Chapter 348: Chapter 348: An Iridescent-Level Ability Picked Up for Free
The skill description of the [Solidification Method] mentioned that due to the modification by the Succubus Queen—
Sterl speculated that it was likely due to the enhancement of sexual abilities, which caused the inherent skill conflict to drop the overall effectiveness to a Platinum Skill level.
However, Sterl never focused solely on surface data.
The foundation of this ability was still at the Iridescent Level! And it could be augmented!
"Theoretically, I could completely optimize the disharmonious parts of this skill through augmentation."
"That means I'm getting an Iridescent-Level ability for free!"
Sterl was extremely excited.
He had already sensed the power of [Rebirth of All Thoughts], and this passive ability was expected to provide him with massive damage reduction and resistance effects!
Moreover…
The skill text mentioned that if all the various texts of the Buddhist nation were to be synthesized into a single ability, it would have a chance to resist divine-level charm abilities.
Sterl's mind raced; if this ability could be augmented several times, he could potentially resist the Succubus Queen's control.
Theoretically, for the Succubus Queen to dare to release this skill, it meant her charm ability must be stronger than the current annihilation of the Buddhist nation.
This incomplete Iridescent-Level skill's limit couldn't withstand the allure of this divine-level demon.
But Sterl's augmentation could create miracles!
"Maybe I shouldn't rush to escape."
"If I could lurk near the Succubus Queen, it would make all kinds of plans much easier."
Sterl indicated that he wasn't merely curious about how effective the Succubus Queen's skills and appearance might be.
He simply felt that since he could use the logout technique and wasn't afraid of being charmed, he could afford to act boldly!
…
After some contemplation, Sterl decided to focus on completing his tasks first.
He didn't rush directly into the [Heavenly Locking Formation] but instead mingled on the battlefield for a while.
The armies of the main world often operated in groups, while hell players and demons acted dispersed until they converged near the battlefield, mainly due to the fear of being betrayed by their companions.
After about ten minutes of moving forward, he eventually joined a large group amidst a lake formed of blood.
At this moment…
There were approximately ten thousand demons and hell players gathered here, and above the army floated a bizarre figure, resembling blue-purple modeling clay.
"Bow before me!"
"You lowly insects…"
Sterl immediately understood; this was an attempt to control the army as its cannon fodder.
The strange figure was continuously emitting droplets resembling sulfuric acid that fell to the ground, causing hell players and demons below to scream in agony upon contact.
"Stop! Stop! We are willing to submit…"
"Spare us!"
Unfortunately, the pleas of the individuals below hadn't even finished.
Swish!
A strange wave of energy shimmered, and then the black sun descended.
The skill unleashed by the strange figure instantly fell silent, and it began to plummet in apparent pain, clearly having been ambushed.
Then, from a distance, a razor-sharp blade sliced through the air, piercing the creature in an instant. The blade shattered, transforming into countless needles that completed the kill.
In the blink of an eye, the situation shifted, and Sterl slowly floated down into the midst of the demon army.
"You have a new leader now," he said coldly.
The countless demons and hell players below were unfazed, turning to bow before Sterl one by one.
"At your command, General!"
"We are willing to follow you."
Then…
Sterl led this army into battle.
The opponents he faced were not players from the previous three major factions, but a mixed group of demigod and legendary random players summoned to the battlefield.
Sterl took a moment to observe the situation.
He waited until the forces were evenly matched before suddenly striking, activating [Silent Domain]. In that instant, it was as if all things fell silent; a deathly light descended, and under the rising black sun, everyone crumpled to their knees in pain.
Players from the main world simultaneously suffered backlash or fell into silence.
Then, Sterl led the demon army in a fierce charge.
The units from the main world suffered heavy damage, and Sterl not only gained a massive contribution from his kills but also, as the commander, the [Swallowing Heaven] system assessed his various roles in the war, including his command abilities and impact on the battlefield.
Needless to say, Sterl amassed an enormous amount of contribution points.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Seeing the main world's army beginning to crumble, Sterl quickly logged off to switch to his main account.
He then rushed back into the battlefield, using a slightly weaker Fission ability to empower [Ignition Flame], directly incinerating Mephistopheles's army, and leading the players from the main world in a counterattack…
After all this maneuvering, he effectively killed two birds with one stone!
He racked up contributions for both factions!
Meanwhile, the players from the main world and the Swallowing Heaven players were nearly wiped out.
Next, Sterl set his sights on the next location where he needed to execute his mission, swiftly heading towards the battlefield.
However, before rushing in, he first took a moment to hide.
