Chapter 62: Extorting a Divine Blessing
The Blackwind Range.
The home of the Insurgents.
Liam descended upon this place once more, still wearing his disguise as the Beast-Hide General.
"I’ve brought what you asked for."
Liam handed a Lord’s Heart over to Garrick.
Garrick’s eyes lit up. Without a Lord’s Heart, he and his rebels had been forced to skulk in the shadows of the Blackwind Range, playing a perpetual game of hide-and-seek with their pursuers.
"Thank you. With this, we can finally enter the Chaotic Expanse and establish a Fiefdom of our own."
Liam raised an eyebrow. He was well aware of the Chaotic Expanse—a lawless, ungoverned territory. The danger levels there were staggering, a realm of constant turmoil where blood was spilled every day and violence was the only currency.
However, if one could actually secure a Fiefdom there, life in the Chaotic Expanse became significantly more manageable.
"A solid plan," Liam remarked with a nod.
Garrick reached into his cloak and pulled out a badge. "We’re leaving the Astral Kingdom now. This badge is of no more use to us."
Liam frowned as he took it. A regional badge? If that was all it was, he was going to be disappointed. The Astral Kingdom was merely a transition zone in his eyes; he intended to venture much further into the world.
In the lore of Twilight of the Gods, the level cap reached the Ninth Advancement. In the Astral Kingdom, however, players could only reach the Second Class Advancement. That alone proved how backwater this place really was. For Liam, this kingdom was nothing more than a site for initial capital accumulation.
Adventurer Guild Master: Special Item
Equip Requirement: None.
Effect: Upon equipping, the holder becomes the Adventurer Guild Master within the Astral Kingdom. Every city in the kingdom possesses an Adventurer Guild branch; once activated, the holder can manage them independently.
Durability: 100/100
Liam stared at the item, momentarily stunned. It seemed underwhelming at first glance, but a second later, a spark of inspiration struck him.
"This isn't just a badge... it’s a gold mine!"
Why? Because the Adventurer Guild possessed immense credibility—credibility that extended not just to players, but to NPCs as well.
He could completely restructure the Adventurer Guild into a bank!
He could offer a daily interest rate of 0.1% to the public, and by leveraging his Passive: Compound Interest, he could generate a staggering amount of Gold Sovereigns in record time.
But before he could set that plan in motion, Liam needed to visit the Veiled Overseer. He had finished the Overseer's task and it was time to collect his reward.
The Demon's Den.
The Overseer’s lips curled into a faint smile when he saw Liam approach. "I expected you to return, but I didn't think you’d be this fast."
With a wave of his hand, he presented Liam with a Quest Scroll and a Gear Evolution Scroll.
Liam took the items, but his brow furrowed as he read the description. The prerequisite Quest Scroll for the Blessing of the Gods actually came with another set of requirements.
Quest: The Night-Walkers should not have to live in the shadows. The Overseer wishes for the Astral Kingdom to support two separate regimes.
Requirement: Assist the Night-Walkers in establishing their own sovereign power within the Astral Kingdom.
Penalty: Unknown.
Reward: AP +100, Blessing of the Gods +1.
Liam’s gaze turned cold. "The deal was that I only had to break through Blackwind City. Adding this prerequisite task now... that’s a bit unreasonable, don't you think?"
The Overseer shrugged nonchalantly. "I don’t see anything unreasonable about it. If you don’t like the terms, you’re welcome to give the Quest Scroll back."
Liam let out a cold sneer. "It’s a good thing you worded the task as 'helping the Night-Walkers' rather than 'helping you.' Otherwise, I might have actually had a headache."
"Oh? And why is that?" the Overseer asked, looking genuinely intrigued.
A murderous glint flashed in Liam’s eyes. "Because helping the Night-Walkers doesn't mean I need you around. If you’re dead, it won't stop me from finishing the job!"
The Overseer burst into a fit of wild, boisterous laughter.
"Hahaha! Frost Monarch, you really are an interesting player. Do you honestly think that just because you managed to crack Blackwind City, you have what it takes to stand against me?"
"Why don't we find out?"
Liam’s hand moved in a blur. Arrows erupted from his bow, pouring toward his target like a torrential rain.
The Overseer instantly dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, vanishing into thin air. Yet, the moment he rematerialized, Liam’s arrows were already there, striking him with pinpoint accuracy.
"How is this possible?!" the Overseer cried out in shock.
