Chapter 67: Meeting the Drought-Bringer
Liam’s arrows flew with blistering speed and treacherous angles, yet they still failed to pierce the Young Scholar’s Nine-Blade Ward.
The Young Scholar watched Liam with a nonchalant expression. He had even abandoned his own offensive, simply observing Liam with a playful, mocking gaze.
His posture made it clear—he was treating Liam like a clown in a circus.
Full three minutes passed, and Liam still hadn't broken through the Nine-Blade Ward.
Furthermore, Skyfire Meteor had triggered over a dozen times during the barrage, but it remained utterly ineffective.
Worst of all, because Liam's attacks dealt no substantial damage to the Young Scholar, he hadn't managed to stack a single point of HP during those three minutes.
His Transcendent Grade Innate Talent required Basic Attacks to deal actual damage to a living being to stack the health bonus.
Liam halted his assault, frowning as he stared at the Young Scholar.
The Young Scholar smiled faintly. "Well? The attacks you're so proud of can't even touch me."
Liam wasn't discouraged. He had encountered many powerful foes, and the Young Scholar’s Sword Kinesis was indeed peerless.
But everything had a limit.
The Nine-Blade Ward was formidable, but the Spectral Blades possessed limited Durability.
Under such masterful Sword Kinesis, the rate of Durability loss might be slowed, but Liam's arrows carried massive amounts of True Damage. Even against an existence like the Young Scholar, the Durability of those Spectral Blades was steadily ticking down.
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
Liam struck again. He wanted to see exactly how long the Young Scholar’s Spectral Blades could hold out.
"Still haven't given up?"
The Young Scholar’s expression remained composed, completely unfazed by the incoming barrage.
Liam’s fire rate of a hundred arrows per second still couldn't shatter the Nine-Blade Ward.
Moreover, judging by the trigger rate of Skyfire Meteor, the Young Scholar’s Luck State had to be significantly higher than his own.
Despite the one-percent proc chance, the meteor only triggered three or four times a minute.
Aside from Luck, there was also the issue of Level suppression.
In Twilight of the Gods, there was no explicit penalty for Level suppression, but Liam knew it existed.
It didn't manifest in raw attack or defense stats, but rather in the suppression of probabilities and crowd control effects.
For instance, if a control skill was meant to stun a target for one second, but the enemy was ten Levels higher than the caster, the effect might only last 0.5 seconds or less.
The same logic applied to probability-based effects.
Liam’s Skyfire Meteor had a one-percent trigger rate, but when attacking a higher-level opponent, that probability might drop to 0.5 percent or even lower.
This gap was never directly displayed on the attribute panel.
It was a mechanic that players only gradually pieced together during the mid-game, as they realized that Luck State wasn't the only factor affecting RNG.
Liam was currently Level 50, sitting right at the threshold of the Second Advancement.
Even if the Young Scholar benefited from Level suppression, it shouldn't be too absurd.
The level cap for The Astral Kingdom was the Second Advancement. While a few exceptional entities might have surpassed that limit, they were the extreme minority.
Having reasoned this out, Liam refused to lose heart and resumed his relentless Berserker-style output.
A moment later, a smile played across the Young Scholar’s lips.
"Clever. You're trying to drain my weapon's Durability to defeat me?"
The Young Scholar’s grin widened. "In that case, let me show you the meaning of true despair!"
Liam’s brow furrowed. Was the Young Scholar finally going for the kill?
The Young Scholar raised his hand and gave a sharp command: "Sword, To Me!"
Following his voice, Spectral Blades flew out from behind him one after another. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand Spectral Blades hovered in the sky.
The Young Scholar looked at Liam mockingly. "Now then, do you still think your little scheme will work?"
Liam sucked in a sharp breath. He knew the Young Scholar was strong, but he hadn't expected something this ridiculous.
"Remember, there is always a higher heaven and a greater power."
Liam gave a helpless smile. "I overstepped."
"But what is this place? You clearly aren't just dungeon monsters."
If the Young Scholar were a standard dungeon mob, the dungeon would be impossible to clear.
Who could fight this before their Second Advancement?
