Chương 214

[Will's Construct Armor (Lv. 1)] [Channels Willpower into physical, ethereal armor over the user. - At the current level, the willpower can only cover the hands and chest, forming heavy, ethereal red gauntlets and a breastplate. - At the current level, the skill is activated instantly and overlays directly onto the user's equipped gear. - The defensive power of the construct is equal to the willpower stat combined with the stamina stat. It completely blocks incoming physical damage up to that threshold and absolutely nullifies all mental debuffs. - An enemy attack infused with a higher willpower stat will bypass this armor. - Resource Consumption: 500 Mana per minute. - Skill Cooldown: 10 Minutes.] Rudra didn't wait. He tested it immediately. He activated the skill. A heavy, translucent red aura erupted from his body. The raw Willpower solidified right over his black trench coat.

Thick, spiked ethereal red gauntlets formed over his hands, locking into place with a heavy clank. A dense, glowing red breastplate wrapped perfectly around his chest. It didn't feel heavy, but it felt incredibly solid. The moment the armor formed, the lingering headache from the illusion completely vanished. His mind felt razor-sharp and totally clear. He tapped his dark metal staff against the ethereal red breastplate. It sparked and bounced off. The armor was as hard as steel.

"That is going to be incredibly useful," Rudra grinned. He dismissed the armor. The red gauntlets and breastplate dissolved back into the air. He turned around and pushed the heavy stone doors open. The bright sunlight of the archipelago hit his face. The salty sea breeze felt amazing after being trapped in that stuffy, dark memory. He walked down the rocky slope to the small wooden boat. Chief Thalassa and High Priestess Neria were staring at the cave entrance in total shock.

"You are awake," Neria said, her serene voice cracking.

"Most challengers stay in that room for days on end to overcome the despair. To see you walk out so quickly..." Thalassa stared at him. The scarred warrior slowly shook his head, gripping his spear tightly.

"It took me six grueling hours to break through that despair when I took the trial. You emerged in less than ten minutes."

"I just have a strong will," Rudra said casually, stepping into the boat. He didn't bother mentioning the modified trial or the gods. It was his problem now. The ride to the seventh island was quiet, but the air grew incredibly thick and heavy the closer they got. The water around the jagged black rocks was actually boiling, sending thick clouds of hot steam into the sky. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Chief Thalassa led them to a flat rock of black obsidian. The entrance to the seventh temple glowed with a dull, angry orange light.

"The Boiling Vents," Thalassa said, his scarred face shining with sweat. He pointed his spear at the cave.

"The seventh temple is a crucible, Challenger. The guardian inside is made of living magma. You need not defeat it. You only need to survive its wrath. If you can endure its heat for ten minutes without burning to ash, the doors will open."

"Ten minutes of dodging lava," Rudra said, cracking his knuckles.

"I'll handle it."

"Be careful," Neria added softly, patting her mount's neck.

"The heat alone has melted the armor of past heroes." Rudra smiled and walked into the glowing cave. [You have entered the Seventh Trial of the Orca Archipelago!] The room was a massive crater. In the center, a pool of bubbling lava churned violently. A massive creature pulled itself out of the molten rock. It looked like a giant gorilla made entirely of cooling magma and jagged obsidian. [Magma Elemental Lv. 420] [You are in the presence of an Elemental of Fire!] [You have fallen into the 'burning' state. 1% Health will be reduced every second.] [You have resisted!] A bright red timer appeared at the top of Rudra's vision. The ambient heat in the room spiked instantly and caused a 'Burning' status. Because of his legendary status, Rudra was able to easily resist it. Rudra just felt like he was standing in a cool room with the Air conditioner turned on. But he still didn't want to run around the cave for 10 minutes, he wanted to exceed the limit of this trial as well. He activated his newest skill.

[Will's Construct Armor]. A translucent red aura flared around him. Thick, glowing red gauntlets and a heavy breastplate formed over his black trench coat. The Magma Elemental roared. It slammed its massive fists into the ground, sending a wave of liquid fire rolling toward Rudra. Rudra jumped right over the fire. While he was in the air, he pulled back his dark metal staff. He didn't hold back.

He triggered [Spell Store] and dumped nine different magic elements into the staff at the exact same time and activated [Mumud's Weapon Enchant]. [Elemental Convergence]. The staff sparked with a crazy mix of colors and blue lightning. It hummed so loudly it drowned out the bubbling lava. Rudra looked down at the screaming boss. [Comet]. He brought the staff down directly on the elemental's head where the [Super Sensitivity] stat was warning him its weakness was present. The impact cracked the floor wide open.

A massive shockwave of mixed magic blasted outward, blowing the liquid fire right back into the pool. The Magma Elemental didn't even get a chance to swing again. It shattered completely, turning into a million pieces of cooling black rock. The red timer stopped and vanished. [You have cleared the Seventh Trial.] [You have exceeded the limits of the trial by destroying the guardian!] [As a reward, All Stats +20!] [Reward: Forgotten Skill Fragment x4] [The Champion's Rite] [Progress: 7 / 15 Temples Cleared] Rudra landed heavily on his feet. The red construct armor faded away. He walked over to the pile of rocks, picked up the four glowing skill fragments, and tossed them into his inventory. He looked at the ash and sighed.

"That was way too fast. I didn't even get a chance to scan it with my [Legendary Sage's Eyes]. I probably missed out on a possibly epic or even rated skill." He shook his head and walked right back out of the cave. Thalassa and Neria were still waiting by the door. Kratos was napping on the wooden bench.

"Is the trial broken?" Thalassa asked, his single eye wide.

"You were only inside for a few moments."

"The guardian sort of died, so," Rudra corrected him, stepping onto the boat.

"Let's go to the next one. It's hot here."