Chapter 560: Snowman Snow
However, the two pieces of the Treasure Map were right inside Zhang Yang’s inventory.
He took out the two pieces of Treasure Map and pieced them together. They produced a sudden, blinding flash of light, seamlessly forming into one complete Treasure Map without any indication that it was once in pieces.
"Hahaha!" suddenly, the gang heard a long laugh. A shadow appeared out of nowhere and forcefully relieved Zhang Yang of his Treasure Map. Zhang Yang was struck by a fist. He received a blow so great that his HP dropped all the way down to 1!
The shadow vanished and reappeared at a spot 10 meters away from Zhang Yang. It took the form of a tall, imposing hulk of a man. This man was clad in a thick set of clothing. His jacket had been left undone, leaving his large belly exposed. His thickset, beefy face and broad cheeks were half-covered by a thick, long beard. He looked a little like the legendary warrior, Zhang Fei.
That man now held the Treasure Map in his hands!
Looking at the name and title above his head, this was the leader of the pirates, Blackbeard Ditch!
What the hell! This quest was not as simple as expected! The boss had come over to snatch the Treasure Map away from Zhang Yang himself!
"I have waited for more than 10 years, and a new thief finally presents himself!" Ditch was laughing out loud, "I knew it. Since you stole the first half of the Treasure Map, you will surely be back for the other half! So I had been expecting you!"
[Blackbeard Ditch’s Illusion] (Summon)
Level: 130
This was actually not the real boss, it was just an illusion of Ditch.
"You thieves! I shall allow you pathetic fools to live a little longer. After I take the ancient Treasure for myself, I shall have my own sweet time with you all!" the illusion of Ditch strode out of the house, calling over his shoulder. Then, the illusion went flying into the sky with a shoof.
"Argh! That fat bastard!" Wei Yan Er was so mad that she began to shout. She was a money grubber, after all. Of course, she would be very fond of treasures and treasure coves. Of course, she would burst into rage knowing that the only lead to her favorite treasures had been taken by the boss, right in front of her eyes!
‘Ding! The objective for your quest: The Pirate’s Treasure Map has changed! You must reclaim the Treasure Map back from Blackbeard Ditch! Stop him from getting the ancient Treasure and becoming an unstoppable dark force!’
Zhang Yang suddenly received a system notification.
Initially, the quest had required him to steal the map, and now, the quest wanted him to snatch the Treasure Map from the hands of Blackbeard Ditch himself!
Zhang Yang quickly brought up his quest list to take a good look at the quest description. The description had changed slightly. The description of the quest now clearly stated that there was a secret passage in a corner somewhere nearby them. Blackbeard Ditch had been going through the secret passage in and out, to resupply.
Without further ado, Zhang Yang hustled the ladies to move their *sses immediately. They followed the description of the quest and arrived at the west side of the lake. After climbing over some huge rocks, they found themselves standing at where a river branched itself out into two smaller rivers.
Apparently, the rocks were just an illusion. Magic had formed them, capable of deceiving the untrained eye.
A huge pirate ship was parked in the smaller branch of the river. The moment Zhang Yang and the 3 ladies arrived, the pirate ship began to drift slowly along the current. The two water-type [Mounts] had to swim with all their might just to catch up, where they snuck onboard from the back.
"Intruders!" one elite Tier pirate spotted the four of them sneaking about and immediately attacked. The pirate swung his cutlass about while charging at them. The pirates are a merciless folk. They did not discriminate by gender. The first target this pirate went for was Daffodil Daydream.
Zhang Yang quickly ran between the two of them. He raised his shield and deflected the blow.
After a flurry of attacks, the pirate buckled beneath the heavy firepower of Zhang Yang’s small party. The huge amount of experience points gained gave the two new [Mounts] a level each.
Cutting their way through the deck, the four of them eventually found a cabin door. They broke it down and entered the cabin.
However, the interior of the cabin was considered as an indoor environment. So, other than Thunderhawk, all [Mounts] were automatically banished into their respective owners’ inventory.
