Chapter 298: Soldier Resolution and Re-casting, Bizarre Combat Continuation, Energy Damage Value System

Chapter 298: Chapter 298: Soldier Resolution and Re-casting, Bizarre Combat Continuation, Energy Damage Value System

Lance had certainly not expected the Biological Research System to exhibit such high research efficiency when facing a unique construct like the Iron Guard.

In the past, the regular Demons he encountered, whether Goblins or Sound Wing Beasts, all required tedious and repetitive kills to slowly advance the progress bar, ultimately allowing him to extract a random Racial Talent.

’Could it be the unique nature of the Heroic Spirit itself that caused the research system to accelerate?’

’I’ll have to try killing a Heroic Spirit in the future to test this.’

Lance didn’t dwell on this question for long.

His gaze was quickly drawn to "Soldier Resolution and Re-casting (Pseudo)."

After carefully reading the description, Lance’s eyes lit up.

Simply put, this derived mechanic granted Lance a unique Equipment Refining ability.

In actual combat, as long as he used [Royal Armory] to forcibly seize an enemy’s weapon or armor, he could immediately activate "Soldier Resolution."

The Soldier Resolution process would instantly deconstruct the just-seized equipment, extracting its core material traits and transforming them into a flow of energy called the "Martial Corpse Burning Stream."

This energy would then, like liquid metal, pour over and coat the weapon or armor Lance was currently using, granting it temporary material traits and special Effects.

Moreover, this burning stream could also be detonated on attack to deal splash damage.

’This is perfect for me right now.’

Lance marveled inwardly.

Before this, despite having the ability to forcibly seize others’ equipment, he had always faced an awkward dilemma.

After all, this sort of appropriation was one thing if done privately out in the wilds, but publicly seizing an opponent’s weapon in front of everyone would not only expose his trump cards but also attract a great deal of trouble.

After all, his foundation was currently weak, and his name carried little weight. If he were one of the Legendary Powerhouses, he could just boldly declare, "Countless Treasures, all for my use!"

His original plan was to wait until he obtained a special item that could alter his appearance or conceal his identity before he started using this ability without restraint.

But now, "Soldier Resolution and Re-casting" had temporarily resolved his current concerns.

Taking another’s equipment to use for yourself.

Versus destroying another’s equipment for your own gain.

Clearly, the former would make him more enemies.

Besides, Soldier Resolution and Re-casting could be disguised as Melting Gold Armor Shattering.

’However, the Skill still has a "(Pseudo)" suffix, which means its current state is incomplete.’

Lance mused.

’This is probably because what I analyzed this time was only a remnant of the Heroic Spirit.’

’If I get the chance to analyze the complete "Weapon Mastery" concept in the future and remove this incomplete tag...’

’...then this ability might no longer be limited to providing temporary combat buffs.’

Lance guessed at its true purpose.

’It would be the ability to permanently meld an enemy’s equipment into my own weapon!’

’What if I could meld it into my Heart Intent Martial Structure?’

At this thought, Lance closed the system panel.

He pulled his foot out from where it was deeply embedded in a crater of rubble. With a clatter of small stones, he strode toward the charred corpse of the Iron Guard ahead.

He was a sorry sight.

The firestorm that had nearly destroyed the entire chamber within the mountain had long since torn the clothes on his upper body to shreds.

The muscles of his exposed upper body were well-defined, but what was truly horrifying was the spot in the center of his chest, right where his heart should have been.

After exiting Suffocation Mode, the skin and flesh there had not returned to normal.

Instead, it was covered in a fine, interlocking web of charred black cracks.

Deep within those fissures, a sinister, dark red light still lingered.

The light pulsed in time with Lance’s steady breaths, like a live volcano that had just erupted and was still smoldering within.

This was the brutal cost of Suffocation Mode.

Lance could clearly feel that the momentary outburst had used all his latent life force and Ether reserves as kindling, burning through them completely.

Even his "Ethereal Melting Furnace" had been completely incinerated by Suffocation Mode.

The essence of Suffocation Mode was to destroy the Ethereal Melting Furnace. The ten seconds that followed were spent burning through the terrifying Energy and buffs generated by the Melting Furnace’s destruction.

When time ran out and the kindling was spent, life would come to an end.

’Even now in Combat Continuation mode, I don’t even have my Ethereal Melting Furnace. I can’t produce a single wisp of Ash Dragon Breath.’

However, the activation rule for the Grand Achievement [Resist Death] clearly superseded that of Suffocation Mode.

Under the intervention of that miraculous Power, Lance’s process of dying was abruptly halted.

However, the Grand Achievement was only responsible for saving his life; it didn’t come with any infinite Energy perks.

Thus, his body’s Ether reserves were still at a big fat zero, and his "Ash Dragon Breath" had been completely depleted.

However, this was where things got truly strange.

Although Suffocation Mode had ended, and the terrifying bonus that doubled his Attributes had receded to his normal levels along with his depleted Energy, the special passive attached to the mode—"Forced Activation of Ambient Ether"—had somehow, miraculously, been retained!

As Lance walked toward the corpse at the bottom of the crater, he tentatively raised his right hand.

The moment he raised his hand, the free-floating Ether in the surrounding air suddenly seemed to answer some unheard call, its nature visibly changing in an instant.

It transformed into streams of golden-red light that, like living fire snakes, rapidly converged and coiled around Lance’s palm.

In less than two seconds, the streams of light compressed and condensed above his palm, forming an orange-red fireball that radiated intense heat.

With a flick of his wrist, Lance tossed the fireball at a nearby broken support pillar.

The fireball streaked through the air as an afterimage. With a loud BOOM, it blasted a charred, molten-edged crater into the surface of the sturdy stone pillar.

’This power...’

Lance stared at the crater, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

He had once observed Cecilia casting the basic One Ring Spell, "Fireball Skill," from up close.

In his Perception, the destructive power from the explosion of the fireball he had just casually conjured was clearly a cut above that of a proper Mage’s One Ring Spell.

In this world’s system of magic, Casters used a standard framework for calculating the damage of attack Spells.

Normally, a standard One Ring attack Spell dealt damage that fluctuated between 15 and 30 points.

Lance recalled that when he had first become a Pale Guard, the additional high-temperature Energy damage from his "Ash Dragon Breath" Trait was only about 10 points per attack.

Later, as his Level and various Basic Attributes increased, his Ash Dragon Breath damage had stabilized at around 22 points.

This was why Lance always seemed so overwhelmingly powerful in close combat.

Not only could he deal terrifying physical damage relying on his Power and the Azure Dragon Extreme Intent Style, but each of his strikes was also imbued with Energy damage equivalent to a One Ring Spell.

This hybrid damage model allowed him to effortlessly shatter the defenses of and overwhelm physically-defensive enemies of the same level.

And based on his earlier estimation, the instantaneous burst of comprehensive damage from that single "Ordinary Punch" he had delivered while in Suffocation Mode had definitely exceeded the upper limit of an Ordinary Three Rings Spell and was approaching the level of a Four Rings Spell.

As for that fireball he had just created—the one that required no Magic Power and was purely conjured by activating external Ether...

Its damage had already broken the 30-point mark; Lance conservatively estimated it to be around 34 points.

Its power was already firmly between that of a top-tier One Ring Spell and a Second Ring Spell.

’This method of casting is kind of ridiculous.’