Payment for the Mission(1)

Elemental Activation.

In that second, Brendel felt as if a flame had been lit in his soul, lighting up something that had been pitch-black previously. Simultaneously, the golden flames ignited in his pupils. The world had changed in his eyes. The crystallized trees that were falling apart at this moment, the paths in the forest, rock, and even the piled-up snow seemed to be covered by a silver line. The line sloped downwards and constrained the energy and material; the Lines of Laws crisscrossed and at the blank and weak spots, the material was so fragile it seemed as if it could break down at a single touch.

He picked up a pebble and gently pressed it against a spot. The stone crumbled into powder like it was molded bread.

This was a world governed by Laws.

He already knew this secret, but without activating elementals a mortal had a really hard time understanding what this sentence really meant. This was just like how a mortal could not understand the truth of the world. Only when they step foot across the threshold — Time, Space, Law, Energy, Randomness — and be reborn in flames and see what’s in front of them could they understand that this world was, at its core, made of magic constrained by the Law of Tiamat. The complex multitudes really didn’t have as many secrets as mortals thought they did.

Everything they saw was formed by magic, which was constrained by Law. This was the most basic of Warndt’s rules.

Brendel squinted. The power flowing quietly through him felt exactly like it did in his previous life. He raised his hands and his hands were also covered with a thin layer of Lines of Laws. But all the strange sights were gradually disappearing in front of his eyes and the world seemed to return to its original state in a flash.

Next, Brendel saw his own status interface begin to change:

Human who suffers, 20 years old.

Power System: Element Realm (Self Determination),upper threshold.

After elemental activation, the power system was no longer simply divided into physics, curses, elements, and close combat. In addition to Self Determination, which was in pursuit of the ultimate power, there were only Mage and Element Ambassador, two types of systems that routinely investigated the mysteries of the Laws of the world.

But Brendel saw the extra “upper threshold” that appeared after his designation and paused in confusion. After elemental activation, the power system description explained the most basic source of his powers. He immediately thought that this must be the power of the Planeswalkers.

Then he continued reading .

The column for absolute power had already disappeared. After entering the element realm, power and law became tied together and the previous method for calculation was no longer suitable. Next came the description about the element itself. The previously simplistic description of its nature now expanded to an entire column:

Time and Space– (In the eyes of the gods and people of Haseir, time and space are ideas used to describe the world’s existence. If material and energy do not exist, then time and space would also collapse. But the principle often extends to the power of definition and imagination. It is the origin of Law and the key to Existence) — Brendel looked stunned at the phrase. Whether it was time or space, both were the manifestation of the top rank of elements. In combination of Sanorso’s wind element, Farnezain’s light element, Gretel’s fire element, and Eleranta’s earth powers were together considered to be the top elements.

People often thought that above the top elements was the power of existence.

They didn’t know that further up were mixed elements, also called principle elements. Brendel always thought that his space element was a state of constraining and defining space, which is why it had these effects.

But now that he thought about it, in the four dimensional world time and space existed as one unit.

Element Power (4/4) Certain Strike — ‘Space is under your control and management”

As long as the Lines of Laws are trending towards stability, the user may have their next strike appear at any location in the space.

Expend: 50 PO (Power of Order) Stabilize — ‘space is the furthest distance between humans. If you can’t surpass it, how can you hurt me? — Sadin, King of the Law Mages’

The Lines of Law protected the user’s armor and weapons. As long as the attack cannot penetrate Law, then the armor and weapons are treated as undamageable. In addition. Stabilize gives the user an extra +2 in defense.

Expend: Passive elemental power elapse— ‘time is my ally and your enemy’

As long as the Lines of Law are trending towards stability, the user’s attack can affect the enemy and cause them to age.

Expend: 100 PO/sec Gap — ‘You seem to be between the gaps of time. To you, time always seems to pass extremely slowly.’

The user ages at half the speed, and therefore doubles their life expectancy.

