Chapter 28 – Angelic Inspiration

Chapter 28 – Angelic Inspiration

After the others left, Cheng Yang approached the Bloody Church dungeon’s teleportation gate. Without hesitation, he selected the Hard difficulty and was instantly transported inside.

Cheng Yang was intimately familiar with the Bloody Church dungeon. Its difficulty levels were divided into Normal, Hard, Nightmare, and Hell. Each increase in difficulty boosted the monsters’ strength by a small tier, from common mobs to the final boss. Cheng Yang vividly remembered that in his previous life, before his death, no one had ever cleared the Hell difficulty. At that level, the final boss would be a mid-tier Rank 2 entity. Back then, the strongest humans had only just reached the initial stage of Rank 1. Although there was a massive tree at the church’s center, by mid-tier Rank 2, its height was no longer an insurmountable obstacle.

Fortunately, the strategies Cheng Yang used to clear the Normal difficulty could still be applied to Hard and Nightmare modes. The only real challenges were the elite monsters in the first two stages, as those areas required brute force rather than clever tactics.

Previously, as a mid-tier Magic Apprentice, Cheng Yang hadn’t dared to attempt the Hard difficulty. But now, having advanced to high-tier, he felt confident enough to take it on.

With his significantly increased mana pool, Cheng Yang could now unleash 28 attacks before needing to meditate to recover. His current attack power allowed him to kill a mid-tier Rank 1 demonic beast with just three Magic Missiles. As long as there were fewer than ten beasts, Cheng Yang could wipe them out in a single wave.

However, many areas in the Bloody Church didn’t allow for such tactics, as some courtyards contained more than ten demonic beasts. If they got too close, things could get messy. Fortunately, the church’s architecture provided advantages, such as rooms with doors that could be closed to keep the beasts at bay. In previous Normal difficulty runs, Cheng Yang hadn’t used this trick, choosing instead to train Liu Hao and Li Wanshan’s defensive skills.

The subsequent battles went smoothly. The mid-tier Rank 1 Lesser Demons fell quickly under Cheng Yang’s attacks. Even when encountering larger groups, Cheng Yang would kill a few, retreat to a room to recover his mana, then burst out again to kite the remaining demons in circles until they were all dead.

The two late-tier Rank 1 mini-bosses were also easily dispatched. Cheng Yang’s speed far surpassed that of ordinary late-tier Rank 1 demonic beasts, and as a ranged attacker, he could kite the bosses to their deaths.

When the final peak-tier Rank 1 Lesser Demon, taller than an adult human, fell beneath the tree, Cheng Yang had successfully achieved the first clear of the Hard difficulty.

Cheng Yang picked up a ring that dropped from the boss, not even bothering to check its stats before rushing into the prayer hall. As the first clear of Hard difficulty, he expected some special rewards.

On the innermost table of the prayer hall lay a crystal-clear orb. Although Cheng Yang had never seen it in his previous life, he had heard of such things.

“Haha… Angelic Inspiration!” Cheng Yang couldn’t contain his excitement. He never expected to obtain this priestly divine skill so soon. This was exactly what he needed to build a super priest team.

Cheng Yang recalled that in his previous life, the Americans had been the first to obtain this skill, likely meaning they had been the first to clear the Hard difficulty of Bloody Church.

A mischievous grin spread across Cheng Yang’s face. *Let those Americans cry in a corner now.*

If the Hard difficulty’s first clear reward was the Angelic Inspiration skill orb, what could the Nightmare difficulty offer? Cheng Yang didn’t know, as no one in his previous life had revealed the rewards for Hard and Nightmare first clears.

The Angelic Inspiration skill was incredibly powerful, capable of elevating a priest’s value by an entire tier.

In the early stages, 200 Spirit Points was a steep price. Most priests like Pang Shan could only earn 50-60 Spirit Points per day. Even without daily double cultivation, it would take four to five days to save up enough.

For Cheng Yang, however, 200 Spirit Points wasn’t a big deal. He was earning nearly 700 Spirit Points daily, and with his recent promotion to high-tier Magic Apprentice, that number would only increase. Just clearing the Bloody Church dungeon had netted him over 400 Spirit Points.

Of course, Cheng Yang’s expenses were also substantial. His nightly cultivation alone cost 480 Spirit Points, a number that would have scared off most others.

Now, Cheng Yang finally had time to examine the three pieces of equipment he had obtained.

Hard difficulty dungeons had a high chance of dropping Black Iron equipment and a smaller chance for Bronze equipment. As a first clear, the odds of getting better gear were naturally higher.

Cheng Yang’s eyes lit up as he read the equipment stats. Although he had expected the drops to be relevant to him, seeing two Bronze items perfectly suited to his class filled him with indescribable joy.

With the Dark Magic Helm and Ancient Wood Ring, Cheng Yang’s combat power would skyrocket. While defense wasn’t currently a priority for him (he had no intention of tanking), the increased mana and attack power were substantial boosts.

As for the Swift Boots, Cheng Yang decided not to use them himself. While useful, they were more of a luxury than a necessity for him. They would be more valuable in Liu Hao’s hands.

After equipping the helm and ring, Cheng Yang’s mana reached 157 points, and his attack power rose to 27. These impressive numbers were partly due to percentage bonuses amplifying his base stats. With his Magic Missile now dealing 29 damage (ignoring defense), just one more Ancient Wood Ring-level item would allow him to one-shot early-tier Rank 1 demonic beasts.

Attack-boosting equipment was rare, limited mainly to weapons, rings, and necklaces. Accessories had much lower drop rates than other gear, so obtaining the Ancient Wood Ring was incredibly lucky. Cheng Yang could still hope for a Bronze weapon, which would provide an even greater attack boost than accessories of the same quality.

…

Meanwhile, in Xiang City, the most intense battle yet was raging.

After a night of rest and gathering information from rescued refugees about the mysterious light barrier at the city center, the military saw a glimmer of hope. Everyone had heard the voice from the heavens at the apocalypse’s beginning. While initially baffled, the discovery of the light barrier made them believe salvation might lie within.

However, the area around the barrier was now swarming with nearly ten thousand demonic beasts. The barrier’s radius spanned several square kilometers, and its irresistible attraction to the beasts had drawn them from up to two kilometers away. In just two and a half days, the barrier’s surroundings had become a sea of monsters.

When the military forces arrived about a kilometer from the barrier and saw the massive horde, even they felt a chill run down their spines. No one understood the terror of demonic beasts better than they did. Even direct hits from rockets couldn’t guarantee instant kills. Facing so many monsters at once would likely consume half their ammunition.

But there was no retreat. This battle had to be fought.

At the command of General Yuan Jianze, the roar of gunfire and explosions shook Xiang City. The sounds were so intense that even Cheng Yang, nearly thirty kilometers away, could faintly hear them. This was partly due to Cheng Yang’s enhanced senses, but it also spoke volumes about the battle’s ferocity.

Initially, the gun-wielding soldiers held the advantage. Under the barrage of bullets and shells, the demonic beasts fell like wheat before a scythe.

However, as the front lines of beasts absorbed the punishment, those behind closed the distance. Unlike untrained humans, these creatures could take multiple bullets and keep charging. The battle was far from over.