"Hehe, I think I smell the scent of a woman!"
"Me too! I smelled it too!"
Four greenish fireballs hovered around the dark corner of the cabin. There were two skeletal pirates oogling at the 3 ladies. The ignited green flames within their eye sockets flickering with excitement. One of them began to speak, "Ah, I knew it, women! I smell leaking blood, the type of bleeding that only women are capable of!"
Leaking? Woman?
Zhang Yang instantly understood. He could not help but frown. These ‘hardcore’ game designers sometimes go way overboard.
"You dirty swines!" Han Ying Xue and Daffodil Daydream had also understood what the skeletal pirate talked about. Women would bleed for a few days, every month. The only one who did not understand the meaning of that was Wei Yan Er. Without wasting any time or breath, she charged up to the two skeletal pirates and swung her axe at them.
Zhang Yang quickly followed, charging over, while swinging his [Sword of Purging Devourer] at the two skeletal pirates. After a flurry of attacks, he finally managed to grab hold of their aggro.
"These Spectral monsters really do have sensitive noses! They should just go and play the role of blood-sucking zombies!" Zhang Yang laughed out loud. Han Ying Xue owned her body as much as he did, of course, Zhang Yang was aware of how it was ‘inconvenient’ for her at the moment. It was most probably the best time for him to replenish his ‘ammunition’ in these few days. On the other hand, he would be deprived of her body for the same period of time. He had mixed feelings about the whole situation.
"Fresh blood! Delicious fresh blood!" the two Spectral monsters were screaming as if they were confirming what Zhang Yang had just said. Their screams were accompanied by the clinks and clanks of blade meeting blade. They fought back and forth, up and down the cabin, stirring up a small hurricane within the room. The entire cabin was shaking violently, barely containing the turbulent battle.
After a brief moment, the two Spectral monsters fell to the blades of Zhang Yang’s small party. The four of them continued to proceed forward. There were all sorts of pirates who appeared soon after to block their way. The pirate ship was like a hodgepodge of pirates from different races.
About 2 hours later, they finally cleared their path and reached the end of the first floor. It was as they suspected. There was a boss standing guard the entrance to the second floor of the deck.
This boss was a tall, middle-aged man, with a small trilby that seemed to have worn out its use. The man was sloppy and unkempt, not giving a mind about his appearance.
Zhang Yang and the ladies would have thought that this man was a fisherman if they hadn’t seen the name and title stated on top of the man’s head.
[‘Snowman’ Snow] (Violet-Platinum, Humanoid)
Level: 130
HP: 13,000,000
Defense: 3,540
Melee Attack: 17,739 - 21,739 (Determined as Physical Attack, but causes Frost Damage)
Skills:
[Blizzard Storm]: Summons a storm of blizzard to attack the enemies. Causes 10,000 Frost Damage to all enemies within the effective range of the Skill. Lasts for 10 seconds.
[Snowman Transformation]: Transforms into a snowman. Increases 50% Frost Damage dealt. Immune to all Frost Damage and Frost Attacks. Reduces 50% Physical Damage received. However, increases Fire Damage received by an additional 100%.
Note: One of the three generals under Blackbeard Ditch. The user of ‘Snowy Snow’ Devil Fruit. Has the power to control snow and frost.
After reading the description of the Skill {Snowman Transformation}, Zhang Yang could not help but to widen his eyes a little. Then he said, "This boss might drop a Fragment of the [Snowman Inheritance]."
[Inheritance] was the most sought out thing in the entire game, thanks to Zhang Yang’s ‘demonstration’ of it.
Wei Yan Er and Daffodil Daydream instantly perked up, as neither had activated any linking quest for any [Inheritances]. The little brat quickly asked, "What Class?"
"Class B."
"Humph! I don’t want to even consider a low Class [Inheritance]!" Wei Yan Er immediately sighed discontentedly as she shook her head again and again.
