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nLed by the attendant to the backyard, Howard was greeted by Caitlin.

nSeeing Howard’s handsome visage, the irritation Caitlin felt from anxiously waiting melted into sheer joy. .

n“My dear,” Caitlin exclaimed, “Days have passed, yet you remain as dashing as ever, shining brilliantly like the stars above.”

nHearing this, the attendant shivered slightly, then quickly excused himself from the yard, discreetly closing the door behind.

nNeither Howard nor Caitlin paid much attention to the attendant’s departure.

nTo them, the true concern was whether they could continue their exploration of the Ruins.

nHoward went straight to the point, “After handing over those potions, what rewards did we receive? Can we continue our exploration of the Ruins?”

nRegretfully, Caitlin replied, “When I reported about the Ruins, the Church dispatched people overnight. By now, the Ruins are likely sealed, and we can’t access them anymore.” She sighed, “The Church’s urgency implies something extremely vital is hidden within those Ruins. Our exploration might have just scratched the surface.”

nUpon hearing this, Howard’s expression shifted, concern evident. “Given the Church’s urgency, what about our rewards?”

n“The rewards are splendid,” Caitlin replied with a smile. “Knowing the main contributors were the three of us, they granted me three Epic equipment pieces and three S-level skills. All handpicked by me, tailored to our professions. I believe you’ll be quite pleased.”

n“Oh?”

nDespite already owning several pieces of Epic equipment, Howard was astounded. After all, that was due to his supreme talent.

nUnder normal circumstances, obtaining Platinum equipment was exceedingly challenging for most.

nOnly within the direct cities of the Alliance, which frequently combated ferocious monsters and were populated with the big shots, did such luxurious equipment prevail.

nIn other cities, Epic gear was already considered top-tier!

nThat the Church awarded three pieces of Epic equipment at once spoke volumes about the value they placed on the Ruins.

n“I’m pondering,” Howard mused, stroking his chin, “if we hadn’t reported to the Church and continued our exploration, would we have profited more?” He sighed, “Such generosity from the Church is truly a rarity.”

nCaitlin nodded in agreement, “Indeed, the Church is usually known to penny-pinch. However, given that the Ruins were primarily filled with potions, even if we’d explored it thoroughly and obtained them, it wouldn’t have made much difference.”

n“True,” Howard realized.

nUnlike the Church, they weren’t aware of the significance or use of these potions.

nMore crucially, without knowledge in alchemy, they could only gaze upon the potions without making use of them.

n“Here,” Caitlin said, retrieving a book and an amulet-like object from her Storage Bag and handing them to Howard. “I’ve seen you employ Cryo magic skills. I reported that you’re an ice magus. Was I correct?”

nHoward wasn’t bothered.

nWith his supreme talent, he lacked no powerful skill.

nThey’d eventually just be materials for fusing into SSS-level skills or even higher-tier ones.

nTo use one now was already quite good.

nAccepting the book and amulet, Howard immediately inspected their properties.

nCrystal Rain (S-level active skill)

nLevel: 1

nEffect: Concentrates the chill from the surroundings, transforming it into a sky full of ice crystals that incessantly fall. Deals 210% of one’s spell power as damage to targets within a 10×10 yard area. There’s a 12% chance to encase targets in ice, lasting for 15 seconds. Ice crystal attack interval is 1 second. .𝒎

nCooldown: 60 seconds

nMana Cost: 100 MP

nProficiency: 0

/100

nAfter reading the properties, Howard subtly nodded in approval.

nA single-target damage of 210%, combined with a 15-second duration, summed up to a staggering 3150% total damage on an individual target, and it even came with a control effect…

nTruly deserving of an S-level skill!

nFor the current Howard, it is undoubtedly a powerful skill.

nUnfortunately, F-level skills are too weak, and the cooldown of SS-level skills is too long for him to use continuously.

nDing! Congratulations to the awakened Howard for successfully mastering the Crystal Rain skill!

nWithout any hesitation, Howard mastered the skill and proceeded to examine the properties of the amulet.

nMagic Amulet

nLevel: 30

nGrade: Epic

nEquipment Attribute Bonus:

nSpirit 410

nMP 1300

nCritical Resistance 10%

nDamage Reduction 5%

nSkill: Magical Protection (Upon casting a skill, it conjures a Mana Shield that shields the caster. The value of the Mana Shield equals the MP consumed by the skill. As the shield exists, any expended MP will replenish the shield’s value).

