Ashley
When the two of us make it back to his cavern safely, we both immediately collapse exhausted on the floor. And Blake actually falls asleep right away, clearly showing off how much mana he burnt in that battle.
But I still have a tiny bit left. A few units to be exact.
So instead of sleeping I focus on my new Skill Tree and my next shopping binge.
Only to do a doubletake when I see the price of some of the skills linked to that root skill.
Holy fucking shit…
There are seven branches connected to the root skill, and half of them cost 250 Skill Points to purchase the skill from. Meanwhile most of the other half costs 100 Skill Points.
Except one skill that costs 500 Skill Points to purchase the skill from it.
Overall making this the most expensive Skill Tree I’ve ever seen.
Although…
I look at the descriptions of each of the skills.
{High-Stage Destruction Mana Manipulation – This skill grants the user the ability to turn their natural mana into destruction mana and use the mana to perform destruction magic spells.} – [Spend 500 Skill Points to unlock this skill.]
{Minor Energy Absorption – This skill makes the user absorb a miniscule amount of mana from all the attacks resisted by their destruction resistance.} – [Spend 250 Skill Points to unlock this skill.]
{Enhanced Mana Regeneration – This skill increases the user’s natural mana regeneration speed.} – [Spend 250 Skill Points to unlock this skill.]
{Kobold Lord’s Basic Charisma – This skill grants the user absolute control over a force of ten destruction-touched kobolds.} – [Spend 250 Skill Points to unlock this skill.]
{Increased Hearing – This skill grants the user increased hearing capabilities, expanding their senses.} – [Spend 100 Skill Points to unlock this skill.]
{Destructive Mana Claws – This skill grants the user the ability to summon forth claws of destruction mana over their hands.} – [Spend 100 Skill Points to unlock this skill.]
{Telescopic Vision – This skill grants the user the ability to see incredibly far away.} – [Spend 100 Skill Points to unlock this skill.]
My eyes narrow at that last one. The skill that the kobold lord no doubt used to spot me before the other two mini bosses.
As for the first skill? The expensive one?
I already have it…
Although…
“The kobold lord’s version is most likely at a much higher level,” Chaos states my current thoughts.
Yeah. Most likely.
But at the same time, does it really matter right now? I’m not very skilled at using destruction mana or any of my other types of mana right now anyways. So should I waste a chance to get multiple other skills just to raise its level by an unknown amount?
Since it doesn’t even tell me what level the kobold lord had it as at this purchase option.
Which is rather annoying, but whatever.
I’ll leave it for later.
For now I go ahead and purchase Minor Energy Absorption and Enhanced Mana Regeneration right away. Because both of them are very useful to me. And with the remaining 626 Skill Points, I purchase Destructive Mana Claws, since it doesn’t look like a mutation skill with it being summoned mana claws and not actual claws, before looking at the skills these open up to for the remaining 526 Skill Points after that.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Minor Energy Absorption opens up to two more skills. One of which being a skill that converts whatever mana I absorb from the skill into destruction mana for me. Since I can’t really use other affinities mana.
A skill that I purchase right away for 100 Skill Points. Because Minor Energy Absorption is kind of useless without it after realizing what exactly it does.
And the other skill is just a minor increase to the amount of energy absorbed. Not much, but some.
I look at the skill branching off of Enhanced Mana Regeneration next. A skill that I immediately purchase since it’s rather helpful looking.
With the skill itself being an Enhanced Health Regeneration skill.
Which is obvious what does.
I glance at my Skill Points again to find 326 remaining.
Hmm.
Well, enhanced hearing is useful. So I go ahead and purchase that.
Only to wince when I feel a headache starting to form from the many things I hear now outside of the cavern.
Shit. Didn’t realize it would be this strong of an enhancement…
Almost wish I could get rid of just one skill from a Skill Tree now, but it’s too late for that.
I let out a sigh. Then I go ahead and spend the last 100 Skill Points on that Telescopic Vision skill, since it could come in handy in the future.
Leaving me with 26 Skill Points remaining. An amount that can’t buy anything.
And now with my spending spree finished, I raise my hand and activate those mana claws. Instantly making black and crimson claws of mana form over my entire hand in a rather eerie display.
Nice. A new close-up attack.
Other than those talons that I did try using during the fight with the kobold lord but didn’t exactly do much.
They couldn’t even pierce its flesh beyond a little in the weakened parts. But getting that close with my bare hands wasn’t exactly a safe idea.
So I didn’t use it much after that.
I open my status and glance at my health and mana before finding them both increasing by one unit. The pace looking like it’s sped up since before.
Too early to really tell though.
I’ll have to check again in a couple hours.
“While you’re still awake, you might want to check the Successor Forums for recordings of previous UM battles,” Chaos suggests, reminding me that it’s even possible to do that.
So I go ahead and open the Successor Forums and do just that. Finding one almost immediately.
It’s a failed attempt by a group of 6 Successors, each of whom are class E. And way above the level requirement to reach Class D.
In fact, they’re at the maximum level for Class E. Level 175.
Wait a second…
I blink as a realization comes to me.
Fuck.
For some reason I kept thinking the King of Destruction would be level 100, since level 100 is the level requirement to reach Class D.
But that’s not what Chaos said.
“I said it is at the maximum level for Class E,” he says again, sounding a little sad for me.
Meaning the King of Destruction…
The video on the Successor Forums thread starts playing to show a group of six people, each decked out in powerful looking armor, walking up a massive tower’s final stairs to end up atop the tower facing a massive monster. One that is in the form of a bunch of interchanging, purple cubes as it floats in the air with veins of purple energy running through it.
And when I see the identify result through the video, a chill runs down my spine.
♢ Level 175 Tower Core ♢
I grit my teeth as I turn to look in the direction of the King of Destruction.
Fuck.
This is going to be harder than I thought.
What’s even worse is the fact that all six of these Successors are level 175 as well. Yet the thread specifically mentions that they all lost in this attempt, with four of the six dying and the other two fleeing with disabilities.
Despite all being the same level as the Unique Monster, and all being Successors.
Now I understand exactly why everyone is writing me and Blake off as dead.
“If you want to have even the slightest chance against the King of Destruction, you will need to prepare,” Chaos says as I continue watching the video where the Successors are all tensing up while preparing any potions and last minute items and support blessings they can. “You need to use everything given to you in the Unique Domain. You need to make a strategy to weaken it before the battle even begins. And you have to be the same level as it if you want even the slightest of chances.”
Right.
What’s even worse is the sight of the purple cubes letting off a pulse of purple light that shatters everything around it once every few seconds. A pulse that even the Successors are having difficulty defending against, with some taking damage from it.
“That is the Tower Core’s True Damage skill,” Chaos says, making me wonder if he knows about this creature. “Of course I do. The Tower Core took over an entire three worlds and still kills everything that so much as steps onto the planet known as Towerfall today.”
Oh.
So it’s still alive.
“Yes, it is,” Chaos states before continuing his explanation, “and its True Damage skill is just a mere passive that happens once every three seconds. Where it sends out a pulse that damages everything within range of the pulse with pure spatial affinity True Damage. And it’s a mere passive that is already making it tough on those Successors.”
I grit my teeth as I watch the Successors begin charging at the Tower Core.
And I can already tell without even considering the fact that I know they lose that it won’t end well.