"I’m a Pyromancer, after all. I’m afraid that this [Snowman Inheritance] is not suitable for me, at all." Daffodil Daydream had a more down-to-earth character. Unlike the little brat, she would consider things based on a more practical point of view before making any decisions.
Zhang Yang nodded and said, "This [Snowman Inheritance] caters more for Physical-types. When you activate the {Inheritance Transformation} for this [Inheritance], you will basically have the similar ability that the boss has when it activates its {Snowman Transformation}. But, you will have more HP and a higher Attack power after you ‘transform’. Honestly speaking, it would really suitable for little brat!"
"No! Don’t even think about telling me what to get for my [Inheritance]!" Wei Yan Er shook her head as if it was one of those handheld whirling drums(1), "I’m not such a cheapskate! I won’t go for a mere Class B [Inheritance] just because I can’t get a Class S [Inheritance]!"
"Our little brat is such an aspiring youngster. Such lofty ideals and dreams! Haha!" Zhang Yang laughed
Wei Yan Er was happy for a brief instant. However, the next things that Zhang Yang brought up immediately angered her again, "Unfortunately, she just can’t seem to get the chest she wants, and she also can’t seem to get the butt she wants either! Would any man really have an eye for her?"
The little brat was unpredictable. She actually said, "If no one wants me, then I will rely on you!"
Tsk! Is that her way of hitting on someone?!
"Alright, alright, let’s go to the boss then!" Han Ying Xue quickly said. Naturally, she wouldn’t want the little brat to throw herself onto Zhang Yang. She could still argue or fight with Sun Xin Yu till the bitter end. However, to fight for a man’s favor with this little brat wasn’t something she was prepared for. Prevention would be better than cure.
"Just like how we always do it, heal me accordingly and we should be fine. There’s not much to discuss about. Also, remember to dodge the {Blizzard Storm}. Let’s do this!" Zhang Yang swung his [Sword of Purging Devourer] as he charged at the boss.
"Are you the thieves that Captain was talking about?" Snow swung his fist at Zhang Yang’s blade. His fist was beginning to freeze up with frost as he was at it. It was like an armor coating over his entire fist.
Boom!
‘-25399!’
‘-12822!’
The moment the fist clashed with the blade, sparks flew. Zhang Yang and the boss received damage at the same instant. However, the damage that Zhang Yang caused upon the boss was two times higher than the boss’s damage value.
"Not bad, I can’t believe that you’re actually this capable!" Snow retracted his fist. His hand was covered with frosty air. Apparently, he was shocked, "It seems that I should fight you more seriously!"
Chiang chiang chiang!
The boss started to cover his body up with snow. In no time at all, he looked like a walking snowman.
{Snowman Transformation}!
Well, that’s really unfair! This was supposed to be the ultimate Skill of the boss. How could the boss use it at such an early stage of the boss battle? Zhang Yang had no idea how long this Skill would last. If this Skill could last for 2 hours, as long as a player’s {Inheritance Transformation} Skill, then it would become impossible to defeat the boss!
Zhang Yang and Wei Yan Er swiftly casted 5 layers of {Cripple Defense} onto the boss. However, the boss had already obtained a 50% reduction on all Physical Attacks thanks to his {Snowman Transformation}. Even Zhang Yang got far stronger all of a sudden, his normal attacks would only cause 12,000 to 15,000 damage.
When one door shuts, another opens. It was fortunate for Daffodil Daydream to tag along after she had acquired her [Mount]. She was a Pyromancer, after all. Knowing that she could double her damage dealt on the boss, Daffodil Daydream cast her fire balls over and over again in excitement. Each of her attacks could cause about 28,000 damage!
Daffodil Daydream was not the only one enjoying her double damage. Felice was also experiencing the same thing!
Initially, Felice could already cause up to 20,000 damage with her {Fire Missile}. After her Attack was doubled, she could deal about 40,000 damage. So basically, her DPS had already exceeded 20,000!
Zhang Yang could usually rely on his damage output in getting hold of the aggro of his target. However, he now had to use his {Provoke}-like Skills to prevent the boss from going after Felice instead.
