Chapter 54: Charisma
It was no wonder the people in the livestream were going wild—he was just that awesome and that handsome. Before today, they could never have imagined someone could inflict such damage with sheer force of will. XB was only grazed by the wave of power, yet he collapsed as if struck by an axe.
In truth, Zhou Ning was also surprised by the effect of his Conqueror's Haki. The skill was exceptionally effective for clearing out minions. Although the blood worms were difficult to deal with, they were below level 10 with barely 100 health. Their strength lay in their ability to split infinitely by consuming blood. In essence, they were low-level blood elementals driven by instinct, and their low health and weak mental fortitude were their greatest weaknesses.
As a result, this single blast of Haki unexpectedly cleared the field. More than half of the blood worms were killed instantly, and the rest were left stunned and dizzy. The trade-off was that Zhou Ning's stamina was instantly depleted by more than half.
*The excessive stamina consumption must be the only drawback of Conqueror's Haki,* he thought.
However, the cost was obviously worthwhile. Not only did it save the day, but it also netted him nearly 50,000 experience points, instantly recouping most of what he had spent to synthesize the skill.
He retracted his aura and surveyed the scene. An eerie silence had fallen over the area.
Everyone stood frozen in shock, gasping for breath. They had braced themselves for a massive, grueling battle, but the tables had turned so suddenly that they were left completely stunned.
They had all felt the oppressive force of Zhou Ning's Haki. The immense pressure had been so powerful that some of them could have sworn they saw the phantom of a dragon, and the fear still lingered.
Even Sherlock, who had fought alongside Zhou Ning many times, was aghast. He knew Zhou Ning was strong, but he never expected this level of power.
"Don't just stand there! There are still monsters left to deal with!" Qian West was the first to react, muttering to himself, "Strength from justice." In an instant, two wings of pure light unfurled from his back.
*Wow!* Zhou Ning's eyes widened in surprise. The Kingdom of Braxton had nineteen knightly families with unique hereditary abilities. In his previous life, Zhou Ning had never seen the West family use theirs. He hadn't expected it to look like this.
It was quite handsome.
At that moment, the Sun Guards on the scene finally snapped out of their daze and scattered to engage the remaining threats. Among them were mages who could cast fireballs and agents who used Zhou Ning's special bullets, making them particularly effective at finishing off the stunned blood worms.
Zhou Ning remained where he was, recovering his stamina. He quickly edited a new task and sent it to XB, then took out a revolver identical to his own and handed it to the player. "I'll lend you this gun. Protect yourself."
XB took the weapon in surprise as a new task popped up on his panel.
`[You have triggered a D-Class Mission: Clean Up. Accept? (Y/N)]`
`[Mission Briefing: See those remaining monsters? Kill them!]`
`[Mission Level: D]`
`[Mission Objective: Kill as many remaining monsters as possible, but do not get hit.]`
`[Reward: 2,000 Experience Points.]`
In the end, XB managed to get a few kills, which at least gave him a sense of participation.
Only when the last of the blood worms was eliminated did everyone finally breathe a collective sigh of relief.
It was no exaggeration to say that if a monster like the blood worm had reached Darkland City, not just the city, but the entire Kingdom of Braxton might have been destroyed.
Qian West folded his wings of light and looked at Zhou Ning with undisguised admiration. To be honest, even he had been shaken by the pressure, as if he had come face-to-face with a natural predator. He guessed it had to be some kind of extremely rare spiritual secret art.
Charles VI emerged from the crowd and approached, a smile of deep appreciation on his face. "Well done. You saved my life."
"You're too kind," Zhou Ning said with a wave of his hand. "With the Sun Guards here, you were never in any real danger."
"That's not necessarily true," Charles VI snorted. He unfastened a sword from his waist and handed it to Zhou Ning. "This is my personal blade. Keep it safe, and use it for the good of the kingdom."
`[You have obtained a rare weapon: Magnificent Rapier.]`
Zhou Ning accepted the weapon, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He still had to offer his thanks.
After offering a few more words of encouragement, Charles VI patted Zhou Ning on the shoulder and climbed into his carriage.
Just as he departed, a notification finally appeared on Zhou Ning's panel.
`[A-Level Mission [Conspiracy] completed. You have gained 90,000 Experience Points and 1x Specialization Reward. Claim? (Y/N)]`
*That damn mission is finally done!*
Zhou Ning sighed and selected yes. Although the final step had seemed simple, its success hinged entirely on his mastery of Conqueror's Haki. Otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.
`[Randomly drawing... Draw complete.]`
`[Please choose one of the following 3 abilities as your reward:]`
`[1. [Ascetic] (Advanced): Resistance to abnormal mental states +30%.]`
`[2. [Draconic Power] (Elite Specialization): Grants +10 bonus Defense, +8 Health/sec regeneration, and +7 Stamina/sec regeneration.]`
`[3. [Forest Elf] (Elite Specialization): You possess a trace of high elf blood. Increases Mobility by 28%. You are more adept with ranged weapons, gaining +9 Agility and +1 Charisma.]`
*Two elite specializations, just as I'd hoped!* Zhou Ning's eyes lit up. Frankly, he wanted both. The first would greatly increase his endurance, while the latter was a perfect match for his combat style. Couldn't he have both?
After a difficult internal debate, Zhou Ning reluctantly chose the third option.
The choice undoubtedly raised his combat effectiveness to a new level, but the surprises weren't over yet.
Another prompt quickly appeared on the panel:
`[Because your Charisma has reached its peak, you have gained the Elite Feat: Charisma.]`
`[Charisma: You possess a mysterious and unique aura that stems from your bloodline. Your appeal to the opposite sex increases by 15%. The attributes of your contracted creatures, including mechanical creations, increase by 15%. This feat applies in both reality and simulations.]`
"I can't believe that after all this time traveling, I've gone so far down the path of the handsome guy that I can never turn back," Zhou Ning mused, unsure whether to laugh or cry. It wasn't a bad thing, though. He could even start allocating resources to precision machinery or puppet alchemy to take advantage of it.
He hadn't expected to get a buy-one-get-one-free deal on elite specializations. Although this new feat didn't improve his combat power much for the time being, it undoubtedly broadened his future development paths.
…
"Wayne."
Zhou Ning was still examining his game panel when Qian West came over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Sherlock told me this was all possible thanks to your help," he said with a smile. "The Sun Guards will remember your contribution."
"It was nothing. I told him the same thing. I was just protecting myself," Zhou Ning said calmly. He had a vague suspicion that Qian West was here to recruit him.
Sure enough, after a few pleasantries, Qian West got straight to the point. "Wayne, you know that extraordinary events have been on the rise recently. We need new blood like you. Have you ever considered joining the Sun Guards?"
A new prompt appeared on his panel:
`[Sun Guard Captain Qian West has invited you to join the Sun Guards. (Y/N)? Choosing to join will grant you the unique subclass of the Kingdom of Braxton: Sun Guard.]`
Zhou Ning pondered for a moment. If he had just arrived in this world, he probably would have agreed immediately. After all, the income was stable, it was an excellent side job, and it offered a reliable way to gain experience.
But now, the subclass seemed almost redundant.
"Let me think about it for a few days," Zhou Ning said, leaving the door open. Plans could always change.
"As you should," Qian West replied, not at all disappointed. He smiled. "In any case, the gun deal between you and the Sun Guards will continue. I'll have Sherlock stay in touch. Just let him know when you've made up your mind."
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