Chapter 100

Temple of Power Volume 15 - Chapter 5

"Human scum, to dare set foot in my city! The air is polluted and foul!"

The moment the handsome blonde appeared without a sound, the Temple of Power members were struck with shock.

A series of ominous notification windows popped up:

[For the next 5 minutes, you cannot use <Wind Barrier>, <Black Wind's Flail>, <Eternal Storm>.]

[For the next 5 minutes, you cannot use <Shield Throw>, <Damage Sharing>, <Guardian's Dragon Power>.]

[For the next 5 minutes, you cannot use <Multi Shot>, <Flame Arrow>.]

...

....

...

Except for Grid, all the members had at least 2 to 3 of their skills sealed. Those whose main skills were sealed were especially dismayed.

The problem didn't end there.

[For the next 5 minutes, all speeds will be reduced by 30%.]

It was a rather strong suppression, but a reduction in all speeds?

Even if only one of attack speed or movement speed had decreased, it would be impossible to perform at their best.

This suppression was not just significant but overwhelming.

"Grid! Get out of the way!"

Pahker, known for his stoic demeanor, shouted in a hurry.

But it was too late.

Vampire Count, Elphinston.

The enraged master of the city was already attacking Grid.

Puhahaha!

A terrifyingly beautiful curtain of crimson blood enveloped Grid.

Elphinston seemed to be certain that Grid was dead.

"Hehehe, I'll come back in a little while. Then I'll kill one of you, and the next time I'll kill another! I'll repeat this and make you taste the extreme fear!!"

Swoosh!

Elphinston, blending into the darkness, disappeared like a mirage.

The Temple of Power members didn't dare to chase after him. They were grateful that he had retreated on his own.

Elphinston was an overwhelming presence.

"..."

After a moment of silence.

Grid, who had been enveloped in the curtain of blood, frowned as he revealed himself.

"What kind of disaster is this?"

Grid had barely survived with only 1 HP left.

It was a pitiful sight.

His body was covered in blood, and most of his armor, except for the <Holy Light Armor>, was in tatters.

"Grid! Are you okay?"

The group rushed over, all showing worried faces. Jisuka, in particular, had turned pale.

This revealed the special bond she had with Grid.

"Obviously, I'm not fine."

Swallow, swallow.

'Damn it.'

The potion that went down his throat turned into tears and flowed back up.

<Supreme Life Recovery Potion>

A potion manufactured in the alchemy facilities of Raydan.

This top-tier potion, which restores 15,000 HP, costs a whopping 10 gold per bottle.

Thinking that the money for 3 bottles could buy 2 chickens in real life, Grid felt a tear of blood.

Gekken sighed in relief.

"Phew, lucky for you. To survive with just 10,000 HP left, this is a complete miracle? I can't believe it even with my own eyes. You could appear on a surprise show."

Gekken, who didn't know about Grid's invincible passive, was excited.

Grid explained to him, thinking it was necessary to understand each other since they were comrades who needed to trust each other.

"I have an undead passive. When I take damage that would lead to death, my HP is fixed at 1 for 5 seconds, making me immune to all damage. The cooldown is 24 hours, though."

"Wow..."

It's not like losing a life is a common occurrence, and a 24-hour cooldown isn't that long. It's like having two lives!

It's completely a cheat level. Indeed, the Legendary class is different.

Gekken, who envied him, received a wry smile from Grid.

"So, always keep in mind. In the worst-case scenario, you need to use me as a meat shield, just like just now."

Grid strangely emphasized "just like just now."

If someone who didn't know the situation heard this, they might think the group had pushed him towards Elphinston.

"Phon, Regas. That Elphinston, did he not appear when you explored this place before?"

"Yeah, we saw him for the first time."

"Right. We explored this place for over a month, but we never encountered him."

"Then we were just lucky back then."

"..."

The atmosphere became serious.

The strength of the city boss far exceeded the Temple of Power members' expectations.

"He's the one who activated Grid's invincible passive with a single attack, the one with the highest HP among us. It means we can't give him a chance to use his skills, but he appears without any warning and has a short casting time, making it hard to prepare."