"Ice age!" the boss suddenly let out a thunderous roar. The next moment, the entire cabin had been transformed into a land of ice and snow. The floor was suddenly buried in snow. Countless, sharp, spikes of ice started raining down the entire area. The hail of icicles was intense and unrelenting! One could only escape this only if they knew how to walk through a rain shower without getting hit by a drop.
"Retreat! Retreat at once!" Zhang Yang said in a hurry.
While the boss was under his {Snowman Transformation}, there was a 50% increase on the Critical Rate of every single Frost Skill that he had. So, this {Blizzard Storm} could basically cause about 15,000 damage every time it hits a target. Even though the equipment on the ladies were already considered to be very powerful, they would still have to drop by the Graveyard if they ever get hit by 4 to 5 of those spikes.
Although Zhang Yang had shouted to the ladies to retreat, he did not move a muscle at all. The {Blizzard Storm} would be channeled with the boss as the central anchor. If Zhang Yang retreats with the ladies, the boss would follow, along with the {Blizzard Storm}. That could possibly wipe the party out.
Fortunately this {Blizzard Storm} was only going to last for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, the phenomenon faded without a trace. Han Ying Xue and the two other ladies rejoined the battle. Meanwhile, Felice had stayed and fought against the boss. She took the full brunt of the impact. However, thanks to her 5,000 Magic Defense, she only lost about 100,000 HP. That would still leave her with half of her HP bar untouched.
As the battle continued, although Snow was behaving like an authentic Mythical Tier boss while he was in his {Snowman Transformation} form, he could not make up for his disadvantage over his total amount of HP. About 3 minutes later, the boss let out a miserable scream and collapsed onto the ground. The party earned massive amount of experience points and quite the number of loot.
The four of them did not feel excited at all. It was really no big deal for them. Furthermore, the boss was only a Level 130 boss. The equipment that the boss dropped were basically Level 130 Violet-Platinum Tier equipment, without the Special that reduces 20 levels from the Requirements. The equipment were like tasteless, bland chicken to them, and they did not even spare anything a glance. Zhang Yang shoved everything into his inventory.
However, the boss had also gave them a pleasant surprise --- a fragment of the [Snowman Inheritance]!
This was one of the Class B [Inheritances]. There were a total of 6 pieces of fragments for this [Inheritance]. In order to activate the linking quest for the [Snowman Inheritance], one would have to gather all 6 pieces of the fragments to form a complete piece. Since that the little brat was not interested with it at all, Zhang Yang had placed the fragment in his inventory. He could just give it out to any of his core members in the guild as a reward for achieving something for the guild.
Any player that had the {Inheritance Transformation} Skill on them would be the most valuable asset to every guild. It did not matter if it was in Zhang Yang’s previous life or this current life. Even if players only had Class C [Inheritance] on them, they could still easily get recruited into a guild by simply posting ‘Class C [Inheritance] Player in need of a guild’. Some top guilds would even politely request for such players to join them. The richer guilds would even pay the players with fixed salaries!
When a thing is rare, it becomes precious. After all, a player with an {Inheritance Transformation} were so rare and valuable to a guild!
This piece of [Snowman Inheritance] fragment could not be bought or found in any forms of shops. So Zhang Yang decided to keep it for the elite players as a token of incentive. He wanted to make sure that the person who would be receiving this should be a member that had a strong sense of belonging in the guild. Furthermore, that player should also be quite skillful. After all, Zhang Yang would be giving out a Class B [Inheritance]. He just wanted to make sure he had given it to the correct member. Even in his previous life, a guild could laugh heartily if they could really gather 10 players with a Class B [Inheritance]!
"Haih! If this is a Class A [Inheritance], perhaps I would have forced myself to take it!" Wei Yan Er shrugged as she spoke.
Zhang Yang laughed and said, "Actually, you still have a chance to get a Class S [Inheritance]!"
"Really? How?"
"Delete your account, restart the game as a Spellcaster, a Knight, a Hunter, or a Thief!"
"..."