Chapter 022 Special Effects Combination

Chen Ke glanced at the countdown timer on his lifespan, which now stood at 4 hours and over 40 minutes after the recent battle.

Identifying a single Holy Relic would take 20 minutes, totaling over an hour of his lifespan for all four. This did not account for the time it would take to summon them.

Facing an unknown enemy, Chen Ke had to make thorough preparations. Yet, even so, he had to use his remaining time judiciously, aiming for each battle's gains to far outweigh its costs—the ideal situation.

Chen Ke placed the four Holy Relic diamonds in his left palm, which, despite the overcast weather, still sparkled with a faint white halo.

With his right hand, he pinched one diamond, and in an instant, a coat shrouded in black, murky fog appeared in his grasp, which he then began to identify.

"-20 minutes for relic identification"

[The Doctor's Old Coat]

[Durability: Average]

[Corrosion Protection: Acid damage reduction, immune to splash-type acid damage, soak-type acid damage halved.]

As the text in the information box slowly emerged, the vague fog surrounding the coat gradually dissipated, revealing a brown coat styled in the Victorian era in Chen Ke's hands.

The coat was somewhat worn, with many patches at the cuffs, collars, and pockets. One of the buttons on the front had fallen off, there were mud spots on the tail of the coat, and the edges were frayed. It was unclear how long the previous owner may have worn this coat—if there had been one.

No matter how tattered, the coat still provided formidable protection against acid. Chen Ke frowned, remembering Pihom's words about "six categories and eighteen attributes." It seemed corrosion was certainly one of the six categories, and acid was one of the three attributes under corrosion.

He continued to identify another piece of equipment.

Chen Ke pocketed the diamond of the coat and picked up another Holy Relic diamond; this time, it was a helmet.

[Rusty Kingdom Elite Guard Helmet]

[Durability: Poor]

[Last Stand Protection: Uses all durability to protect against one fatal injury, after which the equipment will be completely destroyed.]

This was a full-coverage helmet, in stark contrast to the Victorian style of the coat. It belonged entirely to the Medieval era. The silver faceplate had lost its luster, and the helmet, covered in rust and marked with numerous scratches and dents, likely belonged to a veteran of many battles.

This was a Holy Relic meant for saving one's life, capable of withstanding a deadly situation at least once. Whether to use it now or not, Chen Ke was uncertain.

There were still two Holy Relic diamonds left.

The small diamond in Chen Ke's left hand instantly transformed into a blurry round shield.

[Blood-soaked Battle Shield]

[Durability: Average]

[Shield Bash: Use the shield to attack opponents, the faster the running speed, the higher the damage.]

[Spike: Dealing double damage to bleeding targets with the shield bash.]

This shield was a coppery hue and not very large—about the size of a cushion—but significantly heavier.

The shield's surface featured eight protruding spikes, covered in blood-colored rust. The face of the shield bore the marks of countless slashes, chops, and blunt force hits, revealing its weathered history. The central part of the shield was likely about 4 centimeters thick, tapering to 2 centimeters at the edges.

Chen Ke grasped the handle on the back of the shield to test it out and estimated that the shield weighed about 5 kilograms. For an ordinary person, not to mention using this chunk of a shield to block attacks nimbly, even just strapping it to one's left arm for a long time would be quite the burden. Chen Ke himself was extremely unaccustomed to it, it was as if his left hand was tied down with a 10-pound bag of rice.

In the past, he had seen many heroes adept at using shields in video games, movies, and animations. Not to mention their almost overpowered defensive abilities, they could also use the cumbersome shield to execute stunning offensive moves as weapons.

However, once he actually put on a shield, he profoundly realized that it wasn't so easy to use; it wasn't as simple as just holding it horizontally in front of him. The cumbersome shield slowed down the movements of one side of his body, and he had to shift the shield's center of gravity first even just to turn around. Keeping the shield in front of him for a long time was also very draining.

"Captain America really is uniquely gifted..." Chen Ke couldn't help but sigh, and then he looked towards another piece of the Holy Relics – a diamond.

These were a pair of boots.

[Marching Boots]

[Durability: Poor]

[Vigorous: Halves stamina consumption for walking and running]

[Sprinter: Increases running speed by 25%]

The black high-top boots appeared to be products of the modern era, probably a bit more recent than that Victorian-era overcoat. At the earliest, they must be from the 1920s, with the surface of the shoes covered in specks of mud, some areas at the bends already cracking, and the soles showing splits. Chen Ke felt that if he wore them and walked another ten kilometers, they would likely fall apart.

Chen Ke laid out the four diamonds before him and suddenly noticed something interesting. He took out the bleeding sword diamond again to check its attributes:

[Executioner's Bleeding Dagger]

[Durability: On the verge of destruction]

[Ripping Wounds: Causes wounds that never heal]

[Bloodletting Groove: Piercing causes severe blood loss]

This dagger could inflict bleeding wounds on monsters that would never heal, and the Blood-soaked Battle Shield could deal double shield strike damage to bleeding monsters.

The Marching Boots could increase running speed by 25%, and this special effect was a perfect match for the Blood-soaked Battle Shield's feature of "the faster you run, the higher the shield strike damage".

These three Holy Relics were a perfect match.

Chen Ke started to ponder, perhaps this was the reason why the Administration Bureau collected and regulated the Holy Relics comprehensively? Could it be that the "special effect combination" of the three Holy Relics in his possession was just the tip of the iceberg of the original power of the Holy Relics?

The Administration Bureau must possess a vast number of Holy Relics; how powerful could the "special effect combinations" they could master be?

Could a high-level Spiritual Ability User, equipped with these Holy Relics with "special effect combinations", turn the tables against heaven? The more Chen Ke thought about it, the more unrealistic it seemed. After all, in a world where individual power could crush armies, the concept of nation-states couldn't possibly exist.

If a situation of power hemorrhaging were to occur, the entire civilization would regress back to the age of social Darwinism, the savage era of "might makes right".

Although he couldn't yet assert that the world he was in allowed individual power to break through an astonishing limit, at the very least, the actions of the Administration Bureau seemed to be aimed at preventing such a scenario.

Besides, who "created" these Holy Relics? They held transcendent powers but were undeniably human-made artifacts. This was what Chen Ke found most incomprehensible.

As time ticked away, the countdown reminded Chen Ke not to waste any more time pondering questions he couldn't possibly answer. The information in his possession was still too little; thinking about such matters was destined to lead nowhere.

He pocketed the diamonds, drew out the Glock 17 and the Python, and gave one last check to the bullet situation. He also didn't forget to pull out the M1911A1 from the triangular bag and slip it into the holster for any unexpected needs.

After making all the necessary preparations, he followed the large pit on the ground step by step towards the sewer, entering the depths of darkness following the memories of the female Diner.