Chapter Fifty-Five: The Gaze of the Morning Star

An enemy's defeat granted two level-ups in a row, meaning that while reaching level six had required 150 experience, now advancing to level seven demanded 200. Two levels gained at once! Not bad, not bad, Chen Qi thought, stretching his limbs in satisfaction.

According to his frequent visits to the Sunwalkers’ Guild forum, in-game experience could be earned not only by slaying enemies but also through certain profession quests and similar means, though these were less efficient than combat.

A semi-transparent notification appeared before his eyes:

[Please note, your physical body is now suffering from "Overexertion" and "Mental Fatigue." Continued combat will drain your health.]

After the battle, Chen Qi leaned wearily against the wall and examined his newly upgraded talents.

[Master of the Morning Star Lv2]

[Blessing of the Morning Star has been upgraded: Inspiration now increases by 15, and your mental resistance in darkness is greatly enhanced.]

Previously, Blessing of the Morning Star had only provided +10 Inspiration; now it was 15. The nighttime mental resistance boost had also evolved into a significant boost to mental resistance in darkness.

A considerable improvement.

His Inspiration had now reached 40—a commendable number.

He read on:

[New Talent Acquired—Vision of the Morning Star.]

[Description: The feeble star slowly regains a sliver of strength. A tiny ray of its starlight shines into the darkness, hoping to guide the lost toward the light.]

[When facing calamity, you can perceive its weaknesses and inflict an additional 50% damage to them.]

Weakness detection, and an impressive 50% damage bonus...

Besides his core talent, his previous ability [Morning Star's Appraisal] could identify calamities, while Vision of the Morning Star now revealed their weaknesses. The two talents combined—he was practically the bane of calamities!

Perhaps he could even change vocation to become a Calamity Hunter...

According to his recent trawls through the forums, calamities, while perilous, also promised untold treasures and rewards. Weapons crafted from calamity drops often held terrifying power and peculiar effects. On the Sunwalkers’ Guild forum, players preferred teaming up for calamity-hunting missions over bounty quests, and the Holy Calamity Society was particularly devoted to hunting calamities.

That was also rumored to be one reason why the Holy Calamity Society summoned calamities in the first place.

Not bad at all! Watching his talents evolve, Chen Qi felt a wave of relief surge through his battle-worn body as he examined the requirements for upgrading Master of the Morning Star to Lv3.

[Next Level Requirement: Come into contact with at least two fragments of the Morning Star’s outer shell.]

[Description: Since the star fell to this world, the fragments that once shielded its core have drifted away, and its light has faded ever since.]

[Reminder: When brought close to other fragments, the Morning Star can sense their presence.]

"...?"

So the requirement wasn’t another level, but rather two fragments of the Morning Star’s outer shell?

That surely didn’t refer to literal fragments of a star.

Chen Qi, momentarily puzzled, pulled out the Morning Star bracelet he’d always kept hidden beneath his clothes.

From the outside, the small white stone was clearly incomplete, with faint scratches and cracks along its edges.

Were there other such “fragments” elsewhere?

He could make neither head nor tail of it...

But aside from his talent upgrades, there was something else of great importance now—the mastery of [Flameblade Page]!

During the recent battle, he’d felt as if an elder brother were constantly instructing him, voices echoing through his mind, accompanied by visions of bizarre enemies.

Now, in his mind’s eye, a battlefield unfolded—endless foes rising from the graves and challenging him anew. Whenever he made a mistake in technique, the burning words etched across his skin would immediately correct him.

It was by relying on these skills that he’d managed to withstand the opponent’s wild attacks, even with some of his stats suppressed.

Chen Qi lifted the collar of his nightwalker tunic and gazed at the fiery script on his skin. With the battle over, those words began to slowly fade away.

They weren’t permanent—they would vanish on their own.

[You are physically exhausted and mentally fatigued, incapable of further combat. The Flameblade Page has been fully absorbed ahead of schedule.]

[Absorption Rate: Perfect.]

[Attribute Gains: Strength +8, Agility +2.]

[Your skill with the long blade has greatly improved, reaching a masterful level.]

[Special Ability Acquired—Affinity with Blackfire:
You gain resistance to the unique burning effects of “blackfire.”]

[Unique Trait Acquired: Cold Resistance (You have gained moderate resistance to cold.)]

Excellent attribute gains, and cold resistance as well! He’d spent the entire battle running through the chilling black flames.

Chen Qi exhaled a heavy breath, rose to his feet, and poured himself a cup of steaming water.

Drinking hot water is good for the body and mind.

Warmth radiated through him, soothing his frostbitten limbs.

To wound the enemy a thousand times is to harm oneself eight hundred times—such is the nature of Black Prison Fire.

Even though the sweeping black flames he’d unleashed had gravely wounded the female monstrosity, his own skin had been torn apart by their ferocity.

Blackfire’s burning was indiscriminate!

With these two new abilities, he could wield blackfire far more daringly.

Not bad at all!

Chen Qi couldn’t help but marvel; truly, the artifact dropped by the Eyeless One lived up to its reputation.

Yet now... he was startled to find the in-game notifications hadn’t ceased—the system continued churning out new messages!

[Black Prison Fire Basic Form, Study Progress: 80%]

[Technique Comprehended—Blackfire Domain.
Spirit Cost: 4

Description: In battle, you have discovered a unique method of wielding blackfire.
Effect: This technique creates a vast domain of low-temperature blackfire.
Within this field, blackfire inflicts cold and mental damage, as well as a unique burning and rending effect. Blackfire also disrupts enemy spiritual vision and the casting of normal arts.
Additionally, if an enemy’s spirit within the Blackfire Domain drops below 3, they will suffer a brief episode of special mental derangement.]

Blackfire Domain...

That was the very move he’d unintentionally unleashed against the Shadow of the Body—though at the time, it had consumed nearly all his remaining spirit.

Now the spirit cost shown on his panel was lower, and there was the added effect of mental derangement.

Not bad at all; now, in battle, he could open with the domain...

A few more fights, and he would completely master the basics of Black Prison Fire.

These rapid-fire skill notifications left Chen Qi feeling invigorated.

Hmm... there was still more.

Chen Qi glanced at the screen.

[You have survived a grueling battle.]

[Bloodblade Fruit, total absorption increased by: +51%. Current absorption: 83%!]

Such a huge leap!

Even with the intensity of the battle, that seemed excessive...

Wait—Chen Qi realized that the Bloodblade Fruit’s absorption increased through combat—could it be counting the battles waged in his mind just now as well!?

During the fight, thanks to the Flameblade Page, his mind had become a savage battlefield, endlessly dueling frenzied phantoms—even if those mental foes had annihilated him in a blink.

In his mind, he had waged an epic war!

Mental battles count as well... The purity of a madman’s brain, he mused.

Eighty-three percent! Soon, he would fully absorb the fruit.

At that moment, Chen Qi looked toward the Morning Star.

He stood up and gathered the broken, black-red stones scattered nearby.

As he picked them up, a highlighted notification appeared.

[You have obtained a shattered Heartshadow Stone.]