Realm of Myths and Legends

1061  Shattering The Outer Shell

As Izroth approached the unusual statue, he was met with a cascading wave of the Law of Void. The pressure from this wave alone was enough to send most players flying back without a fight; however, Izroth continued to walk forward leisurely.

After his initial encounter with the statue, Izroth understood that he could not approach it in a reckless manner. The moment he let his guard down, he would be swept away by the wave of the Law of Void.

While the statue did not appear to have any killing intent the first time, Izroth was not foolish. He knew that there was a possibility that the statue had a warning system. This meant that it may be "friendly" the first time and merely knock one away that it deemed not worthy of its attention. But, if one chose to ignore that warning, the statue could use a more stronghanded and permanent method in dealing with that individual.

Nevertheless, Izroth was aware that reward and risk often worked hand in hand. Seldom did one come without the other. And, in most cases, the greater the risk, the better the reward.

The closer Izroth moved to the statue, the more overwhelming the pressure and the denser the Law of Void became.

〈System Alert: Your efficiency with the skill «Boundless Emperor Void Perfection» has increased.〉

'Getting close to it alone is enough to affect the progress of my Boundless Emperor Void Perfection. If I can absorb the Law of Void gathered in that statue or use it as a catalyst, it should be possible to reach the Great Void Merging and obtain Void Turning in one step.'

Since Void Turning used the power of The Void, it could not be executed without something like the Great Void Merging, an ability that would allow Izroth to connect to The Void and tap into its power directly.

Izroth halted his steps in front of the strange statue as the aura around him abruptly changed.

At the same time, a faint humming sound started to echo from the statue. It had used the same tactic the last time to knock Izroth tens of meters away. This time, however, Izroth was fully prepared.

〈System Alert: You have activated the effect «Strength of the Ancient Colossus».〉

The next moment, a sharp and penetrating aura of destruction formed around the palm of Izroth's right hand as an explosive energy surged.

Oooooooom...!

Izroth's gaze sharpened as he concentrated on the statue's center. As he did so, an unknown force rushed out from that area in an overwhelming fashion.

As the unknown force approached Izroth, in one motion, he struck forward with his palm, meeting the unknown force head-on.

BANG! Shriiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

An ear-piercing shriek rang throughout the surroundings and echoed endlessly within The Void as Izroth came into contact with the unknown force.

Craaaack!

'To think, even with the Strength of the Ancient Colossus active, I'm still being pushed this much. What a terrifying force.'

Izroth sheathed his Sword of the Storm because his physical strength was significantly enhanced without a weapon, thanks to the Might stat. However, if it were just that alone, Izroth would not have dared to attempt to meet the unknown force head-on.

The Might stat also granted Izroth a certain level of resistance whenever he collided with anything magic related. Of course, the Might stat was nowhere near its full potential where one could outright crush raw magic with their barehands. But that did not mean it could not create tiny openings in anything magic related.

Fortunately, Izroth also had his Heavenly Golden Body and Earthly Golden Bones, which further augmented his physical strength and worked harmoniously with the Might stat. Additionally, Izroth used the Essence from his Source to further improve his physical condition, allowing it to reach new heights that far surpassed that of any player in RML.

In addition to improving his physique, Izroth used the Fusion Skill First Baneful Sword: Destruction Point. This attack possessed a devastating penetrative power capable of shattering even the most robust defenses. And, since it could be executed without a sword while still displaying its full might, it was the perfect choice to break through any of the statue's defensive measures.

OOOOOOOOM!

The statue trembled as the unknown force began to expand in all directions. As if sensing Izroth's defiance, the force generated by the statue intensified, causing the entire floating island to shake violently.

Most others in a similar situation would retreat at this point. After all, a sudden spike in an already overwhelming force would not yield favorable results. But Izroth's perspective was different.

The fact that the statue was reacting so violently meant it was being pushed in a way it had not anticipated. If that were the case, it proved one thing for sure to Izroth. Even if it turned out to be a divine-ranked magic item, it was not invulnerable.

Izroth carefully observed the statue as he kept pushing forward with his attack.

'How reckless. I suppose, even if it has some form of consciousness, in the end, it's still a magic item.'

While its overall power had surged tremendously, its strike was no longer concentrated at a single point. Instead, it was unleashing that bizarre energy in all directions without any care in the world.

Under normal circumstances, it would be more than enough to sweep away any challengers. However, Izroth was not someone who became intimidated by the sudden increase in the power he faced. In addition, Izroth's Fusion Skill First Baneful Sword: Destruction Point was a skill that excelled in breaking through formidable defenses. More importantly, while he could not rely on any of his skills or natural perception when it came to deciphering anything about the mysterious statue, Izroth still possessed a great deal of experience.

The statue had four wings and three tails that curled around it as though it were in a state of slumber. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about it. But, if one looked closely, there was a small section where all four wings and three tails intersected, positioned close to the center of the statue's torso.

While it could also simply be an artistic choice of its creator, Izroth knew that if he was right and this was a magic item above the SSS-rank, it should have the necessary intelligence to protect itself properly. Naturally, this meant it would keep its weakest point under constant guard.

'As I thought, it's not enough. Then...'

Although it became somewhat easier to deal with the statue after its outburst, it was still difficult to break through its layers of defenses—even with the Fusion Skill First Baneful Sword: Destruction Point. Therefore, Izroth decided to take his approach one step further.

Izroth opened his mouth slightly, and a small spherical object could be seen hidden within. The object was crimson red, encompassed with a faint yellow aura, and released a fierce yet refreshing scent as it dissolved.

The moment it dissolved, a powerful aura burst forth from Izroth's body.

〈System Alert: You have gained the temporary passive skill «Solar Extremity» for 1 minute.〉

〈System Alert: The effects of «Lunar Touch» have been activated.〉

BOOM!

An explosive surge empowered Izroth's strike after he consumed the Two Solar Extremities Pill. However, this was not the normal Two Solar Extremities Pill. It was one of the pills that had been affected by Blessing of Craft and upgraded to a grade-four pill.

Not only did it increase all of Izroth's offensive stats by 100%, but thanks to the Lunar Touch effect gained through the Blessing of Craft, the after-effects of consuming the pill that reduced one's stats by 50% would be completely negated.

Izroth's Fusion Skill First Baneful Sword: Destruction Point pierced onward as the sound of something cracking from the direction of the statue entered his ears.

Craaaack! Oooooooooom!

A terrifying wave of void energy resonated throughout The Void as the strange statue violently trembled. At the same time, the fluctuations that appeared on the statue's surface stopped, and the dark metallic-like alloy that made up its outer layer shattered.

'Oh? Is this its true appearance?'

Izroth lowered his hand as an object twice the size of one's fist slowly descended from where the statue's head was originally located and into his palm.

The object was a miniature version of the strange statue; however, there were no signs of any fluctuations. Furthermore, the intense pressure the object gave off had completely subsided.

〈System Alert: You have received x1 «Unburdened Null Beast Statue»!〉

〈System Alert: You are the first player to discover traces of the «Silent Null Overlord»!〉