Liam had stacked over six million HP, yet he couldn't even scratch the man.
Unless he kept stacking. Ten million? Fifty million? Would he need a hundred million HP for it to matter?
"This is Eventide Town, a border settlement of The Primordial Eastern Empire."
"The Primordial Eastern Empire? A border town?"
Liam’s lips twitched as he couldn't help but ask, "Are you the legendary hidden experts I've heard about?"
The Young Scholar shook his head with a bitter smile. "Eventide Town does indeed have a hidden powerhouse, but it isn't me. I’ve only reached a minor level of cultivation. I’m considered strong here in Eventide Town, but in the eyes of the Empire, I am naught but an ant."
"The Empire is that terrifying?" Liam exhaled sharply.
The Young Scholar nodded. "Naturally. In the Empire, masters who command the laws and move mountains are everywhere."
Liam frowned. He didn't think the Young Scholar was lying.
If he was telling the truth, then the powerhouses of The Primordial Eastern Empire were far stronger than those in The Western Domains.
"If that's the case, why did the Empire fall into its long slumber?" Liam asked.
The Young Scholar’s eyes narrowed as he shook his head. "I don't know. That is beyond my reach."
"To be precise, few beneath the gods can explain it. The slumber was a decision made by the gods; it wasn't something us mortals could influence."
Liam’s frown deepened. "Then this place is..."
"Not long ago, the power of the Lord of the Mortal Sanctum began its Resurgence. Eventide Town followed suit. However, because the overarching fate cannot be resisted, we can only remain hidden within The Desiccated Abode."
Liam was surprised. "So, you weren't originally here?"
"Correct."
"What about Hanba the Drought-Bringer? I’ve wanted to meet her ever since I released her."
The Young Scholar shook his head. "I do not know. Her former residence lies ahead. If you wish to see her, perhaps look there. You might find something unexpected."
Liam bowed respectfully. "I’ve been working to aid the Empire's Resurgence. Would you be willing to assist me?"
The Young Scholar arched an eyebrow. "Looking for rewards?"
Liam nodded with an embarrassed smile. "It's too difficult to bring about the Resurgence on my own."
"Fine."
The Young Scholar nodded. "But you must prove your worth first. Return to me after you have cleared this dungeon, and I will grant you some benefits."
"No problem."
Liam cupped his hands in a parting gesture and turned to leave.
Passing through Eventide Town, the landscape returned to the ubiquitous lava pools.
As Liam walked through them, his health began to tick down again.
-100,000.
-100,000.
Losing over a hundred thousand HP per second was a direct threat, but Liam didn't care.
He hadn't gone far before a red-furred humanoid figure erupted from the magma.
Scarlet Ember-Ghoul (Silver Grade): Level 50
HP: 60,000,000 / 60,000,000
Attack: 69,692
Skills: Magma Burst, Phantom Flame Claws, Soul Immolation, Pyre Rebirth, Searing Conflagration, Primal Blaze, Unstoppable, Berserk.
A bit formidable.
Sixty million HP and nearly seventy thousand Attack—those stats were quite terrifying for a Silver Grade.
But to Liam, it was just another mob.
The HP was high, but the Attack was mediocre.
Judging by its skills, the Scarlet Ember-Ghoul was a magic-based monster.
The moment the creature appeared, a ball of fire ignited within Liam’s chest.
-99,999.
-99,999.
The massive damage numbers popping up were significant, but Liam remained unmoved as he loosed his arrows.
With his current Life-Steal, this level of damage was trivial.
The Scarlet Ember-Ghoul was fast, capable of dodging some of Liam’s shots.
But Liam’s arrows were too dense to be completely avoided.
Furthermore, there was no Level suppression against the Ghoul. Even if there was a gap in Luck State, it wasn't insurmountable.
Under Liam’s Berserker storm of arrows, the Scarlet Ember-Ghoul collapsed in less than five seconds.
And that was without Liam even using Quintuple Volley.
At twenty Basic Attacks per second, with each dealing over 400,000 damage, his DPS was over eight million.
In reality, it was higher because of critical hits and the passive effects of Glacial Gaze.
His actual damage per second was well over ten million.
