted his teeth and shouted: “Alright, I agree to your terms!”
A smile flickered across Song Jian’s face. He was starting to understand this green-skinned dwarf’s mentality. The dwarf would not yield until the last moment, and when pushed into a corner, he would quickly capitulate.
“Fine, post the task. And while you’re at it, display all your sword skill books, i’ll just choose one,” Song Jian said.
He had already spent all his Doomsday Coins in buying the “Rapid Sword”; otherwise, he would purchase all the sword skills from Canaan’s pocket. If he did this, the task would be considered complete.
System: The Goblin Merchant Canaan issued a temporary task to you: Protect; Task requirements: Protect the Goblin Merchant Canaan to Kantelu Ruins; If the Goblin Merchant Canaan dies, the task fails! The task reward: Choose a Sword Skill Book (can be acquired in advance); Task failure punishment: Permanently locking the relation with the Goblin Clan as hate, suffering assassination from the Goblin Clan! All attributes permanently decrease by 5 points; Do you accept?
“Wow, you little dwarf, you’re ruthless!” Song Jian looked at the penalty for task failure and couldn’t help sucking in a breath of cold air, but he finally chose to accept!
However, putting himself in Song Jian’s shoes, he’d set the task failure punishment as: annihilation!
If the task can’t be completed, then you can accompany me in death!
“Alright, I have accepted the task. Hurry up and display all the Sword Skill Books!” Song Jian urged.
The Goblin Merchant Canaan presented all his Sword Skill Books. Song Jian immediately picked up the highest quality one, saying, “I’ll take this one!”
“I knew it…” The Goblin Merchant Canaan mumbled under his breath.
Most of the Sword Skill Books he carried were of white-quality, with two or three of green-quality. Song Jian had chosen the only blue-quality Sword Skill Book.
“Skill: Sword Silk (Blue): After use, learn the skill: Sword Silk; Usage requirement: Weapon is a sword-type weapon; Sword Silk (Active): Level 1, Skill effect: Condense Mental Strength to form three Sword Silk threads which randomly attack enemies within a 5-meter radius, each Sword Silk inflicting (3O+i5%*Mental Strength Maximum) damage; Cooldown time: 8 seconds; Skill cost: 30 Mental Strength points; Skill description: This skill can use Sword Qi instead of Mental Strength, and using Sword Qi increases the power by 30%; After upgrading the skill to level 10, it can be advanced to Silver-quality Sword Skill—Sword Web.”
This was the first time Song Jian saw an upgradeable skill. If sold, this “Sword Silk” Skill Book would be worth at least 8,000 Doomsday Coins. This mission was a good deal.
Without hesitation, he learned the skill book, and there were some minor changes to Sword Silk.
The original book was for swordsmen and should have consumed Sword Qi. Still, not all swordsmen have Sword Qi, so the cost had been changed to consume Mental Strength.
However, once Sword Qi is obtained, the cost becomes Sword Qi, and the power of the Sword Silk condensed by Sword Qi will increase substantially, resulting in increased damage.
Sword Silk (Active): Level 1, Skill effect: Condense Sword Qi to form three Sword Silk threads which randomly attack enemies within a 5-meter radius, each Sword Silk inflicting (45+io%*Mental Strength Maximum +io%*Vitality Points Maximum) damage; Cooldown time: 8 seconds; Skill cost: 30 points of Sword Qi Value; Skill description: This skill can use Sword Qi instead of Mental Strength, with Sword Qi increasing the power by 30%; When upgraded to Level 10, it can be advanced to Silver-quality Sword Skill—Sword Web.
Because Song Jian possessed Invisible Sword Qi, the power of this Sword Silk skill was elevated to a new level. Although it is a blue-quality sword skill, it is now not weaker than an ordinary silver-quality skill.
With a forward wave of the long sword in his hand, three silver lines of Sword Silk five meters long appeared by Song Jian’s side, each thread being condensed by Invisible Sword Qi, emitting a powerful aura.
* smack smack smack*
The three Sword Silks whipped against the nearby wall, and the wall more than half a foot thick was immediately torn apart by the Sword Silk. From the crack, you could even see what was on the other side.
“Impressive, impressive! Ilaha…” Song Jian burst out laughing.
Now, Song Jian’s maximum Mental Strength was two hundred, and his maximum Vitality Points had reached six hundred and eighty. So, each Sword Silk thread could inflict more than one hundred and thirty points of damage. Although the Sword Silk randomly attacks nearby enemies, if Song Jian has only one enemy, then all three Sword Silk threads will attack this one enemy. This means the total damage inflicted on the target will be nearly four hundred points, making this an extremely terrifying skill.
Moreover, this skill is still only at level one. When the level is increased, the power will become even more potent!
“Alright, let’s go, to that what’s-its-name ruin!” Song Jian seemed brimming with confidence.
“It’s Kantelu Ruins!” Canaan quietly corrected him.