HPDBC Chapter 155: In Search of Titles
Chapter 155: In Search of Titles
While on the way to the main plaza, I opened my status screen.
Maximillian Anderson Lv. 60/60 (EXP 8,793)
HP: 100%
MP: 1,147/1,147
Rank: Gimmel [3]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Paradox Incarnate
Title: One Who Conquered the Impossible (8)
Status: Mentally Exhausted
Strength: 496 + 29 + 50 | Dexterity: 531 + 24 + 50 | Stamina: 456 + 35 + 46
Mind: 350 + 5 + 35 | Magic Power: 414 + 20 + 41 | Luck: 420 + 42
Plausibility: 447
Free Attributes: 0
Signature Skill(s): [Absorb Plausibility], [Fabled Vessel], [God!$# Creation], [Grant Plausibility], [Gravity Magic Lv.4], [Scenario Manipulation]
Skill(s): [Assassination Arts Lv.3], [Basic Alchemy Lv.10], [Basic Cryo Magic Lv.8], [Basic Dagger/Knife Mastery Lv.4], [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.7], [Basic Neutral Magic Lv.10], [Basic Shield Mastery Lv.9], [Brutal Smash Lv.1], [Back Stab Lv.4], [Berserk Lv.4], [Blood-Fueled Frenzy Lv.1], [Calm Mind], [Chantless Casting Lv.3], [Desperate Willpower Lv.9], [Divine Sermon Lv.3], [Echo Construct Lv.2], [Extraordinary Fortune], [Extraordinary Harmonized Constitution], [Fast Equip], [Fast Reading Lv.5], [Flaming Fist Lv.1], [Heavy Stab Lv.8], [Inspect Eye Lv.4], [Intermediate Spearmanship Lv.5], [Intermediate Swordsmanship Lv.8], [Inventory], [Mana Manipulation Lv.8], [Mana Overclock Lv.1], [Mana Sense Lv.8], [Mental Tolerance Lv.5], [Miracle of Conviction Lv.1], [Negotiation Lv.7], [Night Vision], [Pain Tolerance Lv.6], [Phantom Blade Lv.5], [Phantom Slash Lv.6], [Poison-Paralysis Resistance Lv.4], [Projectile Defense Lv.3], [Predator’s Step Lv.5], [Reflection Counter Lv.1], [Shield Bash Lv.1], [Stealth Movements Lv.6], [Sword Intent Lv.1], [Weapon Manifestation Lv.5], [Wind Rush Lv.6]
Spell(s): {Frozen Icicle}, {Graviton Pull}, {Gravity Field}, {Gravity Launch}, {Mana Arrow}, {Mana Bullet}, {Mana Shield}, {Mass Alteration}, {Spinning Mana Arrow}
This amount of plausibility was nowhere near sufficient for the Battle of Divine Will. Part of me wanted to infiltrate the frogman village again, gather more plausibility, and eliminate their so-called “guardian deity,” but that would have to wait.
At the very least, I should now possess enough plausibility to challenge the Forgotten Vault once more. And since there were five of us now, stronger than ever, I was quite confident we could clear it all the way through. Doing so would also fulfill one of the most demanding prerequisites for my class advancement: killing a monster at least fifty levels above my own.
In any case, there was no longer a surefire way to grow stronger aside from completing my class advancement or gathering more plausibility. I could try procuring elixirs that enhanced stats, but those were difficult to obtain, and overusing them would diminish their effectiveness in the long run. Training my skills at the training center was also an option, but there simply wasn’t enough time left to make any drastic improvements.
That was when I remembered that I had obtained a title after killing the cyclops in the tenth scenario, so I quickly checked it.
Cyclops Slayer
Rank: Unique
A title granted to those who have slain at least ten ordinary cyclopes or a single higher-race cyclops.
Grants +50 Strength and +30 Stamina.Significantly increases damage dealt against huge monsters.Cyclops-type monsters experience instinctive fear and hesitation when facing you.Greatly increases resistance against abilities related to brute force, shock, and impact damage.“It’s not bad,” I muttered. “Though it still can’t compare to One Who Conquered the Impossible in overall value…” Even now, that title was still carrying me.
For comparison, this was my current title:
One Who Conquered the Impossible
Rank: Epic
Awarded to those who have overcome a foe far beyond their level under extreme conditions.
Increases all stats by 10%, capped at a maximum of +50 per stat.Greatly improves resistance to fear and mental debuffs.Increase skill effectiveness against enemies at least 20 levels higher by 25%.Even among epic-rank titles, One Who Conquered the Impossible stood out as one of the best of its rank. Reason being, the stat increase it provided was roughly 50 percent higher than most other titles of the same rank because it was based on the stat points I had. However, I was already approaching the maximum bonus stats it could grant, and at this point, acquiring another epic-rank title would be more beneficial.
