Chapter 617: Expedition! Target: Blazing Heart Empire
Ding!
[You have successfully opened an epic treasure chest. Congratulations on obtaining the following rewards!]
[Reward 1: SS-tier general skill "Great Calamity"!]
[Reward 2: SS-tier secret realm talent "Replica Trick"!]
[Reward 3: S-tier innate talent "Thorn Armor"!]
[Reward 4: S-tier innate talent "Staffless Casting"!]
[All rewards have been distributed. Please check them at your convenience!]
...
As the system's voice faded.
A surge of comprehension flooded Ling Zhan's mind.
The four skills and talents promptly appeared on Ling Zhan's status panel.
His long-calm emotions finally surged with excitement as the rewards rolled in!
Damn!
This Luck Potion sure delivered!
And these epic treasure chests were no joke!
Opening them yielded such bountiful rewards!
SS-tier general skill!
SS-tier secret realm talent!
Two S-tier innate talents!
This...
Any one of these would make anyone green with envy!
Even Tier 100 powerhouses would shed tears of jealousy!
He had misjudged the system...
Initially, Ling Zhan was disappointed with the surplus rewards of only five levels' worth of experience and a few materials.
Little did he know the real treasures lay in the epic treasure chests!
He turned his attention to the skill and talent descriptions.
[Great Calamity (SS): Upon activation, a catastrophe equivalent to supreme-tier magic will descend upon the world.]
Note: This skill is a unique system creation.
Hmm...
The description was brief.
But one sentence was enough to make Ling Zhan gasp.
A catastrophe "equivalent to supreme-tier magic"!!
Supreme-tier magic.
The terrifying arsenal exclusive to Tier 4 Grand Mages!!
The pride of every Grand Mage—their ultimate trump card!
Holy crap!
Anything crafted by the system was indeed extraordinary!
Moving on.
[Replica Trick (SS): Secret realm talent. Upon activation, you can replicate and cast the last skill you used.]
Notes:
1. Skills replicated via "Replica Trick" incur no resource consumption.
2. This talent is a unique system creation.
A plain name.
Yet terrifyingly effective!!
When paired with "Great Calamity"...
Two consecutive supreme-tier magic attacks!
That alone could leave all enemies utterly stunned!
Lastly...
The S-tier innate talent, Thorn Armor!
[Thorn Armor (S): Increases your armor and magic resistance by 75%; reduces true damage taken by 50%; and reflects 300% of any damage received back at the attacker.]
Notes:
1. Reflected damage mimics the method of harm inflicted upon you (e.g., if an enemy slashes your neck, the reflected damage will likewise target their neck).
2. Reflected damage is unavoidable unless countered with an SS-tier invincibility skill.
3. This talent is a unique system creation.
This talent...
Damn!
It not only provides robust survivability but also delivers a devastating counterattack!
Three consecutive system-exclusive rewards!
[Staffless Casting (S): Allows you to cast all magic-based skills without a weapon.]
While not a system creation, this innate talent's utility was still top-notch!
Each skill and talent boasted exceptional power!
Ling Zhan never expected such a massive boost before the expedition!
However...
The "Versatility" talent did not evolve this time.
For Ling Zhan, this talent remained the most critical.
It was the cornerstone of his path as a non-specialist.
Ling Zhan realized that for "Versatility" to evolve, he would need to complete another monumental quest.
Thus, he could only wait patiently.
Regardless...
The current rewards were more than satisfactory.
These four new additions were enough to catapult his strength to new heights!
...
...
The next morning.
Woo-woo!!
The battle sirens blared across the Hundred Ghosts Fortress.
All reserve squad members from various nations assembled at the grand plaza.
Also gathered were two million transfer soldiers.
These soldiers included freelancers recruited from society and bounty hunters from the Adventurers Guild.
Of these two million, a portion would be deployed to the central, northern, and southern regions of the Blazing Heart Empire. The relatively peaceful western region, untouched by the ghostly scourge, remained outside immediate danger.
While the strategy aimed for a decisive strike at the core,
Precautions were taken to station forces in these regions.
Should unexpected developments occur, swift communication would enable the frontline troops to prepare accordingly.
The remaining one million soldiers were tasked with defending headquarters and maintaining logistical operations.
Every expedition included several divine-tier architects.
Simply put...
To the average person, architects might seem like the least valuable profession.
They lacked the appeal of alchemists, blacksmiths, or enchanters.
Yet to frontline commanders, divine-tier architects were more valuable than ten divine-tier alchemists or blacksmiths!
The reason was simple...
In just half a day, divine-tier architects could erect a high-defense fortress from bare ground!!
In transfer wars.
Countless spells rivaling nuclear strikes soared through the skies.
Massive siege engines unleashed relentless bombardments.
Ordinary fortresses couldn't withstand such onslaughts.
Staying inside them was a death sentence.
Thus...
The role of divine-tier architects became paramount.
Accompanying the army, they could construct fortified strongholds anywhere, regardless of terrain.
When several divine-tier architects collaborated, a fortress capable of housing millions could rise within half a day.
It was simply astonishing.
As for building materials...
Military storage rings, each as vast as a secret realm, carried endless supplies, readily available to the architects.
Thus, divine-tier architects often stood alongside commanders, holding esteemed positions.
Naturally, Ling Zhan was already geared up and standing ready in the plaza.
Under the morning light, he took his place before all reserve squad members.
The once-proud squad members now looked at this non-specialist with unwavering respect.
At this moment.
Everyone knew this non-specialist would lead all special squads as their commander-in-chief.
Nearby ordinary soldiers marveled as the once-arrogant youngsters were subdued by this non-specialist.
Incredible!
Truly remarkable!
Even veteran soldiers admitted they had never seen anyone command such respect from reserve squads.
Now.
Standing at the forefront, General Li wasted no time on speeches or displays of authority.
All necessary orders had been disseminated to the leaders.
With a single wave of his hand.
"Move out!"
"Target: Blazing Heart Empire!!"