Liam remained unmoved, his rhythm unbroken as he maintained the assault. He knew the Overseer’s trick: Infinite Blink. It sounded god-like, but in reality, it had its flaws. The ability had specific limitations on where the user could reappear. Once those patterns were decoded, Infinite Blink became useless. In fact, Liam could use the activation of the skill to predict exactly where the Overseer would land.
Refusing to believe he had been read, the Overseer dissolved into shadow-mist once more. But as soon as he emerged, another volley of arrows slammed into his chest.
"How are you doing this?"
The Overseer’s expression finally turned grim. His Infinite Shadow-Mist Step was a secret—even the other two leaders of the Demon's Den didn't fully understand its mechanics, let alone a player like Frost Monarch.
Liam never liked to talk during a fight. If he had any response to give, it was delivered through the whistling of his arrows.
-216,990!
-216,991!
Damage numbers stacked one after another, fueling the Overseer’s rage.
"Frost Monarch, you really think I'm a pushover!" the Overseer roared.
He lunged. His body blurred into a series of afterimages as he closed the distance.
Frozen!
The effect of Glacial Gaze triggered. The passive ability had a chance to freeze the target on hit, ensuring the following attack dealt massive burst damage.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Liam’s arrows whistled through the air in quick succession.
The ice shattered. The Overseer, now free, surged forward with a furious howl. His palm, wreathed in Abyssal Miasma, slammed toward Liam’s chest.
Liam swung the Ninefold Longbow, using the sturdy frame of the weapon to block the strike.
However, the moment the Miasma-coated palm connected with the bow, the dark energy began to corrode the weapon like a swarm of starving insects.
Durability -1.
Durability -1.
As a Gold Grade weapon, the Ninefold Longbow’s durability should have been incredibly resilient. Yet, under the influence of the Abyssal Miasma, it plummeted as if the bow offered no resistance at all. In the blink of an eye, the durability dropped to ninety.
Liam immediately unequipped the bow and leaped back. But the Overseer was relentless, his movement speed proving to be every bit as high as Liam’s.
With his weapon put away, Liam’s expression hardened. He decided to tank the Overseer’s next palm strike head-on.
-111,125!
System: You have been affected by Abyssal Miasma. You are now suffering continuous damage...
-1,500.
-1,500.
Liam glanced at the massive damage number floating above his head and raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were actually powerful. Is that all? You barely took off a hundred thousand HP."
The Overseer nearly choked on his own rage. Was taking over a hundred thousand health in a single hit supposed to be "weak"? At this stage of the game, how many Adventurers could survive even one of his strikes?
"If one hit isn't enough, I'll just give you a few dozen more!"
The Overseer’s hands moved in a blur of shadow. Each strike dealt over a hundred thousand damage. In the span of a single second, he hammered nearly a million health points off Liam’s bar.
Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Not bad. Now let me show you how it's really done."
Before the Overseer could capitalize on his momentum, Liam unleashed a storm of arrows.
In that same second, Liam’s health bar surged upward by over 800,000 HP, returning him nearly to full health!
The Bloodstained Necklace provided 1% Life-Steal based on his Max HP. With twenty attacks per second, that alone recovered over 700,000. Combined with the 5% damage-based Life-Steal from the Ninefold Longbow—another 100,000+ per second—his sustain was nothing short of monstrous.
The Overseer’s pupils dilated. He was utterly paralyzed by the sight of Liam’s damage output and recovery.
A massive health pool, terrifying damage, and healing that defied logic. The Overseer struggled to find a single weakness in the man standing before him. If he had to pick one, perhaps Liam’s resistances weren't the highest, but did that even matter? At this rate, nothing could actually kill him.
"Frost Monarch... I was merely testing your strength just now. Don't misunderstand. I’ll change the quest requirements immediately."
"You 'tested' me, so now everything is fine?" Liam’s voice was low, carrying a heavy, suffocating pressure. "Do I look like someone who's easy to push around?"
"Frost Monarch, surely we should be friends, shouldn't we?"
"I treated you like a friend before, but your business ethics leave much to be desired."
"It was just a joke, wasn't it?" The Overseer clearly had no desire to keep fighting.
Liam remained unmoved. "Jokes have prices. Tell you what—I won't be greedy. Give me the Dungeon Keystone for the Demon's Den, and we'll call it even."
The Overseer narrowed his eyes, staring intensely at Liam. "I’m truly curious, Frost Monarch... who are you? You know my Infinite Shadow-Mist Step inside and out, and you even know I hold the secret key to the Demon’s Den dungeon."
