Chapter 230: Tier Three Skills

Chapter 230: Tier Three Skills

Wild Frenzy: After transforming into a Werewolf, under the effect of this skill, the Druid enters a state of frenzy, tearing the enemy's body with extra fast and fierce attacks and stealing Life from them.

Wild Frenzy (Level 8)

Mana Cost: 3

Duration: 40 seconds

Movement Speed: +19-45%

Life Steal: +4-40%

Damage: +85%

Attack Rating: +90%

Maul: After transforming into Werebear Form, under the effect of this skill, the Druid can use their powerful claws to tear the enemy's body and cause stun.

Maul (Level 8)

Mana Cost: 3

Duration: 40 seconds

Damage: + -140%

Attack Rating: +90%

Stun Duration: 1-1.4 seconds

Wild Frenzy and Maul are both skills that can only be used after the Druid's transformation. With these two skills, the Druid finally bids farewell to the awkwardness of having no skills to use after transforming. Furthermore, both are very practical skills. For example, Wild Frenzy not only increases Damage but also steals Life and increases Movement Speed, truly bringing the Werewolves' flexible and varied tactics into full play.

Maul, on the other hand, showcases the terrifying Strength and Attack Rating of the Werebear Form. Its greatest use is causing enemies to fall into stun. The only regrettable point is that the Attack Speed after Werebear transformation is slow, and the body is not flexible enough. Trying to use this short Stun Duration for a combo attack is simply impossible. However, even so, Maul's effect is already quite overpowered. Not only can it interrupt enemy skills, but if you calculate carefully, continuous stun can even suppress the enemy's Attack Speed to less than three-quarters of their usual rate. This is a very considerable figure.

In addition, Wild Frenzy and Maul have another advantage: they are both Charge-up Skills. As long as they are used once, the Druid's normal attacks will carry the skill's effect for a period of time afterward, greatly saving Mana Cost. Furthermore, the effect attached to the skill can stack, up to a maximum of three times. When the skill has been stacked three times, the skill's effect value will be maximized.

Taking Wild Frenzy at Skill Level 8 as an example, the first time Wild Frenzy is used, the ability attached to normal attacks within the following 40 seconds is Movement Speed +19%, Life Steal +4% (the other two values will not change with the number of stacks). After using it a second time within 40 seconds, the attached effect becomes Speed +24%, Life Steal +10%. The third time is Speed +32%, Life Steal + %. The fourth time is Speed +45%, Life Steal +40%.

However, there is something that pours cold water on this: Wild Frenzy's Cooldown is close to seconds. Based on this figure, Wild Frenzy can only be stacked up to the second time within 40 seconds. Of course, there is a way to solve this, which is to gradually become proficient in using it and try to shorten the required Cooldown. When the Cooldown is compressed to within 10 seconds, and you can unleash the true power of Wild Frenzy, only then can you be considered a winner in life. Unfortunately, having just mastered this skill, let alone compressing the time, I can't even be considered proficient in using it...

As for Maul, which is also a Charge-up Skill, it is cut from the same cloth as Wild Frenzy.

Speaking of Charge-up Skills, one must mention the Assassin. Assassins who are masters of the Martial Arts Discipline are the true masters of Charge-up Skills. Furthermore, although they are both Charge-up Skills, the form in which they manifest on the Druid and the Assassin is different. The Druid's form of Charge-up is to channel the energy gathered from each skill use throughout their entire body. Through continuous release, they increase their Speed, Damage, or other Abilities within a certain time. The Assassin's form of Charge-up, however, is to concentrate the energy gathered from each skill use and then instantly release it to cause powerful destruction.

Although their forms of manifestation are different, their nature is the same. For example, a Druid Master who has thoroughly mastered their skills can also, like an Assassin, instantly release the energy gathered from each skill use to cause powerful destruction. Conversely, an Assassin Master who is proficient in Martial Arts can also continuously release the energy gathered each time to enhance their Attributes and Abilities in various aspects for a short period.

In fact, among the Seven Classes, the skills of different Classes have many commonalities. As long as one can understand them deeply, it is not difficult to infer other things from one instance or understand everything from a single point. According to the description in Deckard Cain's book, there was once an Assassin Master who had deeply grasped the essence of Charge-up Skills. By channeling the fire element energy accumulated from their Martial Arts Discipline Tier 2 skill—Fists of Fire—and releasing it at their feet, they actually created an effect similar to the Sorceress's Fire Element Tier Three skill—Blaze. Of course, it would certainly be inferior in terms of Duration and Damage.

Since an Assassin can create a skill effect similar to a Sorceress with their Class, perhaps some people will be curious about how terrifying a Sorceress can become when they reach the pinnacle of mastery in their specialized spell domain? Very well, I can tell you: Peak Sorceress Masters can transform their body into elemental form for a short period. For example, a Sorceress specializing in Lightning skills can transform their body into a Lightning Elemental Form for a short period. During this time, they will be completely immune to physical attacks and will cause intense Lightning Damage to any enemy who attacks them in melee. The most overpowered part is that when they cast Lightning spells, the power of the lightning will increase by at least tenfold, depending on the Sorceress's own ability. Therefore, describing a Peak Sorceress who can transform their body into elemental form as a Humanoid Nuclear Bomb is not an exaggeration at all...

