After careful consideration of practicality, Chen Mo finally chose the second option: the bomb effect!
He considered the probability of encountering groups of monsters versus elite BOSSes. Players primarily leveled up by defeating large numbers of ordinary monsters. Therefore, a skill effect capable of dispatching groups of monsters was the top priority for low-level players. Furthermore, the self-destruct effect not only boosted area-of-effect damage but also provided a substantial damage increase against single targets. For this reason, Chen Mo chose the second effect.
[Selection completed. Please claim your synthesized item!]
[This synthesis formula has been recorded in the formula list!]
Formula: [Skeleton Summoning·White] x3 = [Bomb Corpse Squad·Green] (Synthesis success rate: 100%)
[In the future, you can directly use the required materials and select this formula to synthesize this item!]
[Bomb Corpse Squad·Green]
Profession: Skeleton Mage
[Cooldown]: 5 seconds
[Effect]: Consumes 100 Energy to summon five Skeleton Monsters that persist for 60 seconds. The Skeleton Monsters' attributes are linked to your Wisdom and Spirit.
Current summonable Skeleton Monster attributes: Health 100, Physical Attack 30, Physical Defense 0, Magic Defense 0. Characteristic: [Bomb].
[Bomb]: When this unit is killed or detonated by its controller, an explosion is triggered, affecting a ten-meter radius around the unit. The explosion damage is equivalent to the unit's maximum life value.
Chen Mo had not yet allocated any of his 70 freely distributable attribute points, so the summoned Skeleton Monsters' attributes remained unchanged. Even so, with the Bomb characteristic, the utility of Skeleton Monsters had significantly increased. Even without allocating any attribute points, the Skeleton Monsters Chen Mo could now summon could easily inflict 100 points of damage within a ten-meter radius. This was already quite an impressive amount of damage.
However, this had only used three Skill Books. Witnessing the significant improvement in the skill's effect from the initial synthesis, Chen Mo immediately began further synthesis. This time, because the formula existed, Chen Mo quickly synthesized two more Bomb Corpse Squad skills and one additional Poisonous Corpse Squad skill. He wanted to test if three different skills, each synthesized from three identical [Skeleton Summoning·White] Skill Books, could themselves be synthesized together.
As Chen Mo placed two Bomb Corpse Squad Skill Books and one Poisonous Corpse Squad Skill Book into the material slots, the display in the semi-transparent window immediately changed.
[Detecting formula...]
[The items placed are not three identical materials, and no synthesis formula for these three differing items has been detected in your possession. This synthesis is invalid. Please retrieve your materials.]
Understanding the message on the semi-transparent screen, Chen Mo removed the Poisonous Corpse Squad Skill Book and replaced it with the third Bomb Corpse Squad Skill Book he had synthesized earlier.
Four Green-quality Skill Books... that used up a whopping twelve [Skeleton Summoning·White] Skill Books. It seemed like a lot, but they were consumed so quickly, Chen Mo muttered, looking at the semi-transparent floating window.
[Materials Placed: [Bomb Corpse Squad·Green] x3!]
[Detecting formula...]
[Detected three identical items. Your talent has activated; this synthesis does not require a pre-learned formula!]
[Commencing quality assessment for this synthesis...]
[Synthesis quality: Low. No special materials required!]
[Commencing success rate assessment...]
[Synthesis success rate: 100%!]
[Proceed with synthesis? Warning: All materials will be consumed regardless of success or failure. Please confirm!]
This time, the detection results were accurate, allowing the synthesis to proceed directly. Chen Mo immediately clicked 'Confirm' and chose to view the results instantly.
[Congratulations, synthesis successful!]
[Please choose one of the following three synthesis options as the final result!]
[1]: Strengthen Corpse Group·Blue (Bound)
[2]: "Blue Undead Corpses" (Bound)
[3]: Poisonous Corpse Squad·Blue (Bound)
Noticing the word 'Bomb' was missing from the new skill names, Chen Mo quickly checked their effects. He was relieved to see that the Bomb characteristic was still present in all three options. From this, Chen Mo understood that each synthesis enhanced the effects of the original material skills while also randomly offering three new effects to choose from. Seeing the Poisonous Corpse Squad option again, Chen Mo realized that effects he had previously forgone could reappear in later syntheses. This realization made his choices less agonizing.
Having already assessed the third option, Chen Mo focused on the first two effects.
The first special effect, Strengthen, moderately enhanced a unit's attributes—specifically attack and defense, but not Life. Since he had previously chosen the Bomb characteristic, he naturally wanted to maximize its potential. The Skeleton's explosion damage was calculated based on its maximum life value; the creature's own attack power was secondary. While enhancing the creature's attack and defense was a decent improvement, the increase wasn't substantial, so Chen Mo wasn't particularly keen on this effect.
The second effect, Revival, allowed a Skeleton Monster to instantly revive on the spot with 1 Life point upon death. Combined with the Bomb characteristic, this effect meant they could explode twice in a row! This effectively doubled the impact of the Bomb characteristic—a fantastic upgrade.
Corpse Poison is a great tool for dealing with BOSSes, but the Revival special effect combined with Bomb is just too tempting! How can I choose? This is agonizing!
Chen Mo, who had felt his decision-making would be easier just moments ago, was once again caught in a dilemma. After much deliberation, and remembering that Corpse Poison could reappear later, Chen Mo finally made up his mind.
Since Corpse Poison can reappear, I can always pick it in a future synthesis. For now, it's best to choose the Revival effect, as it complements the Bomb characteristic perfectly.
"This is the one!"
Once Chen Mo made his selection, a brand-new skill appeared before him.
["Blue Undead Corpses"]
Profession: Skeleton Mage
[Cooldown]: 5 seconds
[Effect]: Consumes 100 Energy to summon twenty-five Skeleton Monsters with Bomb characteristics that persist for 120 seconds. The Skeleton Monsters' attributes are linked to your Wisdom and Spirit.
Current summonable Skeleton Monster attributes: Health 100, Physical Attack 30, Physical Defense 0, Magic Defense 0. Characteristics: Bomb, Revival.
[Revival]: Upon death, this unit revives with 1 Life point, and all its abnormal status effects are cleared.
Just 100 Energy to summon 25 Skeleton Monsters! That's insane! I'm practically a one-man army. This feels amazing!
Chen Mo was visibly pleased after reviewing the skill's effects. He realized that the skills he synthesized, whether Green or Blue quality, were a cut above the standard Green and Blue skills typically found. After all, his skills were the result of merging and upgrading specific base skills. Beyond the direct upgrade effects, he also got to choose an additional powerful effect from three options, allowing for even stronger combinations.
Noting he still had many Skill Books remaining, Chen Mo decided to continue with further upgrades.
If a Blue-quality skill is already this potent, imagine how much better they'll become with further upgrades!