Chapter 520, Immaculate Holy Radiance
Hearing about the rewards, Wu Heng felt a surge of excitement.
But as he heard the following numbers, something didn't feel right.
He vaguely remembered reporting 13 flags of large pirate groups and over 140 flags of medium-sized pirate groups.
There was no way the reward should be this small!
Especially considering they killed the previous island lord, who was at Level 18.
At their strength at the time, the danger they faced had been immense.
"The numbers don't add up, right?" Wu Heng asked.
Sheila Grey walked out from behind the desk. "The headquarters verified the bounty list for the Emerald Sea. Most of the flags weren't listed on the wanted orders."
Uh…
Instead of calculating based on the number of pirate flags submitted, the merit was awarded based on the matching bounty orders.
When they were collecting the flags,
Wu Heng had indeed said to report all salvaged flags, whether they came from this battle or not.
It seemed the guild had its own calculation method and wasn't easily fooled.
"Even so, the amount seems off. We're getting shortchanged here," Wu Heng said, looking at her.
Sheila Grey replied, "I think if Steward Imiro wasn't stationed at headquarters, the rewards might have been even less. The official records match what we reported."
From her tone, it was clear Sheila Grey had accepted the outcome.
As for the official records,
they didn't matter much to Wu Heng.
Once appointed as the island lord, he was removed from the traditional promotion system.
No matter how much he advanced, they couldn't strip him of the island lord position or transfer him elsewhere.
His rank improvements were more symbolic than practical.
Still, it didn't matter. He had gained plenty from the Gold-Silver Island campaign.
An island acknowledged by all major powers was worth far more than these item rewards.
Even if he did nothing else, as long as he managed the island properly, its tax revenue would be enough to sustain him for life.
"Alright then, I have no complaints. So, what did we get?" Wu Heng leaned forward.
Sheila Grey sat across from him and waved her hand, making two items appear on the coffee table.
"These two are the Tier 1 merit rewards."
Wu Heng looked at the table.
There were two items: a multi-colored belt and an iron-gray, religious-looking round medallion with intricate carvings.
[Hundred Weapons Space Belt (Rare Item)]
[Effects: Adapts to body changes, Mana Recovery, Storage.]
[Side Effect: Weakness.]
(Description: A belt imbued with strange magic, resembling a decorative accessory.)
The belt of the Hundred Weapons Robe?
A set?
Judging by the color scheme, the two Rare Items were quite similar.
It was likely part of the Hundred Weapons set.
And judging by the name, it was called the Hundred Weapons Space Belt.
Its effects included body adaptation, mana recovery, and storage.
It even had a storage feature.
If it were just these few effects, it didn't seem worth a Tier 1 merit reward.
It wasn't as practical as the Hundred Weapons Robe.
As he pondered, his gaze shifted to the second reward, the medallion.
[Immaculate Holy Radiance (Rare Item)]
[Effects: Protects mind/spirit, summons Knight Attendant (Tier 4).]
[Side Effect: Sinners ignite.]
(Description: The holy radiance protects believers from corruption.)
As he examined the second Rare Item,
Wu Heng's brow furrowed, and he instinctively leaned back to create distance.
A Rare Item associated with the church.
The side effect was that sinners would ignite upon contact.
Why give a necromancer a church-related item as a reward?
Was this a ploy to kill him or just a warning?
If they didn't trust him, they could've refrained from giving him the island in the first place. Instead, they promoted him and now pulled something like this.
Out of all the available items, they handed him this one.
It made him wonder about the guild's intentions.
Wu Heng's initial joy at receiving the reward quickly faded as he speculated.
Meanwhile, Sheila Grey got up to pour tea, and her assistant, Shiyali, walked over with a notebook in hand.
She glanced at the items and softly explained, "The first item is the Hundred Weapons Belt. According to the provided documents, it's part of the Hundred Weapons Robe set. Its mana recovery effect is equivalent to restoring the full mental state of a Level 15 mage. Additionally, it offers 100 cubic meters of storage space."
Wu Heng's attention shifted back to the belt.
Mana recovery meant restoring mental energy, essentially resetting his consumption.
That alone was quite powerful.
On the battlefield, it would give him more opportunities to cast spells.