nThe Magic Amulet did not disappoint Howard either.

nWhat’s a magus’s weakness?

nFragile defenses and a vulnerable physique!

nBut with this amulet, as long as a magus continuously casts skills, they’d be protected by a shield, guarding against damage.

nA smile spread across Howard’s face. This journey to the Ruins was indeed a fruitful one.

nThe only downside was that the Magic Amulet required level 30 to equip.

nIt must have been Caitlin who misjudged Howard’s level and asked for equipment of the same grade as hers.

nUnfortunately, from Caitlin’s perspective, the two major skills Howard deployed were nothing short of cataclysmic.

nIn her eyes, Howard must be a big shot of at least level 60.

nHowever, the Church division in Adia didn’t have any higher-level Epic equipment at the moment, which led her to request the Magic Amulet.

nIf Caitlin were to discover that Howard was only in his teens in levels, she might just be in for an existential shock!

n“Hey, darling, you seem quite pleased with this haul.” Caitlin said with a smile. “How about we team up again next time?”

nHoward asked straight away, “Do you know of any other Ruins?”

n“How could I?” Caitlin waved her hand dismissively. “Do you think Ruins are as common as cabbages, found everywhere? By the way, darling, have you thought about heading to Adia?”

nCurrently a student at the Holy Abyss Academy, Caitlin hasn’t graduated and needs to stay in Adia.

nTherefore, she hoped to draw Howard there with her.

nShe was well aware that once they parted ways, chances to deepen their bond would diminish.

n“In some time, I might visit Adia,” Howard replied nonchalantly, then added, “I’ve discovered a Ruin. Interested?”

nHoward never had any intention of tackling the Castle of Vampires alone.

nEven the weakest Vampire Baron had formidable attributes, making it nearly impossible for Howard to conquer single-handedly.

nDespite owning several Epic and Legendary items and possessing an SS-level skill, Howard’s low level meant his foundational attributes weren’t impressive.

nIf attacked by a high-level vampire BOSS, it’d be tough to resist.

nMoreover, the cooldown for SS-level skills was lengthy.

nWhile they could be used as a trump card, they couldn’t be activated repeatedly.

nOnce his SS-level skill was in cooldown, relying solely on regular skills wouldn’t suffice to vanquish the bosses within the Ruins.

nAs for the special effects of Howard’s equipment?

nEven if they had life-saving capabilities, they came with usage or time constraints.

nRelying solely on himself, he couldn’t endure.

nTeaming up with Caitlin and Glyn seemed the most sensible option.

nAfter all, this was a digitized real world, unlike online games where players could respawn after death.

nEvery move Howard made prioritized his safety.

nIf this were an online game, the decision would be simple: solo the challenges and reap all the rewards.

nIsn’t that delightful?

nEven if he were to die, he could simply start over, learn from the experience, and eventually clear the game.

nUnfortunately, he doesn’t have that many chances!

n“What?” Caitlin exclaimed in surprise, then eagerly asked, “You’ve got news of a Ruin? Which one? What’s its level? How many people are needed?”

n“A Castle of Vampires,” Howard began, pausing briefly before continuing, “The weakest BOSS that escaped from there is a Vampire Baron, around LV20. Based on this, I’d assume the most formidable vampire should be between LV50 and LV60. Why not get Glyn involved as well?”

nCaitlin blinked, astonished. “Vampires? Aren’t those monsters from tales? Do they really exist?”

n“Hmm.” Thinking quickly, Caitlin suggested, “We’ve never encountered vampires before. To be safe, how about we invite one more person? This individual has awakened an S-level talent too and is a priest, ensuring our safety.”

nIt’s rightly said that birds of a feather flock together. Almost everyone in Caitlin and Glyn’s circle had awakened S-level abilities.

n“That works,” Howard agreed, not turning down a priest’s assistance. “With a priest in the group, I’d also like to bring a friend along.”

n“It’s your discovery, you can bring whomever you wish,” Caitlin replied nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.

nBy now, her attention was entirely captivated by the idea of the vampires.

nNo one could resist the allure of an unexplored Ruin.

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