NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29
Chapter 29: The Ascension Box
Vilyric spoke seriously, pointing at the open book’s table of contents, “Before we begin serious teaching, there’s an important question. Liliya, regardless of whether you succeed or not, you must first clarify what you want to learn and what kind of path you wish to take.”
“Remember, opportunities come only once; once chosen, there’s no taking it back.”
Actually, there are things like cleansing water that allow players to relearn skills, and someone has that in their item inventory right now.
But for players, attributes, equipment, and pets are quite hard to change once established, so Vilyric’s words were not a lie.
“I…”
Liliya opened her mouth, hesitating on what to say.
It was clear she simply craved power. Whether she wanted to become an unbeatable archer like Hua, or master miraculous healing like Vilyric, or something else entirely, she hadn’t really thought it through.
To the princess, just having an existence surpassing human intelligence willing to listen to her requests and grant her power was already fulfilling. Who would have thought there would even be a chance to choose?
Seeing the princess hesitate, Vilyric wasn’t surprised.
“Don’t rush into conclusions. Liliya can go back and think it over. This book can be temporarily kept with you, along with the glasses. But remember, until I give permission, you are forbidden from looking at the latter half. That’s not something you can comprehend or bear at your current stage.”
Vilyric wasn’t exaggerating. Though it was merely a catalog of skills from various games, each one presented direct imagery to the reader’s brain for comprehension.
If it were just a game, that’d be fine, but since it became a real object, Vilyric discovered that those advanced skills, especially the powerful magic above level 8, bore an unimaginably vast influx of information.
When casting the level 9 spell, “Heaven’s Blessing,” both Liliya and Hua claimed to see the phantom of an angel and heard holy hymns. That wasn’t an inherent effect of the skill.
After pondering, Vilyric speculated that perhaps their brains were influenced by the overwhelming high-level power, creating corresponding illusions related to the skill.
The effects caused by “Heaven’s Blessing” were relatively mild, but if the spell had been a more lethal one or if too much information were received at once, it could directly harm the psyche of lower-level beings.
Even visual images or the true name of a skill, Liliya should avoid unless she absolutely had to engage with it.
As for why perfectly good skills would turn into such a hazardous affair, Vilyric guessed it had to do with the differing laws of formation in this world, as Xiao Guang had mentioned.
Initially, Vilyric thought the princess might be confused or dismissive of her warning, but Liliya nodded earnestly, carefully stowing the thick black-covered skill book into her ring.
“Don’t worry, Sister Vilyric, I won’t misuse it.”
“Is that so… then fine. Here, take this as well, but don’t put it in your storage; remember to carry it on your person.”
Vilyric pushed a square, obviously uncomfortable metal box towards Liliya, explaining.
“This item is called the ‘Ascension Box,’ and it’s also a magical artifact or rather, a special piece of equipment.”
“It has two effects. One is to slowly enhance the wearer’s overall attributes… you might not understand that well, but simply put, as long as you wear it, your physical abilities will gradually increase, enabling you to fight strong opponents.”
“At the same time, this equipment can automatically negate one lethal attack dealing up to 99,999 points of damage… uh, how should I explain damage values…?”
Vilyric wore a pained expression and shouted in frustration.
“… Just think of it as a one-time invincibility, as long as your opponent isn’t too strong. However, after it’s activated, regardless of whether the shield value is depleted or not, the Ascension Box will enter a cooldown period of 24 hours, which means one day and night, got it?”
“…?!”
After hearing Vilyric’s somewhat strenuous explanation, Liliya nearly dropped the metal box in shock. Even though she was somewhat prepared mentally, maintaining her composure was still quite challenging.
An unconditional method to become stronger, an invulnerability once a day—such a terrifying ability surpassed the norm of magical equipment. In Liliya’s understanding, only true spiritual treasures could achieve such incredible feats.
The princess bit her lip, forcing herself not to look at the plain little box on the table. Her words held no denial; instead, she sincerely stated:
“… I’ve already accepted a significant favor from Sister Vilyric. I can’t accept such a precious divine object. Though the United Kingdom possesses treasured spiritual artifacts, they aren’t so easily retreivable even for a king; beyond that, I… can’t think of any way to repay it.”
“?”
That can’t be right. Though this item is indeed useful, it’s merely a special golden artifact that Vilyric acquired by chance during a quest many years ago. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, just a foundation for the weak princess.
If it were an ordinary person, Vilyric would certainly consider the risks of gifting such an item, but since Liliya is a noble princess, the Ascension Box would only benefit her.
Moreover, this item held no value for Vilyric now. Since she was giving it to Liliya, the Priestess had no intention of asking for anything in return. A stronger protectee would make her task much easier.
The greatest advantage of the Ascension Box is that, as a special item, it has no level requirements. If given to beginner players, it can indeed provide effects akin to ascension, but after leveling up, it returns to being mundane.
Firstly, the Ascension Box can only boost each of the three dimensions by 1,000 points, with HP/MP caps of 10,000 each. Beyond that number, the box’s first effect will no longer activate.
Resisting a lethal blow of 99,999 sounds appealing, but the cooldown is too long. Moreover, by the time you’re at max level, even an intellect-oriented player like Vilyric has health exceeding a million; a single skill can heal several hundred thousand, making that little shield practically negligible.
After reaching level 40, Vilyric had already switched to even better special equipment. She hadn’t disposed of this one just for keepsake. Now it perfectly suits Liliya’s circumstances.
Although she didn’t know the exact attribute conversion, judging by the princess’s condition, she estimated the combined three-dimension points to be under 100.
As long as Liliya maximizes the effects of the Ascension Box and learns some basic game skills, self-preservation should be manageable.
Moreover, since Liliya would soon lead an army out of the city, that invincibility skill might come in handy. At least legendary-tier opponents shouldn’t be able to break through the protective shield of the Ascension Box.
“This isn’t a precious item for me, Liliya, don’t overthink it; just accept it with peace of mind.”
“Since you’re learning alongside me, that makes me somewhat of a mentor too. Isn’t it a teacher’s duty to give a student a welcoming gift?”
At this point, Vilyric pretended to wipe nonexistent tears from her face with a sad expression, “Or do you think, Your Highness, that someone like me, a commoner, isn’t worthy of being your teacher…?”
“How could that be!”
Suddenly, the princess stood up in excitement for some reason. Upon meeting Vilyric’s teasing smile, she shyly lowered her head, nervously changing the topic.
“Uh… what I meant was, Sister Vilyric, as a… um, as a legendary super strong individual, it’s my honor for you to wish to be my teacher. I’ll… I’ll accept it. Um… do I need to perform a ceremony? I’ve heard many strong individuals place great importance on such things…”
Hehe, the princess is really easy to tease.
Vilyric felt a sense of success, as if she had amused her little pet.
Xiao Guang: …?