Chapter 178: Fighting the Primal (2/2)
As powerful as the 'Avatar' was, a spear through the heart proved sufficient to end its life. With a mournful cry it sunk to its knees, gave Mike one last unreadable look, and collapsed onto its side, before slowly fading away.
He sagged, nearly collapsing to his knees as a wave of exhaustion and pain flowed through him. It felt he'd torn every muscle in his body at the same time, and expended most of his mana in the process.
[Oof. That is a pretty potent ability, but the side effects are a little steep. I think this one is going in the 'when I absolutely need it' file.]
By the time he'd recovered, a large blue mana core, about the size of a softball, was all that remained of the stag. A quick Appraise reveled that it was still considered a 'Mid-Grade' despite the obviously greater power when compared to the yellow one he'd found earlier. He didn't really understand the rating system on this thing
After a few moments, an elaborately designed chest materialized at the very center of the mound. This was evidently the reward for clearing the dungeon. A portal like the ones used to travel between floors popped up behind it, providing him a means of exiting when he was ready.
He took a moment to examine the chest for any obvious traps, regretting a lack of skills for such a thing. Then again, he wondered if there even was such a thing as a trap finding skill. Anyway, he inspected it for a few minutes. Once satisfied that it was reasonably safe, he lifted the lid. Inside he found two items.
The first was a spear, roughly 180 cm in length. The chest evidently had some kind of storage-like effects, which made such a thing possible. The weapon appeared to have been carved from a single piece of bone, but felt as hard as tempered steel. The haft was smooth, but etched with fine, almost invisible, scrollwork, allowing him to grip it easily. Its leaf shaped spearhead gave the whole assembly a strangely organic feel.
He spun it through a couple of forms, reveling at how perfectly it was balanced, and the ease with which is seemed to slice through the air. This was truly a masterpiece of a weapon, exactly the kind of thing he hoped to make for himself one day.
Once he had finished admiring the craftsmanship, he used Appraise to determine the rest of its features.
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Fang of the Primal
Magic Weapon (Tier 3, Rank 5)
Carved from the fang of a primordial beast and blessed by the chosen representatives of Teun herself, this spear bestows the power of the natural world upon its user, giving them several boons. With the exception of naturally occurring monsters, creatures of the wild will hold its bearer in high regard, refusing to harm them and occasionally providing some small measure of aid in times of need. The user is protected from the adverse effects of extreme weather, allowing them to survive in harsh environments without fear. While in wild terrain, the user receives a moderate increase in the effectiveness of all stealth and sensory skills. Finally, the spear grants a fraction of the beast's legendary power, allowing the user to channel mana to enhance their strength and agility.
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Mike was slightly overwhelmed by the wall of text. This was the first time he'd seen anything quite so complicated in Appraise, and it frankly caught him by surprise. Even Brenden's sword, Manslayer, which was of a similar tier and rank, only had a single ability, albeit a useful one.
[Most of the features don't really help me at the moment, although I like the bit about being friendly with animals simply by virtue of having it. Perhaps I can give it to Tal when I find something better. For some reason, I feel like it would fit her well. Still, this is far and away the best weapon I've seen during my time in this world. I really need to visit dungeons more often.]
He excitedly pulled the next item out of the chest. This time, it was a wooden circle about 20cm in diameter, with strings of white silk forming an elaborate geometric pattern at its center. Crystal beads, small animal bones, and feathers hung from it in various places. It reminded Mike of the Native American dreamcatchers he'd seen in his old world. A long leather strap intimated that it was meant to be used as a necklace of some kind.
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Talisman of the Guarded Mind
Magic Item (Tier 3, Rank 5)
Crafted in the traditions of an ancient human nation who emigrated to Ea during the Second Age, this item serves to protect the mind of its wearer from external influence. Renders the user immune to all mental intrusion and magic that relies upon affecting the mind of its targets. This only applies to effects of Tier 3 or lower, but it provides a limited resistance against similar effects of Tier 4 strength. However, prolonged exposure will lead to the item's destruction. Has no effect on curses, diseases of the mind, or internal effects.
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Without hesitation, Mike put the item on, taking a moment to get a sense for his mental and emotional state once it was in place.
[I don't feel any different…but it's hard to tell. Anyway, this is great. Ever since I met Selene, I was worried about the possibility of being mind-controlled by a powerful enemy. While I have enhanced willpower and the Mental Resistance skill, it's not hard to believe that a sufficiently powerful user could overcome those.]
Feeling quite satisfied with his haul, despite not getting any crafting materials besides mana cores, Mike started moving towards the portal, when something caught his eye.
In the pool of water, a little ways away, he caught a glimpse of something branch-like. Not recalling seeing anything like that previously, he moved to investigate. The distorting effect of the water made it difficult to ascertain the identity of the item, so he simply reached in and pulled it out, becoming pleasantly surprised when he realized what it was.
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Antler of the Primal's Avatar
Magic Material (Tier 3, Rank 5)
Harvested from one of the rarely seen avatars of nature's embodiment, this material still bears the creature's powerful connection to the mana of the natural world. Can be used in all forms of crafting as an enhancer to mana conduction, but will provide the best benefits when creating items related to Water, Earth, or Life Elemental Magic, or that deals with nature in some fashion.
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