Chapter 40

As seasoned gamers, both Old Li and Wen Xiaodao knew the significance of double experience, so there was no reason for them to disagree, especially considering the transcendent value of the Tower of Forgetfulness as a hidden map. The only prerequisite was that Qin Yu had to complete the quest himself, as Jennifer said he needed to find the temperamental one-eyed old Joel alone.

After reaching an agreement, they each logged into the game. Alpha first went to the Evil Cave. Whenever there was a new move, consulting the Hell insider, Corpse on Fire, had become a habit for Alpha.

"Countess Elizabeth Bathory? I know. She tops the list of Greshia's stupid deeds."

Corpse on Fire crossed his legs, smoked a cigarette, and wore a smug look.

"Stupid deed? Didn't she successfully turn the most powerful Amazon warrior after the Valkyrie?"

"Turn? Making your enemy a hungry wolf that chases you all day, is that what you call turning?"

Seeing that Alpha didn't understand, Corpse on Fire flicked the ash and continued:

"Lord Asmodeus's original intention was to have Elizabeth Bathory and Greshia sign a devil's contract, obtaining the Valkyrie's soul and giving her a position in the Baator Hell. But what was the result?"

Corpse on Fire made a helpless gesture:

"Greshia, the brainless woman, foolishly used the venom of lowly demons to corrupt Elizabeth Bathory—your countess is actually a demon, a lowly and disgusting demon, not a noble and great devil."

After thousands of years of bloody battles, the devils of Baator Hell and the demons of the Abyss were as incompatible as 360 and QQ, despite their shared desire for death and blood. They had fundamental ideological differences:

Devils revered evil under order; they were trustworthy, keeping their word even while exploiting loopholes within the rules, making you feel convinced.

Demons, on the other hand, had no concept of trust, enjoying chaos and destruction, and were driven by instinct and desire.

Thus, when mentioning demons, devils often compared them to animals, ranging from pigs and dogs to wolves and monkeys. If demons mentioned devils, they usually just made disgusted grunts, eager to kill them quickly.

"Is this what you call noble?"

"This is work!!! It's a manifestation of the noble character of devils, professionalism, dedication!"

Corpse on Fire shouted, emphasizing "professionalism, dedication." Alpha quickly put on a "I'm scared of you" face and waved his hands.

"Alright, alright, dedication, just tell me how to deal with demons. I might have to stay there for a few days."

"Light up."

Corpse on Fire put on an air of authority. Alpha hurriedly smiled and snapped his fingers, using [Magic Trick] to create a small flame under the cigarette. Corpse on Fire enjoyed a few puffs, blowing out smoke rings. He was a quick learner, already able to blow rings:

"Demons' combat strength isn't actually that strong. Their lack of intelligence is their fatal flaw. Fighting them isn't hard. What makes demons powerful is their physical strength, especially their unparalleled regenerative ability. Darkness, blood, fear, death... any negative thing will make them recover at a terrifying speed—frankly, even we noble devils have to admit the physical talents the supreme laws have given to demons."

"Should I use fire and acid to stop their regeneration?"

Alpha interjected, and Corpse on Fire gave him a look of disdain, blowing smoke in his face.

"Do you think this is like Perseus fighting the Hydra in your mythology? The Abyss is full of intense flames and potent acids. Using these things to kill demons is like using them to commit suicide. I guarantee that when you use fire and acid against demons, they'll enjoy it as much as being ridden by succubi."

"Then holy light?"

Alpha thought of Lancelot's [+4 Ilandil Fragment], which had a stunning effect on skeleton soldiers. As the ultimate weapon against evil creatures, holy light was naturally effective against demons. However, Corpse on Fire shook his head.

"It can work, but it's not enough. Actually, you need..."

Looking at the items Corpse on Fire listed, Alpha was both amused and frustrated. With the mindset of a modern gamer, it was hard to guess that the materials to stop demon regeneration were these bizarre items...

...

...

After failing to obtain epic gear from Corpse on Fire again, Alpha left the Evil Cave. Of course, there was one thing to mention: Corpse on Fire's level. Corpse on Fire said that last time was a special situation, and Hell's higher-ups had mistakenly increased his projection to level 45, when he should have been just a level 15 elite. Therefore, this time there was no such good epic gear.

