Chapter 272: Pokémon? No, Scarlet Knight Evolution!

"There's no harm in trying, right?"

Yun Mu gripped the Scarlet Cross Sword tightly, assuming a stance ready to attack.

"Take this, 'Too Lazy to Think of a Name' Sword!"

She let out a roar, lunged forward, and slashed the sharp blade against the Giant Treasure Chest.

【-63!】

"Ugh-ahhhhhhh!"

The Giant Treasure Chest's body shuddered, emitting a miserable shriek completely different from Xiaoqie's.

The sound was exceptionally ear-piercing, like a severely worn-out speaker.

However, Yun Mu didn't care about that at the moment.

"It worked!" She looked down at her hands gripping the Scarlet Cross Sword in surprise; she hadn't expected to actually be able to deal damage.

And it looked like the damage wasn't low, either! If -63 accounted for the Giant Treasure Chest's defense, did that mean it was 126 points? The Scarlet Cross Sword's attack power was 14, but with the buff from the passive skill 【Scarlet】...

A Bloodline user would gain an additional 5 points of attack power when using this weapon.

Hmm. Sixty-five plus nineteen, eighty-four points of attack power, with a +50% damage modifier?

Could it be related to her lv5 Swordsmanship level?

That didn't seem right; didn't she also have the 【Sword Genius】 trait? Logically speaking, that last strike should have been the effect of 【Swordsmanship lv8】.

At lv8 Swordsmanship, was the damage modifier for a basic attack +50%?

That didn't seem unacceptable; after all, it was just a basic attack.

After she finished that swing, the system hadn't even prompted her that she'd gained a new skill.

Moreover, if her guess was correct, once her Swordsmanship reached lv6, she should obtain the same 【Sword Mastery】 trait as Lucy.

When using a sword as a weapon, damage modifier +20%, critical hit +2%.

In player terms, this trait was a must-have skill for any character using a sword! Wait, hold on—could you get this bonus as long as the weapon was a sword?

She suddenly had a bold idea: when Lucy cast Blade Zuofa, the weapon condensed from starlight was a sword, which was why she could enjoy the Sword Mastery bonus.

If she used a sword-shaped staff, could she make her spell skills benefit from the Sword Mastery bonus too?

In reality, this would certainly be impossible, but inside a game Dungeon... this bug—no, feature, right, it was a feature—should be achievable.

"Better forget it." She suddenly remembered that the Game Panel would update.

The last update had fixed the bug where the attack power of multiple weapons would stack; heaven knows what the next update would fix.

As a normal player, it was better for her to exploit these bugs as little as possible.

Besides, when it came down to it, she didn't even know where to find a sword-shaped staff!

【The Giant Treasure Chest begins to act!】

【Lucky Coin!】

【Throw a coin from a money bag. When the coin lands heads up—restore 30% of your maximum health, deal damage to the opponent equal to the amount restored, and immediately take one extra action; this action is guaranteed to be a critical hit!

Even if no attack is made, the critical hit effect is preserved until the next attack ends.

When the coin lands tails up—summon the Thunder of judgment, deduct 10% of current health, and have a chance to be afflicted with paralysis.】

【Note: This skill can only be cast once per turn.】

The combat prompts on the Game Panel pulled Yun Mu's wandering thoughts back.

She looked at the Giant Treasure Chest and saw it spitting a golden coin into the air.

Relying on her vision, which far exceeded that of an ordinary person, Yun Mu clearly saw the patterns on both sides of the coin—the front was a golden money bag, and the back was an eye painted with blue dye.

A fifty-fifty success rate; what a gambler's playstyle.

After reading the skill effect of 【Lucky Coin】, Yun Mu evaluated it in her heart.

Was a fifty percent probability high? As a "non-chief" player who often hit the hard pity in mobile games, she could tell anyone with full responsibility.

It wasn't high; fifty percent really wasn't high. Never mind fifty percent, even seventy-five percent was far less reliable than it looked.

Therefore, Yun Mu waited for the moment the Giant Treasure Chest landed on tails! However... the Lucky Coin tumbled in the air and landed on the Giant Treasure Chest's tongue; looking at the pattern, it seemed to be heads.

Damn it, what a lucky guy! Yun Mu couldn't help but complain in her heart.

【+38】

【Giant Treasure Chest: 103/128】

Pale green healing numbers jumped out from the top of the Giant Treasure Chest. Because the Lucky Coin successfully landed on heads, the opponent could act for another turn, and in this turn, any attack released was guaranteed to be a critical hit. Besides that, at the same time the Lucky Coin's healing effect took place, a damage number equal to the healing amount popped up above the Knight.