This was without even factoring in procs for Skyfire Meteor or Death Cycle. If either of those triggered, the Ghoul would have died even faster.
One, two, three...
Killing the Scarlet Ember-Ghouls was effortless. Liam swept through them, carving a path through the pack with ease.
If this place is like the Ruins of the Frost-Corpse, there must be something to stop this constant health drain, Liam thought.
However, he hadn't triggered such a reward yet.
He probably hadn't fully completed the objectives back in Eventide Town.
Of course, this was just his speculation.
Death in the Ruins of the Frost-Corpse meant being stuck in the dungeon, whereas The Desiccated Abode simply kicked you out upon death.
In that sense, the difficulty here was actually lower than the Traces of the Frost-Corpse.
Shaking off these thoughts, Liam continued forward.
After thinning out the Scarlet Ember-Ghouls, Liam’s HP had increased by a meager seven thousand points—a negligible gain.
Continuing onward, the settlement disappeared.
In its place stood a temple.
The temple was in ruins, appearing as though it had been maliciously ransacked and smashed.
Among the shattered divine tablets, Liam spotted a single character: God.
He rummaged through the broken pieces until he finally pieced together the name on the tablet.
"The Sanctum of Aridity!"
The Drought God?
Liam had researched this before. The Drought God referred to the Daughter of the Yellow Emperor, Hanba the Drought-Bringer.
She was also known as Nüba, the Drought Demon.
Liam entered the Sanctum. The interior was trashed beyond recognition; even the central statue had been reduced to nothing but a stone base.
He scouted the Sanctum but found nothing of value.
Well, there was one thing: the health drain stopped while he was inside.
The Daughter of the Yellow Emperor was considered one of the ten great ancient demon gods. She had played a massive role in the war between the Golden Emperor and Chiyou the Primordial.
It made sense for her to have a temple.
But why was it destroyed?
Was it like the Mortal Sanctum he had encountered before—had another player taken a quest that resulted in this place being leveled?
But that didn't seem right. At this stage, who else could have made it this far besides him?
Deciding there was nothing left to find, Liam pressed on.
Strangely, the health drain didn't return. The lava ahead had vanished, replaced by... snow and ice.
A region covered in frost inside this fiery dungeon.
Liam was surprised but didn't dwell on it. He pushed forward to see what lay ahead.
However, as soon as he stepped into the frozen wasteland, he realized something was wrong.
The Sanctum of Aridity behind him had vanished. Everything in every direction was nothing but ice and snow.
Liam narrowed his eyes and activated The Immaculate Eye, attempting to see through the environment.
He failed.
His Immaculate Eye couldn't pierce this illusion.
"Interesting."
Liam raised his hand and fired an arrow.
The arrow pierced the air, flying over a thousand meters before disappearing.
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
Liam kept firing arrows into the distance. He needed to ensure he was walking in a straight line.
If he relied on his intuition, he would likely drift off course and end up walking in circles in this white void.
But by following the path of his arrows, he could maintain a perfectly straight heading.
This way, reaching the end was only a matter of time.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes...
Liam felt the biting chill around him begin to ebb.
Up ahead, a voice spoke calmly. "You are quite clever."
Liam spun around.
Standing before him was a woman dressed in azure robes.
???: ???
HP: ???
Attack: ???
Skills: ???
Nothing but question marks again. Liam frowned.
"Who are you?"
The Lady in Azure’s form shifted abruptly, her body becoming engulfed in raging flames.
"Hanba the Drought-Bringer!"
Liam had released her with his own hands; he recognized her instantly.
Hanba reverted to her form as the Lady in Azure, looking at Liam with a tranquil gaze.
"It has only been a few days, and yet we meet again."
Liam smiled bitterly. "I didn't expect to find your true self in this dungeon."
The real Hanba far surpassed the limits of the Second Advancement. He had zero chance of fighting her.
"No, this is not my true self."
Hanba shook her head. "This is merely a clone."
"I know what you have been doing lately, trying to bring about the Resurgence of The Primordial Eastern Empire."
"However... I do not wish for you to succeed."
Liam’s eyes narrowed. "Why?"
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