ALL NOVEL Chapter 43: Apollo Lykaios
The cave's interior was adorned with murals and statues of different creatures. There were some that Zyrus knew about, like the merfolk and the centaurs. They were aligned with their depictions from Earth.
The wide area had many more replicas that showed creatures ranging from grotesque beasts to awe-inspiringly beautiful entities. Among these numerous statues, Zyrus and his troops explored with ease as this chamber was even wider than the previous ones.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the corrupted lemmings]
[##### acknowledges your valor]
[You have obtained the right to use the ‘Cave of Tetovaza’]
Zyrus read the text in front of him and focused his gaze on the altar located in the center of the cave. It was more sinister compared to the steles he had seen in the first event, making him even more curious about these arrangements and the identity of the so-called #####.
‘Well, there’s only one way to find out,’
Zyrus placed his hand on the rectangular surface of the stone platform.
[Offer rare materials or equipment to obtain the totem’s insignia]
[Each insignia will cost 10 blessings]
[Limit: None]
[Current blessings: 1275]
‘This is like the alchemy tower…’ Zyrus thought over the various options as he checked out the items in his inventory. Both the Ore of Kothar and Fang of Nidraxis were suitable for the offering, however, he had other uses for them.
Although lacking in power, these insignias were more useful than common equipment. By using them to obtain the power of their equipment, one can obtain the related ATK or DEF and free up a slot.
‘But I have a better idea,’ Zyrus smirked as he placed the ogre’s heart and the orc’s fangs. He also put down 9 Vonasos armors as an experiment.
He didn’t know what kind of insignia these random bunch of items would give. He wasn’t the least bit worried about it though. He had the perfect guine- Ahem subordinates to try this on.
“Gather around,” Zyrus ordered the goblin riders to encircle the altar. After thinking for a bit, he placed the rare minerals gathered by the rats as well.
He wasn’t just placing random items for the sake of it. Ogre’s hearts would act as a base, while the orc's fangs and the metals would enhance their power.
‘It’s about time they evolve as well,’ Zyrus activated the altar once he confirmed that all of them were at the right place.
Zyrus didn’t want to just enhance the strength of goblin archers. His targets were their partnered wolves. From the beginning, he was paying a lot of care for their development for chances like these.
The reason behind this was simple; there weren’t any cavalry troops in the first ring.
The power brought by the combination of two monsters that specialized in agility, all the while covering both close and long-range combat, was nothing to scoff at.
[Targets selected: Goblin Riders x 100]
[Would you like to use 1000 blessings to bestow the insignia upon them?]
Zyrus didn’t hesitate upon reading the message and immediately pressed ‘Yes’.
Purple flames surged out upon his agreement and consumed the offerings on the altar. All Zyrus could see after that was a lump of energy. It was being stretched into numerous worm-like threads, flailing around like a sea anemone.
“Don’t move,”
The somewhat freighted and flustered goblins stopped quivering at Zyrus’s command. The wolves, on the other hand, were far more calm and composed.
*Bang*
The ball of energy burst into hundreds of fragments. Guided by a mysterious power of the blessings, these wormlike purple threads shot towards the heads and chests of the goblin riders.
“Kuk-”
*Awoooo*
Zyrus waved his tail in nervousness as he observed the process unfold. As time passed, the expression of pain eased on their faces. At the same time, a new insignia was drawn on the chest of the goblins. The wolves had a different and smaller insignia on their forehead as well.
“Hahaha.. What a surprise!” Zyrus laughed with his fists clenched in excitement as his hundred, no, two hundred subordinates bowed their head in gratitude.
The goblins had gained more intelligence and most importantly, the wolves were now acknowledged on the same level as other monsters by the system.
He only needed to subdue 100 more players to obtain the silver crown.
His excitement wasn’t because of that though.
It was the message screen in front of him. It gave him the unpredictable thrill that he hadn’t felt in a long while.
[Congratulations! Your subordinates have obtained the insignia of “Apollo Lykaios”]
[‘Goblin Riders’ have gained the possibility for a racial evolution]
[You have fulfilled one of the conditions to obtain a Variant Crown!]