Expend: Passive Elemental Power, the Power of Order. 400/400 four element powers. When undergoing elemental activation, the user gains an extra active elemental power and passive elemental power instead of the normal two active and one passive elemental powers. Aside from Certain Strike being unchanged, Stabilize gains two two additional attributes that can protect armor and increase defense. And elapse— and ‘gap’ are new additions because of the element of time.

Elapse, as an element, had been practically useless for players in the game but it worked wonderfully against NPCs. In the words of the experienced players, this was the god-given strategy for PVE. Gap was also the same. A normal human’s lifespan in Warndt was maybe about two hundred years. That increased by another half after elemental activation but the oldest human being’s lifespan would usually not exceed 400 years.

Doubling the life expectancy meant extending it to 800 years, which was almost approaching the level of the Silver Elves. This attribute was practically worthless in the game and Brendel had doubted if it even existed. But right now, this was, without a question, the best element there was.

Finally, the Power of Order also went from 100/100 to 400/400, which was 50 points more than the average player. Brendel thought this was probably the so-called bonus reward from the principle elements.

He continued reading and realized his talents have also undergone a complete 180.

Bloodline talent, Unyielding — (level 3). Stubbornness: can ignore all damage within 15 minutes of receiving a critical hit.

(Element bonus): At the end of the effect, revert the player’s status to 15 minutes before. This skill can be used once a day.

Self-healing, the ability to repair the player’s body is increased 6x.

(Element bonus): Decrease the time it takes to achieve optimum status by half.

Unyielding, resist elements + 10 , avoiding physical damage + 10%.

(Element bonus): Gains extra 2 defense.

Sturdy: during the first two stages (active, tired), physical strength can perform all abilities as if in extended stage.

(Element bonus): reduce stamina usagethe use of physical strength by half.

Destiny talent, fool — (level 1). Beserk: sometimes dedication to the point of forgetting oneself is not a good thing. For the next 30 minutes, double all attribute bonuses.In the 30 minutes after activating Beserk, the user can double their bonuses in all attributes. This skill can be activated twice a day.

Ancient people: learn ancient attribute skills like you would learn a regular skill.

Destiny talent, the chosen one — (level 1). King of the ancients: your followers will gather underneath your banners because of respect. Regardless of race, followers will not have reduced moraleTherefore, no matter what race they come from, they will not be punished because of morale.

From this, it was easy to tell the magnitude of the bonus an element gave to bloodline talents. In fact, this was one of the main reasons a player’s attribute changed so drastically after they entered the element realm.

After entering the element realm, the element began to enhance the skills on the status interface, one by one. Elemental activation had the following stages: bloodline talent, first professional skills, and main attribute. Elemental Enlightenment did bloodline talent first, then professional skills and then secondary attribute. Peak of Law impacted the second destiny talent, third professional skills, and the third attribute. Ultimate Realm was the realm the players would possess and again enhance the bloodline attributes, first professional skills, and two attributes.

At the Sage Realm stage, the elements will enhance all the attributes and talents, the three professional skills, and also grant the players one last law talent.

After a player has reached that stage, looking at any being below the golden realm was like a god looking at the inconsequential bugs of the world. The perfect body, which was a higher stage, was a whole new world.

Though he had been prepared for it, Brendel still silently moaned in his heart when he realized how the time and space element had enhanced the bloodline talent. Amber Sword has never been a game known for its fair and balanced standards.

But it did try to take fairness into consideration. In the game, players only had one chance to be treated fairly — and that was at the starting line, which is why bloodline talent was also called the fairest talent.

But the game did not restrain the player’s growth after that. The more effort you put into it, the higher the reward you reaped. Attributes, skills, destiny talents, and even professions themselves are separated into strong and weak ones. This game was cruel in how realistic it was. If it hadn’t been for the game being too well done, so good that it blew every other game out of the water, it probably would have been drowned by curses.

