“Left hand’s Spectral Covenant!”
Alexander realized it was the item Carmen had passed to him. He checked the interface of the covenant and indeed found additional items. It showed he had received several items, including three bottles of magic potion left by Carmen—originally given to him by Xu Lin.
Besides the magic potion, there were three flame-like lights known as Spectral Embers, according to the interface.
—Spectral Ember: A hellish seed obtained after defeating a dangerous species. It has various uses, such as repairing or reforging a sacrificial blade, feeding a shadow beast, or enhancing one’s Spectral Covenant.
In addition to the Spectral Embers, there were miscellaneous items, a few auxiliary cards, and some support tools, though none were particularly useful for combat strategies.
A message from the covenant interface indicated that consuming one Spectral Ember would unlock the basic functionality of the interface.
“Hurry up, activate the function!”
Time was of the essence; there was no room for delay. With a shout, Alexander watched as the interface quickly consumed a Spectral Ember, enabling the basic features.
(Basic functions unlocked—Spectral Covenant upgraded to Lv0—Deep Link initiated—Coordinates confirmed—Individual stats logging—Initial enhancement starting...)
Alexander felt a flow of unseen energy coursing through him, a mysterious power forcing subtle changes in his body. When he looked at his personal stats, he noticed something remarkable.
Name: Alexander
Race: Iron
Constitution: 20
Strength: 17
Agility: 15
Spirit: 50
All his stats had increased by 10 points—this must be the initial enhancement he heard about!
A brief joy filled Alexander's heart, followed by sorrow, knowing this was Carmen's legacy, a gift from a seasoned veteran.
—He vowed to repay Carmen’s kindness if given the chance.
Alexander, being someone who valued gratitude, made this resolution, though he wasn't sentimental. He quickly retrieved a magic potion and tossed it to Xu Lin.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Xu Lin deftly caught the potion while engaging the Star Spawn, leading it away as he injected the elixir.
“Next, I’ll distract this monster and find an opportunity to defeat it. You need to take Annandon and find Linda, then figure out how to complete this mission.”
“Understood.” He threw the remaining two bottles of magic potion, sprinting forward.
Spain and the others had already retreated, but judging by the gunfire ahead, their path wasn’t smooth. Regardless of the obstacles, Alexander was determined to push forward. Armed with a crowbar and a pistol, he dashed into the fray.
...
“I curse you, Janet, you traitor!”
Madanra roared in fury, ceaselessly cursing.
“Madanra, your words are useless; they can’t harm me in the slightest!”
Janet descended from Robert Marsh’s stone throne, casting a glance at Madanra on the ground. Enveloped in a mass of green liquid, most of Madanra's body was dissolved, leaving only his head. Numerous other heads floated in the liquid, grotesque and eerie.
This creature seemed summoned from elsewhere, resembling a grotesque Shoggoth or perhaps a Shoggoth hybrid, formed from numerous Deep Ones and Shoggoths.
Janet sneered, slowly descending the throne.
“They've come, as expected, even ‘he’ was found…”
Janet held a scroll in his left hand—it was “The Confession of the Mad Monk Crittanus,” the source of his power. With it, he could forcibly summon the Star Spawn.
Linda was imprisoned beside the stone throne, stripped of her glasses and dressed in a gaudy Gothic gown, a product of Janet’s whim. Her wrists were shackled, rendering her pitifully helpless. The cuffs were linked to a black box containing the Nemesis tape.
“No need to hide; I know you’re here already.”
Janet closed his eyes, speaking softly: “With my great power, I can sense everything here. This is my kingdom, my throne…”
—His words were met with a barrage of bullets.
“Roar!”
A Deep One wielding a long axe charged forward, shielding Janet. Bullets bounced off its iron-like scales, unable to harm its steel-like body.
After being transformed into a Deep One, Roland seemed to possess extraordinary strength, wielding a heavy axe as he charged at the hidden attackers.
“Grenade!”
Pete signaled Spain, who immediately understood and threw a grenade toward Roland.
Boom!
The explosion forced Roland to retreat momentarily.
Seizing the chance, Jin Jianshu bravely stepped forward, firing his riot gun. But Roland, the Deep One, didn’t plan to give him another chance. Using its incredible strength, Roland hurled the axe, which spun through the air, slicing off most of Jin Jianshu’s head in an instant.
“Strategist Jin Jianshu has died. Only three survivors remain. Fight for your lives, show us more exquisite deaths and gore, for it is your sole reason to survive!” Pinocchio’s voice echoed in every strategist’s ears.
Alexander arrived just in time to witness Jin Jianshu’s brutal death, losing his composure.
“You bastard…”
Unable to hold back, he cursed and sped towards Jin Jianshu’s body—his target was the riot gun!
Roland moved faster, but Spain and the others wouldn’t give him the chance. Spain, already with his sniper rifle at the ready, fired a shot aimed at Roland's face. Meanwhile, Pete and the team unleashed a barrage, trying to pin down Roland’s movements.
“Bang!”
With his sharpshooter prowess, Spain hit Roland in the left eye, causing the monster to howl for the first time. Despite its impenetrable skin, its eye lens couldn’t be protected by scales.
Alexander discarded the “Physics Holy Sword” he held. His physical stats and other attributes had all received a boost, each increased by 10, effectively enhancing his overall physical capacity by 0.2 times.
Do not underestimate this 0.2 times—it elevated Alexander from an average human to someone with the endurance and physical prowess of a person who has trained rigorously for decades.