【-38】

【Knight: 27/65】

That was close; it was a good thing she had gone Camping once before leaving the Blacksmith Shop to restore the Knight's health to full.

Otherwise, if hit by that attack, he would likely have entered the Near Death state on the spot.

Could it target who to deal damage to?

It seemed the opponent knew very well who was the easiest to take down.

The Knight, who appeared to be the tankiest while wearing a full set of heavy plate armor, was actually the most fragile of the four-person squad.

Although this was partly due to equipment, it was enough to show that the Knight's current strength was indeed failing to keep up with the progress.

Once she finished off this Treasure Chest, she would use the invitation to the Bloody Training Ground!

She would give the Knight a proper upgrade! Provided that... he could survive this battle.

【Acid Spit!】

The Giant Treasure Chest opened its huge mouth and spat a mouthful of dark green Corrosive liquid directly at the Knight's position.

Due to its massive size, the range of the Acid Spit far exceeded that of an ordinary small Treasure Chest; the Knight had nowhere to dodge and could only be splashed with the acid.

【-0!】 (Critical Hit!!)

【Corrosion!】 (Deducts 5 HP from the target every turn) 【Lucy begins her turn!】

"Hmm." It was Lucy's turn to act. Yun Mu pondered for a moment and said, "Lucy, use the active skill of the Book of Profanity on me, Profane."

Originally, she had intended for Lucy to use Life Conversion to convert her own HP into the Scarlet Knight's health.

But after a second thought, she felt there was no need for that.

It would be better to test the effects of the new equipment.

【Profane!】

Lucy raised the Book of Profanity in her hand. As a pink light descended from the sky, the pages of the Book of Profanity began to flip without any wind.

"Rustle, rustle."

Yun Mu felt something strange in her body; her breathing quickened, her face flushed hot, and her legs began to rub together uncontrollably. 【Desire +10】

【Damage Modifier +20% / Critical Hit +8%】

So the effect of Desire +10 is this intense!? It's more than twice as strong as the previous effect of 【Immoral Notebook】 +5 Desire! Fortunately, her Focus attribute is quite high, so she was still able to suppress these strange sensations. Those reactions just now were merely because it was her first time using the active skill of the Book of Profanity, and she had been caught off guard by being unaccustomed to it.

As long as she prepared in advance, these... these were nothing to worry about. 【Brave Goblin begins its turn!】

According to the speed, it was the Brave Goblin's turn to act.

Nothing much to say; as a tool character for applying vulnerability, just using 【Command Lock】 is enough.

"Waa-woo-ow!"

The Brave Goblin muttered in an unknown beast language and raised its hand to point at the Giant Treasure Chest.

In an instant, a scarlet mark appeared beneath the Giant Treasure Chest's health bar.

Finally, it was the Scarlet Knight's turn. Nothing much to say; use 【Call Mount】 to summon the pony to prevent sudden death.

【Current Turn Number: 2】

【Player Yun Mu acts first!】

"Ha!"

Once again, it was her turn to act. Yun Mu raised the Scarlet Cross Sword and slashed down onto the top of the Giant Treasure Chest.

Counting the 【Mark】 effects from 【Profane】 and 【Command Lock】, the damage she dealt this time was 【-158!】 (Critical Hit!!)

"Ugh, ah!"

The Giant Treasure Chest's body was split in two directly by Yun Mu. Because of the sudden critical hit, the opponent didn't even have time to Struggle before its health bar was emptied.

It couldn't exactly be called sudden, though, considering the effects of her equipment and skills.

The critical hit rate of that sword strike just now had already reached 39%, close to the number 40... It's just that she hadn't expected the damage boost after a critical hit to be so exaggerated.

With that number, even if the Giant Treasure Chest had been at full health, she could have killed it in one strike.

No wonder the critical hit attribute is so hard to obtain. She really couldn't imagine what it would be like if, one day, her critical hit rate stacked up to one hundred percent. 【Detected effect of player Path 【Desire】, roll the Dice? Yes/No】 "Yes, yes, hurry up and roll." Watching the loot settlement notification, Yun Mu urged decisively.

Rumble... 【16】

A silvery-white radiance shone on her face. Ten percent.

As long as it wasn't a single digit, she no longer hoped for the maximum value.