"Every time he appears, we lose one of us."

"Instead of being hunted one by one, maybe we should try to provoke a full-scale battle?"

"Even if we do, the possibility of a total wipe is high. We can't rule out the chance of our main skills being sealed."

A 5-minute battle with a powerful enemy is a hellishly long time. The impact of the skills being sealed for 5 minutes is beyond imagination.

"What can we do..."

"There's no solution."

The atmosphere was like a funeral.

Grid, who had been listening silently, muttered.

"If only I had more time, this wouldn't be so desperate."

Yes, time to level up.

'If I could reach level 300...'

Elphinston is undoubtedly strong. He is on par with or even stronger than Helgaow, who hasn't been fossilized.

Especially, his ability to erase his presence is top-notch.

Even with Grid's current insight, he couldn't detect Elphinston's appearance.

But if he reaches level 300 and all his stats undergo a third awakening?

'He could read the presence of Elphinston's appearance and counterattack.'

If he can counterattack with Pagma's Sword Dance, he can deal fatal damage to Elphinston.

This would provide a foundation for enduring the 5 minutes when his comrades' combat power is reduced.

'Then the possibility of a successful raid would increase dramatically.'

However, Grid's current level is only 296.

He had gained a lot of experience since entering this place and was about to reach level 297, but level 300 is not something that can be achieved in a day or two.

Unless he could sweep away all the vampires in this city while under the effect of an experience potion.

"Damn it."

Elphinston said he would come back in a little while.

It could be 5 minutes or 10 minutes from now. Grid had no time.

In other words, the conclusion is.

'This expedition is a failure.'

Grid's face darkened with certainty.

There are 15 vampire cities to conquer, and the first one has already caused this much trouble, leaving him feeling defeated.

"Damn it! The quest difficulty is way too high!"

Grid, who was about to lose 15 Fabrani, couldn't contain his anger.

The Temple of Power members, looking at the despondent Grid, had dark expressions.

They all realized that this expedition was likely to fail, so they couldn't comfort Grid rashly.

But Jisuka was different.

Before Satisfy opened, she was the supreme player of a popular MMORPG, and she provided an analysis that could give Grid hope.

"The time it takes for Elphinston to reappear might be longer than we expect. Given the power of the skills he used, the cooldown is likely not short."

The rhythm of monsters that use hit-and-run tactics is generally based on the cooldown of their skills.

The <Pukers> on <Bone Island> appeared every 7 minutes, spitting acid and then running away.

"If the time between his reappearances is long, we have a chance. We can level Grid up to 300."

"How?"

"By grinding monsters and giving Grid the experience. Considering the amount of experience the monsters here give, it might take a minimum of a week for Grid to reach level 300."

"If Grid reaches level 300, the possibility of raiding Elphinston increases, but how do we deal with Elphinston who will keep appearing during the grinding?"

"The only way is to try to endure his skill attacks as much as possible. The first few times, we'll have to sacrifice one of us, but who knows? We might find a way to deal with him eventually."

There was no other solution besides Jisuka's plan.

The group all agreed to the Grid leveling project.

Grid felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry for putting you all in danger because of my personal quest."

"If you're sorry, work hard. I'll do my best to gather the monsters, so you must reach level 300."

Grid nodded, determined.

To save as many of them as possible.

He must reach level 300 as quickly as possible. The need for experience potions was paramount.

'This time, I will definitely get one!'

Grid stood in front of the <Draw! Draw! Draw All!> machine.

His remaining fame was 28,013, allowing him 28 attempts at 999 fame each.

'If I draw 28 times, I'll get at least one. It will definitely come. It would be strange if it didn't.'

Rattle.

Grid started the machine.

The result.

"Aw! It's a miss! Unfortunately, try again next time."

"Aw! It's a miss! Unfortunately, try again next time."

"Damn it!"

Two consecutive misses right from the start!

Grid's heart sank.

He wondered if it was right to continue drawing and wished he could turn back time before he started.

The lost fame was too precious.

But reality is harsh, and temptation is terrifying.

He couldn't turn back time, nor could he stop drawing.

Draw!

The worst gambling system,