Chapter 7 -7-The Monster Descends!
Chapter 7: Chapter7-The Monster Descends!
Subsequently, Harrison stepped onto the bustling main street, intending to personally experience his newly acquired elemental skill.
With minimal preparation, a luminous fireball emerged in his palm, shimmering in a silvery glow and nearly as large as a standard basketball.
As he touched the fireball, the searing heat radiating from it filled Harrison with exhilaration.
In the hands of a typical mage, such a fireball would merely be a wisp of flame.
But, under the amplification of the "Lord of Element" talent, its power had skyrocketed by a hundredfold, making it vastly superior to the previously insignificant flame.
"Boom!"
Without hesitation, Harrison hurled the fireball towards the center of the avenue.
Upon impact, it shattered, casting silver flames everywhere and leaving the street in utter devastation.
The very heart of the road bore rolling magma.
Astonishingly, the flames had melted the rigid ground into boiling lava.
Despite casting such a potent fireball, Harrison felt no discernible drain on his wisdom. It seemed he could unleash hundreds more of such skills.
At that moment, the system's notification echoed in his ears, "Your fireball proficiency is maxed out, elevated to Level 3!"
Harrison wasn't overly surprised.
Given the power boost by the Lord of Element, every time he cast fireball, it was as though he unleashed it with a hundred times the force.
Considering that the fireball was a basic spell, its swift progression to Level 3 wasn't extraordinary.
The maximum level for a skill is Level 5.
With each advancement, its potency undergoes a significant enhancement.
Upon reaching the peak Level 5, the skill would awaken to its unique special effect.
For the fireball, this special effect was: Explosion.
A flicker of anticipation crossed Harrison's mind.
The sight of a maxed-out fireball, bolstered by a hundredfold explosion effect under the Lord of Element, would undoubtedly be awe-inspiring.
An SSS-level talent truly lived up to its reputation!
However, just then, from the distant shadows, there arose a series of hissing sounds, reminiscent of a serpent's whispers.
The monster had arrived!
...
A determined glint flashed across Harrison's eyes.
Without hesitation, he cast the Stone Shield skill.
Three enormous stone shields materialized, orbiting around him like guardian deities.
Each shield stood at a towering height of two meters, resembling miniature mountains stacked together.
These shields densely encircled Harrison, forming an impregnable fortress that shielded him from harm.
Under the amplification of the Lord of Element, the sturdiness of the Stone Shield increased a hundredfold!
From its initial mundane stone quality, it transformed to possess the hardness of diamonds.
Consequently, at this juncture, scarcely any monster could breach this incredibly solid tri-shield with physical attacks.
As the monster's uproar magnified, Harrison swiftly retrieved a wand from his storage space.
This wand was a prize he had previously secured from the Dark Gold Chest.
[Wand of Spark]
[Rank]: F
[Effect]: Reduces wisdom consumption by 5% when casting fire spells.
With the staggering 90% consumption reduction granted by the Lord of Element, he now benefitted from a terrifying 95% reduction.
In essence, where he could initially cast only 100 consecutive fireballs, he was now capable of launching 200!
Simultaneously, monsters began to emerge on the road.
These creatures, with their ash-gray bodies, had heads resembling hunting dogs and sported bone spikes on their backs, presenting an exceptionally menacing sight.
Accessing the monster's profile:
[Grey Dog]
[Level]: 12
[Rank]: Common
[Base Strength]: 36
[Base Constitution]: 40
[Base Agility]: 30
[Base Wisdom]: 2
[Talent]: Hunting Instinct.
[Hunting Instinct]: Every attack strikes from the most optimal angle.
[Skill]: Rock Skin.
[Rock Skin]: Transforms the creature's skin into rock, reducing physical and spell damage.
The Grey Dog, even in the early stages, was a monster notorious far and wide.
Not only did they possess fearsome individual capabilities, but they also frequently traveled in packs.
Many adventurers, in the early days of the game, found themselves ensnared by these beasts, often meeting with a dismal end.
Suddenly, this group of Grey Dogs detected Harrison's presence.
Like predators catching the scent of their prey, they charged at him with relentless fervor.
Harrison's eyes narrowed in concentration.
He counted seven Grey Dogs distinctly: five approaching head-on, with the other two circling around to his left and right, seemingly attempting to flank him.
These Grey Dogs exhibited intelligence on par with humans, a stark contrast to the simplistic and static foes found in typical computer games.
Harrison stood his ground.
The sharp fangs of the seven Grey Dogs dripped with viscous saliva, seemingly signaling their ravenous hunger.
With a menacing howl, the Grey Dogs, without a moment's hesitation, lunged at Harrison.
Almost simultaneously, all seven arrived right before him, their sharp claws fiercely targeting Harrison's Stone Shield.
Sparks flew, illuminating the surroundings.
Yet, such assaults proved futile! Not a single mark was left on the Stone Shield.
Despite the shield remaining unbreached, the force of the impact nudged Harrison slightly backwards.
The strength exhibited by the Grey Dogs was indeed astonishing.
Harrison had to admit that, physically, he was no match for them.
Appearing as a tough nut to crack, the pack of Grey Dogs circled him, seemingly probing for any sign of vulnerability.
For these cunning beasts, the prey before them didn't seem entirely safe.
Without a shred of hesitation, Harrison's wand gleamed brightly.
An intense flame coalesced into a massive fireball in his grasp.
Now at level 3, the fireball had tripled in size, expanding from its original basketball-like stature to nearly the height of an adult.
Perhaps sensing the terrifying energy contained within, the Grey Dogs' eyes grew wary, their tails tucked tightly between their legs.
Subsequently, their skin began to harden, as though encased in a layer of stone.
Clearly, they had cast Rock Skin, but this made their movements noticeably sluggish.
Witnessing this transformation, a cold smirk curved Harrison's lips.
"Just as I hoped," he thought.
With no second thoughts, he swung his wand, directing the immense fireball straight towards the two closest Grey Dogs.
A resonating "BOOM!" erupted. Sparks and fire scattered, and a deafening explosion echoed.
The intense flames instantly engulfed the two Grey Dogs.
Their pitiful cries of agony pierced the night. The shimmering silvery blaze, with temperatures soaring into the thousands, seemed unmatched even by the fire of stars.
Even the sturdiest of steel would melt instantly into boiling molten iron beneath such a flame.
And the Grey Dogs, with their finite forms, how could they possibly withstand such extreme heat?
In just a moment, the once-mighty Grey Dogs were reduced to mere piles of snow-white ashes.
Faintly, a system notification echoed in Harrison's ears:
"Congratulations! Your fireball skill has advanced to level 4!"
"You have defeated two Grey Dogs, earning experience points."
From where the two Grey Dogs had fallen, twin strands of golden light rose, merging into Harrison's form.
On his character's experience bar, the progress jumped by a direct 30%.