The 100 cubic meters of storage was decent, but he found it a bit strange—who would want to retrieve items from a belt? It wasn't exactly convenient.
Wu Heng pondered.
Shiyali continued, "The belt's third feature allows it to synergize with the robe. The more clones you summon, the less storage space each clone will have."
Wu Heng's eyes lit up at this explanation.
"So, if I use the Hundred Weapons Robe to create six clones, each one would share the belt's storage capability?"
"Yes, but the more clones there are, the smaller the shared space," Shiyali confirmed.
Hearing this, Wu Heng felt a surge of joy.
No wonder it was called a set.
The synergy made perfect sense.
Previously, only the original user could access items through the space ring after using the Hundred Weapons Robe.
This made distributing tools or weapons a hassle.
But with this belt, that problem would be solved.
Whether or not retrieving items from the belt looked strange no longer mattered.
Seeing Shiyali still watching him,
he smiled and nodded. "Go on."
"The belt's side effect is weakness, and the severity depends on the wearer's constitution." Shiyali moved on to the next item. "The second item is also a Rare Item called Immaculate Holy Radiance. It has two effects. First, it protects the wearer's mind and spirit, capable of withstanding most Tier 5 attacks.
The second effect allows the summoning of a Light Element Knight Attendant, whose strength increases by defeating undead or dark creatures. The attendant is currently at Tier 4.
The side effect is that those with a heavy burden of sin will ignite upon wearing it."
Shiyali paused after finishing her explanation, while Sheila Grey frowned and gave Wu Heng a puzzled look.
Her gaze seemed to question the rationale behind this reward.
Shiyali double-checked the notes. "I'm not mistaken—that's what's written here."
It was obvious that this item wasn't suited for a necromancer.
Sheila Grey returned with the tea, placing a cup in front of Wu Heng. "I wasn't paying attention earlier—how did you end up with this item?"
Wu Heng shook his head. "I'm not sure. Maybe they were running low on rewards and picked this one at random."
But based on his understanding of the guild, they wouldn't do something so careless.
Even if they suspected him, they'd send an investigator rather than deliver this item.
"That's unlikely," Sheila Grey said, surprised.
Wu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "How is 'heavy sin' defined—by profession, the number of skeletal minions, or past actions?"
Shiyali checked the documents again. "It's based on personal deeds, not profession."
"Then you should be fine," Sheila Grey said.
However, Wu Heng still wasn't sure.
How exactly was morality evaluated?
He had killed plenty of people, including an investigation envoy from the guild.
Would that be considered a crime?
"Can it be exchanged?"
"You can write a report to headquarters to apply for an exchange, but it might take some time," Sheila Grey thought for a moment and added, "Or you could test it to see if you can use it."
"How am I supposed to test it if it sets me on fire?"
Sheila Grey took out a Protective Heart Mirror and handed it to him. "Here, borrow this. I have a feeling the medallion won't affect you."
[Protective Heart Mirror (Rare Item)]
[Effect: Substitute Death.]
[Side Effect: Limited to 3 uses.]
(Description: A heart mirror imbued with the dying wish of a knight, protecting its wearer.)
"Your reward?"
Sheila Grey nodded.
The heart mirror seemed better than the one he had, at least with simpler effects and a straightforward side effect of limited uses.
Without much hesitation, Wu Heng put it on.
He then picked up the medallion on the table and pinned it to the other side of his chest.
As soon as he put it on, he felt a warm current envelop his spirit.
The three of them watched carefully for a moment.
Nothing happened.
The medallion's side effect of spontaneous combustion didn't activate, neither on him nor on the heart mirror.
"See? I told you it wouldn't be a problem," Sheila Grey said as she leisurely sipped her tea, completely forgetting how tense she had been moments ago.
Wu Heng cautiously removed the heart mirror—still no reaction.
His mental strength and awareness continued to be protected by the medallion's energy.
Ignoring the potential for self-ignition, the Rare Item's effects were actually quite good.
Wu Heng took off the medallion. "How about you take it instead? You can give it back when you get your next reward."
Sheila Grey's eyes widened, and she pushed it back. "I'm not taking it—it's too dangerous!"
"What the heck!"
Sheila Grey laughed. "It's fine. If something feels off, you can just take it off before it gets serious."
"I'll look for a chance to exchange it later."
