Chapter 222: Golden Knight Statue, Emerald Magic Staff
Just as Cheng Tian had speculated, the attributes of the Golden Knight Statue were different from what was displayed in the game. Its basic description was almost identical to the silver one, except that the condition for use, "Only effective in Knights of the Round Table-related dungeons," had been removed.
This meant that this was a truly precious second life for a player, effective in any dungeon.
Not only that, but the cost was also reduced, from 50% durability of all equipment to 50% durability of equipment excluding weapons.
However, a new special restriction was added: it could only be effective for player units with a player rating of "Bronze" or below.
Cheng Tian had heard a lot about player ratings from Irene, but due to her own rule restrictions, Irene couldn't proactively reveal too much to him. Generally speaking, as long as one steadily cleared dungeons, completed quests, tried to make their final settlement as high as possible, and had some PK value, a "Black Iron" rating would naturally follow.
It wasn't just about attributes reaching a certain threshold, but a comprehensive assessment of skills, attributes, equipment, titles, applications, and so on.
The rating was also proof that a player had completely left the novice stage, and it was a basic requirement for unlocking higher-level bounty quests.
Theoretically, every player could at least escape being unranked and enter Black Iron, but depending on each person's ability, the difference in this time frame could be very significant.
The appearance of the Golden Knight Statue brought Cheng Tian not only joy but also a touch of helplessness.
The existence of a life-saving treasure like this inevitably meant occupying a slot. If he consistently didn't court death, it would always occupy Cheng Tian's slot without being consumed. Although he had just recently acquired a magic bag from Arthur, he still felt it wasn't enough.
Then there was the Emerald Magic Staff, commonly known as the Green Staff, a more advanced and unique precious treasure than the Orb of Shock.
Emerald Magic Staff: Random Walk Easter Egg, Magic Item, Consumable. Usage conditions: held or used from inventory, player rating Bronze and below. Only effective in Knights of the Round Table-related dungeons.
A great achievement presented by the collective of mages under Grand Duke Garibaldi, based on a reverse analysis of the "Kill-Evolve" enchantment cast by Archmage Merlin on the weapons and armor of the Three Knights. It is one of the highest masterpieces representing the mystical side of the Knights of the Round Table world. The powerful vitality it possesses can repair damaged bodies and permanently strengthen human bodies and equipment.
When you use it in combat:
Your health will be 100% restored, your missing limbs and organs will be rapidly repaired, and you will gain a random weapon enhancement +1, a random armor enhancement +1, and your current highest base attribute +2. Additionally, all enemies within a 25-meter radius will be forcibly knocked to the ground and suffer magic damage equal to the health you restored.
When you use it out of combat:
Your HP limit +100. You can designate 1 weapon for enhancement +1, designate 1 piece of armor for enhancement +1, and gain 2 free attribute points.
Equipment enhancement cannot exceed +7, and attribute amplification cannot exceed 50 points.
Special Note: The super strong vitality contained in the Emerald Magic Staff is also a potent poison for living organisms. Excessive use will lead to irreversible consequences.
Additional Note: If you continuously use 16 Emerald Magic Staffs, you will experience a form of rejuvenation in a certain sense... You don't really want to try it, do you?
...Do you really think I'm stupid?!
Seeing the additional note on the Emerald Magic Staff, Cheng Tian scoffed.
This note actually refers to a game setting of Knights of the Round Table.
The 'Random Walk' value is essentially game code; every action and every treasure has a fixed code correspondence, and player levels in the game are also affected by code.
Years ago, a legend related to Knights of the Round Table, known as "rejuvenation," circulated among players.
As game progress advanced, players gained points and obtained Emerald Magic Staffs, and their characters would undergo continuous changes. Their weapons and armor would become increasingly ornate and heavy, and some even went bald. This so-called rejuvenation referred to the player-controlled character suddenly returning to their appearance at the very beginning of the game.
And in Percival's case, it meant that his already bald head regrew the same parted hair as Leon's.
This was actually a typical data overflow phenomenon, meaning that when a player reached the top level of 16, and their data maxed out, forced upgrading would cause their level to reset to 1, and their character's weapons, armor, and their own attack and defense would also revert to their appearance at the start of the game.
Similar situations were also seen in games like the original Super Mario Bros. and Bomberman.
It seems this data overflow phenomenon was also incorporated into the Emerald Magic Staff. If used too much, it might cause the player to revert to their appearance when they first entered the novice trial... But who could get 16 Emerald Magic Staffs at once and shove them into their mouth? It's not a Pocky stick!
In short, the effect of this item was incredibly overpowered. In combat, it could be directly consumed like a Diablo Grand Purple Potion, with limb repair and weapon/armor upgrades. It's no exaggeration to call it a second life; in terms of effect alone, it's even better than the Silver Knight Statue, offering a high probability of turning the tide.
However, the optionality in non-combat situations clearly suited Cheng Tian's preferences more, and since this item could only be used locally, Cheng Tian used it immediately.
As the Emerald Magic Staff was activated, the powerful vitality erupting from the emerald gem at the staff's head directly flushed Cheng Tian's body, which had been cleansed by hellfire, once more, clearing away some of the neurotic burning residue.
Cheng Tian's base HP increased from 180 to 280, a 1.55 times increase. The Balford Twin Swords, which he had only recently acquired, became Lv2, while the Dragon Scale Breastplate, which only showed its powerful defense after its original owner's death, became Lv5. He also invested the 2 free attribute points into Spirit again, making his bare attribute 30 points.
It felt very comfortable.
Feeling very refreshed, Cheng Tian also took out the silver treasure chest dropped by the prince. Then, in front of the throne where there was no longer a prince, he performed the fifth Random Walk Cleavage ritual.
However, when Cheng Tian's longsword, following the holy mark, struck the chest, the chest erupted with an astonishing light, comparable to a Solar Flare.
When the light dissipated, three more items appeared before Cheng Tian.
A silver greatsword, diagonally stuck in the ground—the prince's sword.
A parchment-like skill scroll, similar to those used by kings to declare edicts—Titan's Grip.
And a magic staff identical in appearance to the Emerald Magic Staff, but with a vivid red gem at its head—the Scarlet Chaos Staff.