Chapter 63: Skill Upgrade [Wraith Symbiosis]

The journey to the fifth floor was naturally fraught with layer upon layer of interception by the Wanderers.

Some Wanderers even leapt directly down from the higher floors like dumplings, densely packed and overwhelming.

To be honest, once their numbers reached a certain threshold, there was no essential difference between twenty, a hundred, or five hundred of them. They were endless to kill anyway, and the attack area was limited, making it impossible for all of them to swarm the players at once.

The only obstacle was that they blocked the path, making the players' movement exceptionally difficult.

Moreover, this process was extremely draining on physical stamina.

However, Bai Ming volunteered to take over from Su Yege as the main vanguard clearing the path.

"Frost, you consumed three hundred points of willpower just signing the contract earlier, and then you cast the falling thunder; your willpower loss is not insignificant. Let me handle this."

Su Yege calmly replied, "I have equipment that restores willpower and reduces consumption, as well as a specialty that increases my maximum willpower limit."

Bai Ming paused. "..."

He hesitated for a moment and changed his tactic. "But you are our primary damage dealer; you need to conserve your state to deal with the final battle."

Su Yege spoke with a serious tone, "This isn't a matter of who the main force is. The most important thing is—can you hold out?"

"If not, you might as well let me continue."

"I have potions; my combat effectiveness won't drop."

Bai Ming said, "Didn't I tell you not to carry such a heavy sense of responsibility? Sometimes you can choose to leave things to others. For instance, why not trust your teammate now?"

"Do you take me for the irresponsible type who treats their own life as a joke?"

Su Yege glanced at him and muttered in a volume that was barely audible, "I think you are."

The sharp whistle of a longsword cutting through the air happened to cover her whisper, and Bai Ming didn't hear it clearly. "What did you say?"

Su Yege's expression remained unchanged. "I said, 'What you said makes sense.' Remember, the moment you feel you can't hold on, you must call me immediately. You are absolutely not allowed to push yourself."

Bai Ming nodded. "Understood."

Thus, Su Yege pressed the issue no further. She retreated to the rear, guarding the end of the formation to conserve her resources.

Bai Ming swung his long staff, sweeping away the Wanderers in front of him. As he fought, he actually began to drift off mentally.

But it didn't matter. His perception stat, as high as twenty points, endowed him with an instinct akin to sensing danger just in time to evade it, perfectly complementing the formidable nature of Cowardly Mouse.

The Wanderers' attacks could barely touch a hair on him.

Yet his staff strikes could completely obliterate a Wanderer with a single blow.

Therefore, being slightly distracted was no big deal.

The reason for Bai Ming's distraction was simple: he was pondering the evolutionary direction of Haunting Spirits after it upgraded to the D-minus rank, Symbiotic Wraiths.

Leveling up skills in Twilight Game was not a fixed template; instead, it offered five evolutionary choices for players to select from.

[Consume 2 Skill Points]

[Your E-plus rank "Haunting Spirits" has been upgraded to D-minus rank "Symbiotic Wraiths"]

[You may choose one enhancement from the following options]

[Option 1: While Symbiotic Wraiths is active, your Armor Class gains a +1 insight bonus]

[Option 2: While Symbiotic Wraiths is active, your Attack Accuracy gains a +1 insight bonus]

[Option 3: While Symbiotic Wraiths is active, your Damage gains a +1 insight bonus]

[Option 4: While Symbiotic Wraiths is active, your Reflex Saving Throws gain a +1 insight bonus]

[Option 5: While Symbiotic Wraiths is active, your maximum vitality is increased by 20%]

[Note: 1 point of Reflex Saving Throw is equivalent to the reflex-saving effect provided by 2 points of Agility attribute]

Options 1, 4, and 5 all leaned toward defense.

According to data from the relevant authorities, Option 1 directly improved defense—the kind of defense meant for meeting force with force.

Option 4 fell under increasing reflex capabilities, thereby dodging damage.

Option 5 raised the maximum limit of vitality, which was equivalent to prolonging the duration of Symbiotic Wraiths, or becoming a bit tankier to increase the margin for error.

Options 2 and 3 leaned toward offense, improving accuracy and damage respectively.

To be honest, all of these enhancements were quite good, leaving Bai Ming somewhat hesitant.

Yet he quickly figured it out.

Even if being a hexahacked all-rounder was perfect, only by stacking one's strengths could one truly elevate their competitive edge within Twilight Game.

Was Bai Ming's evasion ability strong?

Very strong. Aside from wide-area attacks, almost nothing could counter it.

The ghosts in the instances had never managed to hit him when he didn't want them to.

However, the enemies' strength was endless. Take this instance for example—who knew what kind of abilities the Royal Court players Shadow Hunter and Crystal Rose possessed?

What if one of them managed to hit him?

Bai Ming actually wanted to be a player who specialized purely in instances.

However, among the dangers within instances, most monsters were secondary; he was fully capable of handling them himself.

Yet those players whose skills were entirely unknown were the ones causing the utmost trouble.

Once locked onto by them, his already mediocre defense would likely be breached instantly.

And once breached, the damage might just be so excessively high that he would drop dead on the spot.

Therefore, he had to ensure the enemy could never land a hit on him.

[Symbiotic Wraiths]

[Type: Skill]

[Rank: D-]

[Effect: Actively activated to let a vengeful spirit possess you, increasing all your attributes by 1 point.]

[Additionally, Reflex Saving Throws gain a +1 insight bonus.]

[During the possession, you suffer unmitigated bleeding damage per second equal to 1% of your total vitality.]

[Pain sensitivity is increased by 30%.]

[There is a 1% probability of the wraith turning on you.]

[If vitality falls below 50%, there is a 5% probability of the wraith turning on you.]

[If vitality falls below 30%, there is a 10% probability of the wraith turning on you.]

[If vitality falls below 20%, there is a 20% probability of the wraith turning on you.]

[If vitality falls below 10%, there is a 50% probability of the wraith turning on you.]

[If vitality falls below 5%, there is a 99% probability of the wraith turning on you.]

[Backlash effect: Immediately terminates the skill and inflicts the "Fear" status.]

[Under the Fear status, all attributes are reduced by 2, and you are stunned for 2 seconds.]

[Consumption: 200 Willpower]

[Prerequisites: Constitution ≥ 13, Perception ≥ 13, Willpower ≥ 5]

[Upgrade Cost: 2 Skill Points]

[Flavor Text: This is not a contract, but a predator's patient game—you think you are manipulating the darkness, but the darkness is merely counting your heartbeats.]

...

Inside the Sanctuary of the Gods.

Shadow Hunter's ears twitched slightly, and his expression grew grave. "They're here. How could it be this fast? The Wanderer siege lasted such a short time?"

Crystal Rose let out a cold snort. "They are government dogs, after all; they're bound to have a few tricks up their sleeves."

Shadow Hunter listened intently, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. "Something's wrong. The sound coming through isn't the tearing of blades through the air, but the heavy impact of a staff."

"Frost didn't attack? Is it that staff-wielding player, Heavenless, clearing the path?"

"No! That's not right. If it were just Heavenless, logically speaking, he shouldn't have such an efficient clearing speed. Could it be some other special item with a staff-strike effect?"

"But to arrive this fast, they must have consumed precious items to break through. It seems they possess the ability to foresee danger, leaving us no time to prepare."

Hearing this, Crystal Rose wore a cruel smile on her face. "Prepare? For a mere Level 5 player, what kind of preparation is needed?"

"No matter who comes, or what methods they use—if those government dogs dare to set foot within the sanctuary's range, they will all die!"