Getting back to the main topic, besides the two practical skills from the Shape Shifting skills, the Druid also has Corpse Creeper from the Summoning skills, and Volcano and Cyclone Armor from the Elemental skills.

Corpse Creeper (Level 8): Summons a vine that devours enemy corpses and injects the life converted from devouring the corpse into the body of the Druid who summoned it. A Level 8 Corpse Creeper restores 6% of its Master's Life for each corpse it devours.

This skill is also very practical, because Corpse Creeper restores Life based on a percentage. If there are a large number of corpses on the ground, its effect is simply like an infinite small Rejuvenation Potion. Its drawback is that it has no attack power whatsoever, and the speed at which it devours corpses is not very fast. Another point is that the process of devouring is extremely disgusting. If Poison Creeper devouring Fallen Ones were a realistic great white shark eating people documentary, then Corpse Creeper devouring corpses is undoubtedly a nakedly disgusting horror film. Fortunately, after coming to Sanctuary, my mental fortitude has been infinitely strengthened, otherwise, I would have been scared out of my wits.

Volcano (Level 8): Through the summoning of the earth's core, the Druid can tear open the surface, causing Molten Lava Area to erupt suddenly around their feet, burning enemies to ash.

Volcano's Damage is even higher than Molten Boulder. It is my skill with the strongest instant killing power at this stage. However, what is frustrating is that this skill heavily relies on luck, because the position where the Molten Lava Area erupts is random. If you're lucky, the first shot can hit the enemy. If you're unlucky, even if the enemy stands still, they might not be hit by a single shot. However, Volcano has great potential. If I can achieve mastery later and control its eruption time and position, then the Molten Lava Area erupting instantly from the Underground would probably be difficult for even an Assassin to dodge.

Cyclone Armor (Level 8): Forms a swirling wind around the Druid. This allows him to be immune to Fire, Lightning, and Cold damage (Note: Not all elements; Poison Damage cannot be absorbed). A Level 8 Cyclone Armor can absorb 124 points of Damage.

This is very easy to understand—under the premise that the enemy uses one of the Fire, Lightning, or Cold spells, Cyclone Armor is equivalent to giving the Druid an extra 124 life. Similar skills include the Necromancer's Bone Armor, the Sorceress's Frozen Armor, and the Priest's Light Shield, but each has its own characteristics. Cyclone Armor absorbs damage from the three magic elements; Bone Armor absorbs Physical Damage; Frozen Armor increases Defense percentage and can freeze enemies who attack the user; although Light Shield can only counteract the attacks of Undead and Demons, it can be cast on others.

With Xiao Xue's lazy pace, about an hour passed, and the figure of the Oasis appeared in sight from afar. The intense sunlight made it seem somewhat ethereal and uncertain, like a mirage.

I leaped down from its back and recalled the five Guilang and the Oak Sage, leaving only Lǎn Wū Yā and Poison Creeper. This was because, in addition to Adventurers, there would also be many ordinary Merchants and Civilians resting there. If Xiao Xue and her companions, with their strong oppressive presence, were present, those people would simply be unable to rest and chat peacefully. (In fact, let alone Merchants and Civilians, even Adventurers would find it difficult to sit calmly under Xiao Xue's might.)

"Master Druid, there are still seats inside. Please, have a seat, please have a seat."

Under the wooden shed, a young man in a coarse linen short coat, about twenty years old, came forward with a smile that said "I am the Shop Assistant". After glancing briefly at Lǎn Wū Yā standing on my shoulder, he immediately beamed and bowed, saying that based on his experience, the more of a Master someone was, the more generous they were.

Not long after sitting down, a pot of ice-cold milk tea was brought up. There were a few ice blocks floating on top. The enticing coolness blended with the fragrance of the milk tea, along with the refreshing cool wind blowing from inside the Oasis carrying moisture. Even a Barbarian in a bad mood would likely quiet down at this moment, silently enjoying the coolness of this scorching summer day.

"Caw caw—"

Lǎn Wū Yā, with eyes full of light, flew from my shoulder to the table. With a flick of its head, its mouth picked up a matchbox-sized ice block. Its hard mouth instantly crushed the ice block. Then, it happily flapped its wings, enjoying the crushed ice on the table like a Little Chicken pecking at rice.

Looking at Lǎn Wū Yā's greedy expression, I helplessly shook my head and began to focus my attention on the dialogue inside the wooden shed.

There were about twenty-odd people inside, most of whom were Merchants resting while passing through. There were only about five or six Civilians and Adventurers combined. After the initial quiet brought about by my arrival, they continued to chat loudly.

Since most were Merchants, their topic naturally revolved around trade. Which Place had cheaper goods, what things were scarce in which Place, how a certain Merchant suffered a huge loss, or how a certain Merchant Guild's goods were attacked by Monsters halfway through, and so on.

Just as I felt disappointed, the dialogue between two Merchants at the table nearest to me made me almost spectacularly spit out the milk tea I was slowly savoring in my mouth.

(end of chapter)