Liam didn't bother explaining. He simply asked, "So, are you giving it to me or not?"
The Overseer’s face darkened. He stared at Liam for several minutes, silence hanging heavy in the air.
"I can give you the Dungeon Keystone, but the quest requirements for the Night-Walkers remain."
Liam shook his head. "The Keystone is the price for your 'joke.' If you want me to help the Night-Walkers establish a regime in the Astral Kingdom, I'm going to need additional benefits."
"Otherwise," Liam added, his voice dropping to a chill, "I’ll just kill you and take the Keystone from your corpse."
The Overseer’s fists clenched. For a moment, he looked ready to lash out again. Liam’s demands were nothing short of extortion. He couldn't accept a single one of them!
And yet, he had to choose: continue the fight or compromise.
Frost Monarch was too powerful. If they truly became enemies, not just him, but the entire Demon's Den would likely be wiped out. By agreeing, he might at least maintain a connection with this monster. If he refused, the consequences would be catastrophic. Even if he managed to kill Liam now, it would be pointless; Liam would just come back.
"Fine."
"I’ll give you the Keystone. But if you're helping the Night-Walkers establish a regime, what kind of 'additional benefits' are you looking for?"
"That depends on what you have left to offer."
The Overseer threw his head back and laughed. "I thought you knew everything about me. It seems there are still things that escape you."
"Stop wasting time. If you don't have what I want, we have nothing to talk about."
The Overseer raised his hand, revealing a withered, dried-up flower. "Do you recognize this?"
Liam frowned, the item looking familiar. Then, his eyes widened in genuine disbelief.
"The Innate Talent Bloom of Ascension?!"
"Interesting. I’m becoming more and more curious about you, Frost Monarch. How could a player like you possibly recognize this?"
Liam offered no explanation. "If this is the reward, then we have a deal."
"Good."
The Innate Talent Bloom of Ascension was an item capable of evolving a person's Innate Talent. While it was rare for it to jump an entire grade in one go, providing a significant boost was well within its capabilities.
For example, Barney’s bond talent might go from binding ten people to eleven. Or, he might gain a fourth attribute to inherit beyond just HP, Armor, and Magic Resist. The same logic applied to Monty; his AP multiplier might jump from five times to six or seven. No matter the direction, the Bloom of Ascension was an incredibly broken item.
I wonder if this will even work on my Beyond God-Tier talent... Liam thought.
According to what he knew, the higher the grade of the Innate Talent, the less effective the Bloom of Ascension became. There were no concrete statistics from his past life because only about twenty cases of its use were ever made public.
Aside from one person who jumped from Mystic Grade to Earth Grade, no one else had managed a grade-shirting evolution. Most simply saw their existing talent effects enhanced. One Divine Grade talent holder had used it, but their talent only received a marginal boost.
System: The Veiled Overseer has issued a quest.
Requirement: Assist the Night-Walkers in establishing their own sovereign power within the Astral Kingdom.
Penalty: Unknown.
Reward: Innate Talent Bloom of Ascension.
Do you accept?
"Accept."
Liam didn't hesitate. He then pulled out the prerequisite Quest Scroll. "And this? I believe you owe me a change of terms."
The Overseer waved his hand, and the text on the scroll shifted. The requirement to establish a regime for the Night-Walkers was replaced with a much simpler task: give the Overseer a single Copper Bit.
Liam tossed a coin to the Overseer, and the Blessing of the Gods: Prelude Scroll was instantly completed.
A smile finally broke across Liam’s face. He had secured another Blessing of the Gods.
"Use Blessing of the Gods."
System: You have received the Divine Blessing of Lord Laozi...
System: You have obtained Trinity Manifestation...
Liam stared at the prompt, stunned. What kind of god-tier luck is this?
Furthermore, why would a Blessing handed out by the Overseer be a Divine Blessing from Lord Laozi?
Thinking back to the Divine Blessing of the Weaver of Fate he had received earlier, Liam formed a bold hypothesis. These prerequisite scrolls likely originated from the Primordial Eastern Empire. Therefore, any Divine Blessing triggered by them would belong to the Eastern Deities, regardless of the NPC who handed the scroll over.
By the mid-to-late stages of the game, the key to the Blessing of the Gods usually depended on the identity of the quest giver. Someone like the Overseer clearly had nothing to do with Lord Laozi, making it impossible to receive Laozi's blessing through him under normal circumstances.
The advance reading chapters on have reached 12chapters. Thank you for reading!
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