Despite the confusion among some soldiers in the hell faction about why their commander had killed so many enemies and then fled without gathering the spoils, it didn't dampen their spirits as they celebrated their victory.
Until a giant hand of Divine Power suddenly swung down from the sky, crushing numerous hell demon players into a pulp.
"Eh?"
"Well, it doesn't matter if he ran away." The god Marlon from the Hall of Valor quickly shifted his focus to other battlefields.
A Supreme [Swallowing Heaven] player who performed impressively, able to kill if possible, yet indifferent about those he couldn't.
However, it didn't take long for the deity in charge of the watch for the day in the main world to sense that something was amiss.
Today, there seemed to suddenly be an influx of powerful Supremes in hell, capable of swiftly eliminating players from the main world.
And it felt like every time he attempted to intervene, he ended up empty-handed.
Of course, the Succubus Queen also felt something strange. She had noticed that a number of formidable Supremes had inexplicably appeared in the main world, capable of easily altering the course of the battle.
The Succubus Queen had originally intended to capture them but had failed time and again.
…
Indeed, the source of unease for both deities was none other than Sterl.
He realized that the disk's concealment function was effective not only for logging in with a secondary account but also for his main account. It allowed others to remain completely unaware of the tactics he was employing.
At least, some weaker deities with low Divine Power were unable to see through it.
They thought multiple different Supremes were causing chaos.
As Sterl evaded the pursuit of the deities, he made his way to the most crucial mission location—the site of the natural formation.
Sterl first executed the same strategy, depleting the forces of both the main world and hell. After that, he hid for a while before observing from the underground valley.
Then, he turned to leave…
It wasn't until he had distanced himself from the formation for quite some time that Sterl's expression changed drastically, as he had suddenly sensed the presence of the [Archduke of Blood].
After all, he had refined the Archduke's heart; within the [Origin of Chaos] skills, there existed the ability to manipulate blood, allowing him to perceive it keenly.
However… just a few seconds earlier, Sterl had prepared himself to use his logout ability, but the result was that although he sensed the Archduke's presence, the Archduke of Blood did not attack him. In fact, he even received several feelings of goodwill directed at him.
It seemed the Archduke wanted to entice Sterl to come closer.
"Could it be that the injuries the Archduke of Blood sustained in the earlier divine battle are more severe than expected?"
"Does he need someone with a shared power like me as a supplement??"
Sterl analyzed the situation.
He was feeling a bit anxious. The Archduke of Blood was in the underground valley, and Sterl didn't have the courage to continue setting up the formation, as he felt a faint connection with this divine-level demon.
Even the best disguise wouldn't keep him hidden forever.
What weighed even heavier on Sterl's mind was the fact that the Archduke of Blood was the inventor of the [Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array], and he was also the ruler of this layer of hell. If he activated the [Heavenly Locking Formation], Sterl, despite his talent for formations, would not be able to completely counter the Archduke's setup.
"This is troublesome!" Sterl's expression darkened.
However, he quickly composed himself.
"It's fine. I'm not in a rush to exploit another bug to obtain a new [Origin of Chaos]. The backlash from [Fortune] hasn't ended yet."
"Besides, if the golden hand can evolve again and I can redistribute my points, there may still be hope."
"Calm down, calm down. Just by farming resources within these two factions during this event, I can secure two incomplete Iridescent-Level items. Even if there are no other gains, that should be enough."
Sterl reassured himself…
For the next period, things gradually stabilized for him.
The name Mephistopheles began to resonate throughout the hell faction.
There were fewer demons and hell players around him, provoking and taunting him.
So, he diligently spent his days on the battlefield—
Grinding!
Farming!
Before he knew it, nearly two weeks had passed.
Sterl encountered three minor skirmishes, but those were merely due to the backlash from Fortune, which spurred some mindless hell players and demons to seek him out, resulting in a significant gain for him.
At this point, he had accumulated eighty-six portions of Fortune.
Sterl estimated that after experiencing two or three more incidents, he would likely have enough for a cheat evolution. If a major event occurred, he might even achieve it all at once.
Moreover, Sterl decided to extract the gains he had accumulated earlier!
First were the various loot spheres. As expected, he had amassed a full set of legendary equipment from both the legendary and demigod tiers.
There were also quite a few epic items; he was just one piece short of completing the legendary set and three pieces short for the demigod set, which he could likely gather through future purchases.
Sterl stored everything in his small world or sent them via mail to his trusted agents, Sosia and Sonis, for processing.
At that moment, the attributes of these items were set aside for the time being.