The time and space element was an obvious example. Just like what Brendel was seeing right now, the element itself had powerful attributes and it also granted bonuses that exceeded those of regular bonuses by at least 20-30%.

Of course, such an element —– Brendel hadn’t encountered it before, not even in the game.

Principle element.

The most he had ever seen before had been the top elements of the major elements in addition to time and space, the powers that were said to be closest to the Power of Existence.

Then he continued reading about the attributes. Because this was the first elemental activation, he naturally assumed that time and space element, as his main attribute, was the most enhanced. Instead, Brendel gaped wide-eyed at his status indicators.

[Power] 310+49 （Equipment) + 107 (Elite Template)

[Dexterity] 240+ 17 (Equipment) + 80 (Elite Template)

[Strength] 670 + 43 (Equipment) + 240 (Elite Template) [Element Enhancement)

[Wisdom] 1.5 + 0.5 (Elite Template)

[Willpower] 140+26 (Equipment) + 32 (Elite Template)

[Perception] 36 + 13 (Elite Template)

[Bloodline] 44 + 17 (Elite Template)

Brendel was stunned upon seeing these attributes. Theoretically, as a warrior his main attribute should be power. But obviously, for some unknown reason, the time and space element actually chose to enhance his strength.

No wonder he had been feeling so much more energetic. He had thought it was because of elemental activation, but now it seemed like that was not the case at all. His strengths had doubled and then some — no wonder he felt full of energy.

Brendel felt like tearing his hair out in frustration. What would he, as a warrior, do with all the strength? He wasn’t a tank in the game but a DPS player! Did the damned element enhance his strength because he looked more like a knight or because it thought he had hidden masochistic tendencies?

If he was still in the game, he’d definitely be stomping his feet and calling for the GM. But now, he could only sigh resignedly after cycling through all the emotions.

What else could he do?

Call upon Marsha to give him a different outcome? Setting aside the fact that Marshas departed Warndt after the Azure Knight shattered the heavens, even if she were still around she’d probably strike him with lightning in response to him pleading for something so unimportant.

In light of this, Brendel could only resign himself to his fate. He was terrified that this damned element enhanced other things for him, especially if it’s a technique. Even though Amber Sword didn’t have this precedent, what if this thing was crazy enough to enhance his skill as a scholar? Then he just might have to bash his head against something.

He continued looking down and immediately sighed in relief.

The list of techniques were not enhanced at all. There was just a neon green system notification:

‘Higher privileges gained. Do you wish to enhance skills?’

This was exactly the same as it had been in the game, though it was a bit strange. But Amber Sword had always referred to power as privileges, so while players had discussed that for a while, they never came to a conclusion about it. Brendel had seen too many strange things to care at that point.

He pressed on the screen with his finger and confirmed “Enhance.”

‘Enhance which skill?’

Right now, the professional skills that Brendel could choose were limited to the following four classes: mercenary, Elementalists,  scholar, or Holy Knight. But as long as he hadn’t completely lost his marbles, he wouldn’t choose Elementalist or scholar. So in reality, he was choosing between two options.

Mercenary?

Or Holy Knight?

Brendel fell silent.

Nine Luminaries Sword Art, Flash Strike Sword Art, Deep Analysis, Dash, and Piercing Strike; his core techniques could all belong to a mercenary. Before, he would have chosen that profession as his main profession without any hesitation.

But now there was a problem.

And that was the fact that the time and space element had chosen to enhance his strength. In the Amber Sword, every technique was linked to the basic attributes. While he could still choose to enhance his secondary and tertiary attribute after he reached stages of Elemental Enlightenment or Law Peak, but after reaching Sage Realm, every attribute except for his main attribute lost an opportunity to be enhanced.

The difference between post and pre-enhancement became more obvious later on. Right now it was just a one-fold difference. After he attained the Silver Ranker’s body, the difference would be two- or three-fold and by then, two or three folds were enough to decide many things.

So should he focus on the offence or the defence?

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