【Affected by 【Desire Dice】, the loot you gained in this battle has increased by 16%!】

【You obtained 【Gold Coin】 *3720!】 (Desire Dice +16%, Pickpocketing +8%)

【You obtained a large amount of EXP!】 (Desire Dice +16%)

【After arduous training and study, your passive skill 【Swordsmanship lv5】 has increased to 【Swordsmanship lv6】!】 【Your Attack +4】

【You obtained the trait 【Sword Mastery】!】 【When using a sword as a weapon, Damage +20%, Critical Hit +2%】

【You obtained the item 【Treasure Chest Heart (Blue)】 and the equipment 【Lucky Gold Coin (Blue)】!】 【Treasure Chest Heart (Blue)】

【A core left behind after a Treasure Chest dies; it is an extremely precious alchemy material.】

【If left alone, in a few years, the dead Treasure Chest will resurrect~】

【Lucky Gold Coin (Blue)】

【Lucky +1 / Critical Hit +2%】

【Active Skill: Lucky Gold Coin】

【Flip a gold coin; when it lands face up—restore 30% of your maximum HP, deal damage to the opponent equal to the amount restored, then immediately act once, and this action's attack is guaranteed to be a critical hit.】

【Those who attempt to rely on good luck will eventually be swallowed by bad luck, don't rely on it too much~】

"I don't need you to remind me."

Looking at the note at the very bottom of the 【Lucky Gold Coin】 equipment, Yun Mu's face darkened.

She was all too clear about her own luck; using equipment that relied on luck like this would definitely not end well.

Unless absolutely necessary, she would never use the active effect of this piece of equipment.

However, wearing it as a normal accessory seemed fine; she especially liked the +2% critical hit effect.

As for Lucky +1?

She didn't have any real sense of it for now, so she ignored it.

"Good doggy, come out and eat~"

Yun Mu summoned Chester from the Game Panel and held the core dropped by the Giant Treasure Chest in front of it.

"Gaba gaba gaba!"

Seemingly smelling the scent of its own kind, Xiaoqie's excitement was transmitted into Yun Mu's mind through the contract.

It seems the rumor Lucy mentioned earlier about Treasure Chests devouring each other is true.

Since that's the case, she would give this core to Chester and see what it could evolve into after eating it.

Hmm... It would be best if its body shape didn't change and it stayed as it was now. Also, the "gaba gaba" sound was quite cute, and she had already gotten used to it. If it were replaced by the hoarse roar of a Giant Treasure Chest... ugh, if it really turned into that, she might as well just finish Xiaoqie off.

Yun Mu told Xiaoqie all her thoughts and requirements, regardless of whether it could understand, and then, taking Lucy with her, she gently tore open the invitation to the Bloody Training Ground.

Hmm, just in case anyone has forgotten the effect of this item, Yun Mu displayed it once more.

【Invitation to the Bloody Training Ground (White)】

【After tearing the card within a Dungeon, the next area will be changed to 【Bloody Training Ground】】

【This is just an invitation, not a discount coupon; remember to keep it safe.】

The fork in the hallway ahead suddenly distorted, and then, a tunnel resembling a passage to another dimension appeared before Yun Mu and Lucy.

【Bloody Training Ground】

"Let's go."

Stowing Chester, who was drowsy after eating the Treasure Chest monster core, back into the Game Panel, Yun Mu turned to look at Lucy: "Let's go meet an acquaintance."

The acquaintance here naturally referred to Lucy and the instructor at the Bloody Training Ground, not herself, as the two sides had only met once after all.

"Come to think of it, who exactly is that instructor?" she asked Lucy with some curiosity.

The Scarlet Incident in the real world had already been resolved, and she was aware of Lucy's identity as the Queen of the Scarlet Court; given that, what was that instructor's identity?

"You mean him..." Hearing Yun Mu's question, a playful smile appeared on Lucy's face.

She rolled her eyes and said with a smile: "That person is my grandson, and he is also the instructor for the royal nobles of the Scarlet Court."

"... Be serious." Yun Mu's eyelid twitched; although she knew Lucy was joking, she was still a little flustered.

"I am not joking," Lucy said with a straight face: "The Scarlet Court only has me as its Queen, so take a guess, does the blood of my lineage flow within the members of the royal family?"

She paused, then suddenly thought of something and added: "Do you remember the faint Blood Clan bloodline in Princess Brenna?"

"Without a doubt, that is a direct descendant with my blood flowing through their veins."

(End of chapter)