As revenge, Alpha brutally killed Corpse on Fire, obtaining a decent level 15 fine ring:

[Slippery Ring (Fine Ring):

Durability: 160/160;

Level Requirement: 15;

Class Requirement: None;

Alignment Requirement: None;

Health Regeneration +1 point/second;

Charged Spell: Level 2 [Grease] 2/2 (uses), Spell Use Class Requirement: Warlock, Mage;

Grease (1st Level): Level 2, Transmutation, increases your movement speed by 10 yards for 2 minutes;

Casting Time: None, Mana Cost: 0, Recharge Time: 20 minutes/charge;

Charged Spell: Level 2 [Oil] 3/3 (uses), Spell Use Class Requirement: Warlock, Mage;

Oil (1st Level): Level 2, Conjuration, covers a 4-yard square area with oil or coats the surface of an object no larger than 1.3x1.3x1.3 yards;

Casting Time: None, Mana Cost: 0, Recharge Time: 20 minutes/charge.]

A small premium item with dual charged spells. Whether it was Corpse on Fire's deliberate action or just Alpha's good luck, he now had the hardest-to-get rings, one in each hand, with three charged spells, all quite practical.

[Grease] combined with [Swift Shadow] could significantly increase his speed, while [Oil]'s slippery nature provided a useful tactical foundation.

Alpha's mage class was indeed useful, as only mages and warlocks could use these spells.

After several battles, Alpha's martial arts skills had all leveled up. It seemed that 1st-grade martial arts leveled up quickly, with [Swift Shadow] being the fastest, already at level 3. Among the other three, [Pressure Point Strike] reached level 2 first, followed by [Hidden Arrow] and [Solid Essence Technique]—activating [Internal Energy Shield] indeed helped improve proficiency.

The attributes of level 2 [Solid Essence Technique] were mostly 10% increases, with health and internal energy coefficients both at 220%. [Internal Energy Shield] also became 1 point of internal energy to negate 1.1 points of damage, equivalent to a 10% increase.

Of course, the +1 to all base attributes remained unchanged, as base attributes were not easily increased and were crucial for players.

The leveling effects of the other martial arts were similar, with both damage coefficients and additional internal energy values following a 10% increase. This reinforced Alpha's belief in his hypothesis, and at this rate, leveling all his martial arts to level 9 wouldn't be difficult.

With the improvement in martial arts levels, Alpha's strength grew rapidly. At just level 10, his health and internal energy had increased significantly. His health exceeded 400, and his internal energy was over 600. With [Internal Energy Shield] now negating 1.1 points of damage per point of internal energy, Alpha could withstand nearly 1200 points of damage. If not for the lack of effective ways to replenish internal energy, Alpha could have been the best tank among level 10 players.

The damage of his two offensive martial arts also increased, as [Pressure Point Strike] and [Hidden Arrow] could now deal more internal energy damage, which ignored defense and resistance, making even a small increase potentially lethal.

The only downside was that [Swift Shadow] now consumed 2 points of internal energy per second, which would be a significant drain on his 600+ internal energy.

Regardless, Alpha was stronger, and this was the benefit of martial arts, which was undeniable.

The next destination was the Blackwater Marsh to find the one-eyed old Joel, the person who had entered the Tower of Forgetfulness twice, as Jennifer mentioned.

Being able to enter the Tower of Forgetfulness twice suggested that one-eyed old Joel didn't just stumble upon it by chance, meaning he likely had a method to find it.

The Blackwater Marsh was a beach on the eastern coast of Northshire, a paradise for the Murlocs.

The savage and bloodthirsty Murlocs, like demons, revered chaos and destruction, attacking any creature that looked different from them without reason.

However, the Blackwater Murlocs were somewhat different from other Murlocs. They didn't attack every creature they saw and sometimes traded with nearby humans and halflings. According to Jennifer, the Blackwater Murlocs were the only Murlocs that followed evil law and order.

Jennifer also mentioned that one-eyed old Joel made a living trading with the Blackwater Murlocs.

One-eyed old Joel's trading post was on the outer edge of the Blackwater Marsh, just outside the Murloc territory.

Alpha knocked on the only stone house in the trading post. Someone inside shouted, "Come in," and Alpha pushed the door open...