[Allies Exp gain +10%]
‘To think that I’d get a pleasant surprise like this,’
Zyrus had a wide grin on his face all the way back. Even in his previous life, none of the humans had managed to gain the qualification to get a variant crown. In a way, this unexpected gain was even more useful than the goblin rider’s evolution.
Although they are powerless now, the crowns weren’t just for show. They wouldn’t have an entire ring dedicated to them otherwise. Only in the second ring would players realize the true significance of these crowns and the authority they had.
…
As the group of 500 made their way upwards, the team led by Ria and the others was also engaged in a brutal onslaught.
After climbing a hundred meters they had arrived at a chamber similar to the one Zyrus had been to. This time though, the monsters they faced matched the environment.
“There’s no end to them,”
“How long Ria?”
“Huff..Just a bit more; hold on until Jacob recovers his mana,” Ria panted for breath as she replied Shi kun. In front of her were hundreds of mummies which were attacking the allied players.
They wielded sickle-shaped swords and javelins as they engaged in close-quarter combat.
Jacob had played a critical role once again as his flames were the banes of these mummies. The archers also fired nonstop from the back, while the shield warriors held the front lines.
“Kyle won’t last long,” Shi kun reported in a worried tone as he looked at Ria. As he had said, Kyle was in a more dire situation compared to others.
Zyrus had ordered them to redistribute their troops. Kyle led all of the swordsmen while the dagger users were under Lauren’s command.
Unexpectedly, he had placed the group of mages under Shi kun’s command while leaving Jacob to do as he seemed fit.
Of the newly subdued 100 players, half of them were spearmen. They, along with the archers, didn’t have a leader to follow for the time being.
“Alright, You guys go help,” Ria gritted her teeth and ordered the spearmen to fight at the front. Since she didn’t know their fighting style and coordination abilities, she had placed them at the back to protect the archers.
However, from the state of Kyle’s battlefield, it wasn’t the time to hesitate. He, along with a group of 100 swordsmen were fighting against more than 300 mummies on their own. His silver swords shone in brilliant glow as he killed a monster with his every swing.
His destructive power had reached the same level as Zyrus and Jacob. No enemies were able to escape his green eyes that searched for prey.
Even so, the other players weren’t having it as easy.
Just as the spearmen were about to join them, a shout halted them from an unexpected direction.
“Kyle doesn’t need help,”
“What!”
“Trust me. I’ll send Pouka to open up a path, so send them there with Jacob.”
“Are you sure?” Ria asked again as she looked at Lauren with wide eyes.
“Yes,”
“Very well then.”
Thus, the entire group was informed of the plan by Ria’s conductor's tiara. Archers aimed their arrows at one side while the shield warriors formed a straight line that led to the center of the battlefield.
Just when the swordsmen were on the verge of defeat, Kyle made his move that changed the tides of the battle.
[Skrastreg]
Dozens of heads flew up in an instant. The mummies stumbled in fear as Kyle was nowhere to be seen. Even the swordsmen were caught off guard by this abrupt turn.
[Skrastreg]
The same scene occurred once again, but this time the players were able to barely notice Kyle. Blue lines formed on the mummy's necks as a blurred figure passed by.
A dozen of them fell once again.
“Get ‘em Pouka!”
*Roooar*
Unlike others Lauren didn’t waste a single second. She knew that Kyle was using his unique item that increased his agility along with his sword skill to create this effect.
“Attack at once, his skill won’t last long,” Ria also ordered the spearman to join the massive bear to break through the middle.
Last but not the least; Jacob joined the fray as well. By dividing the mummies into two groups, they swiftly dealt with one side while the Shielders blocked the other.
Fireballs rained down from above and burned their cloth ribbons. Shi kun also used the Wrathful Reckoning to slow them down to a crawl.
Hundreds of mummies died in the span of a minute as every player unleashed their full-powered attacks.
*Squeak*
“Looks like I’m late to the party,”
To top it off, Zyrus and his troops also arrived at this moment.
*Awoooo*
“Hey don’t just eat anything!” Zyrus watched with pleased eyes as the goblin riders tore through the enemy lines like a hot knife through butter.
The fight was as good as over.