"Alright."
...…
Sheila Grey then pulled out the rest of the rewards.
There were 7 Tier 2 merit rewards, laid out neatly on the table.
[Elven Magic Carpet (Rare Item)]: Effect: Passenger flight. Side effect: Weightlessness.
[Shadow Jade Pendant (Rare Item)]: Effect: Enhances necromantic power, nourishes spirit minions. Side effect: Cold aura.
[Soul-Whipping Lash (Magical Item)]: Effect: Intimidates and attacks spirits and void creatures.
[Lin Bing Talisman (Magical Item)]: Created by a hero, provides combat support when used.
[Iron Golem (Model)]: Mechanical construct, can serve as a combat servant.
[Corpse Explosion (Skill Book)]: Implants magic in corpses, causing them to explode.
[Wound Curse (Skill Book)]: Inflicts severe injury on living targets with inadequate constitution.
Seven items in total: two Rare Items, two magical items, one construct, and two skill books.
[Elven Magic Carpet] was a rolled-up wool carpet with a pleasant design, featuring clover leaves, feathers, and floral crowns, all favored by elves.
Judging by the description, it was similar to the flying carpets seen in movies.
It allowed for passenger flight through the air.
Currently, Wu Heng was lacking flying tools, as he couldn't carry the bone dragon everywhere with him.
This would add another useful ability to his arsenal.
The side effect of weightlessness wasn't a big deal compared to self-ignition.
[Shadow Jade Pendant] was a small pendant with a dim, dark exterior. When gently shaken, it seemed as though liquid swirled inside.
Its effects were perfect for a necromancer, enhancing necromantic power and nourishing spirit minions.
It seemed to be a naturally occurring Rare Item.
The side effect of a cold aura was manageable.
The two magical items included the [Soul-Whipping Lash], which could attack spirits,
and the [Lin Bing Talisman], a hero-crafted item designed to provide combat support, which sounded powerful.
[Iron Golem] was a magical construct—the current version was only a model.
The fully activated version was said to reach 4 or 5 meters in height and could defend its user or attack enemies.
The two skill books were [Corpse Explosion] and [Wound Curse].
Both were Level 15 skills.
It seemed the guild had done its homework, knowing he didn't have these two skills and offering them as rewards.
Wu Heng reviewed everything while Shiyali finished explaining the Tier 2 merit rewards.
Confirming there were no issues, she put away the documentation and sat back down.
Sheila Grey handed him two bags of coins. "This is the last part—the bounty."
Over 700 gold coins—definitely not a small amount.
Wu Heng stowed them all away.
"Satisfied?" Sheila Grey smiled.
"It's alright. I thought we'd get dozens of Tier 1 rewards."
"There will be other chances in the future. Besides, if you take too much at once, you'll become a target," Sheila Grey said optimistically.
Wu Heng nodded and asked, "What's the effect of your other Tier 1 item?"
"It's armor—better than what I'm wearing. It provides extra defense."
"That's practical."
"Yours is good too. If you're worried, just don't use the medallion. The island is safe enough as it is."
"You're right," Wu Heng agreed. Checking the time, he added, "How about a celebration tonight? We've been planning to have dinner together for ages but never got around to it."
"That's… probably not a good idea," Sheila Grey hesitated.
"Why not? We're not doing anything bad."
Sheila Grey turned to Shiyali. "Are you coming?"
Shiyali smiled. "I'll pass. I wouldn't want to intrude."
Sheila Grey's brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Wu Heng chuckled and chimed in, "Come on, join us. Otherwise, she'll just worry."
Shiyali glanced at her sister and then at Wu Heng. "Thank you for inviting me, Island Lord."
Wu Heng smiled and nodded. "It's still early. I'll send a carriage to pick you up tonight."
"Sounds good!"
...…
Leaving Sheila Grey's office,
Wu Heng didn't rush back but headed to the meeting room.
He instructed the guild staff to summon the island's gnome designer from the town hall.
Once in the room, the gnome bowed. "Greetings, Island Lord."
"Have a seat."
The gnome hopped onto a chair, sitting attentively.
Wu Heng laid out the island's blueprint and said, "I need you to select a location on the island to build a factory. It should be positioned to supply energy to Lighthouse Street and the central district."