Possessing multiple epic-rank or higher titles would allow me far greater versatility, as each carried different effects and emphasized different stats. Certain situations demanded different approaches, and adaptability was an advantage I couldn’t afford to ignore.
“But it’s not like acquiring an epic-rank title is as easy as buying fish and vegetables at the market…” I sighed.
Naturally, as the creator of Divine Will, I possessed the know-how to obtain such titles. Even so, none of them was simple to accomplish. I had designed the System to be so balanced and airtight that acquiring high-rank titles by accident was practically impossible. Well… maybe with a few exceptions.
Oh right, there’s a handful of decent titles I can get with relatively little effort… I realized as I thought back. One example was the unique-rank title “Cult Leader,” which could be acquired once the Genesis Order reached one thousand followers. The stat bonuses weren’t particularly impressive, but the auxiliary effects would be useful when persuading others or casting holy magic and using mind-controlling skills or magic.
Aside from that, I should also be able to obtain a few combat-related titles if I managed to defeat the Medusa replica in the Forgotten Vault while fulfilling certain conditions. That was something I could attempt later.
“Wait… am I forgetting something?” I murmured, covering my mouth. If I could merge skills using God!$# Creation, then why couldn’t I merge titles?
Skills were one thing, but I had never heard of nor seen any divine warrior merging titles… Then again, I was no ordinary divine warrior. Of course, the signature skill could currently only merge skills, and I would need to enhance it further to unlock more of its functions. In that case, my path forward remained the same, which was to find a way to gather even more plausibility.
With that thought in mind, I reached the main plaza.
I saw Boris and most of the others already waiting, with the exception of Tuilë. It was surprisingly rare for me not to be the last to arrive, considering how many things I usually had to take care of compared to everyone else. I joined them and waited for the final member, which, fortunately, didn’t take long.
“Hehe, sorry I’m a bit late,” Tuilë said, rubbing the back of her head. “Gotta finish a few things first.”
We nodded and didn’t mind at all.
“So, where are we heading now?” Michelle asked.
“Well, I’m thinking of rechallenging the Forgotten Vault,” I replied. “Now that there are five of us, and we’re all at the peak of Gimmel rank, it’s more imperative than ever to clear that dungeon.”
Michelle’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s the place we didn’t dare to enter last time, right?”
“Indeed.” I nodded. “I think we’re ready to handle it now.”
The three of us were stopped by the golems guarding the entrance to the dungeon, and it was only later that I returned alone to sneak in. Even so, there were many treasures inside, including the divine weapon’s fragment, which would be invaluable to us now. I also wanted to use this opportunity to check on the divine eggs I had placed in the deepest part of the dungeon. If my calculations were correct, they should be close to finishing their incubation. Clearing this dungeon would accomplish several objectives with a single effort.
Boris cracked his knuckles, a grin spreading across his face. “Good. I wanted something tougher than another scenario anyway.”
Tuilë raised her clenched fists in front of her, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Ooh! The perfect test site for what I’ve prepared! You can leave neutralizing the traps to me.”
With Tuilë here, I no longer needed to use Echo Construct to trigger traps like last time. Even though I’d cleared most of them during my previous infiltration, many still remained, and those I had activated were likely repaired or replaced by the dungeon’s self-restoration mechanisms. This time, however, we had someone who could deal with them properly and just as quickly.
Now that I thought about it, our agreement with Tuilë to let her in the party had only been meant to last until she cleared the tenth scenario. However, she had proven herself to be such an invaluable and irreplaceable ally and party member. It would be hard, if not impossible, to find someone as valuable, compatible, and dependable as her.
Since everyone was in agreement, we headed straight for the Rift of Dungeon to enter the Great Wilderness. By the time we reached the Rift Square, divine warriors had already formed a dense crowd around the Rift of Divine Will. There were noticeably more people than when it had first appeared the previous night, and each of them had a wide range of expressions from anticipation, anxiety, and barely concealed ambition.
We didn’t linger and headed straight for the Rift of Dungeons. As we approached within a few meters of the alcove, a System window appeared, displaying a list of dungeons available for entry.
Please select the dungeon that you want to enter:
Ashen Caverns — Difficulty: F+ (Recommended Level: 10+)Howling Graveyard — Difficulty: E (Recommended Level: 20+)Mystic Forest — Difficulty: E+ (Recommended Level: 40+)Ruined Catacombs — Difficulty: D (Recommended Level: 50+)Great Wilderness — Difficulty: D+ (Recommended Level: 60+)Obsidian Mountain — Difficulty: D+ (Recommended Level: 80+)Haunted Labyrinth— Difficulty: C (Recommended Level: 100+)Abyssal Riftlands— Difficulty: C+ (Recommended Level: 120+)Crimson Fogland — Difficulty: B (Recommended Level: 150+)…
Without wasting time, we selected the Great Wilderness.
A swirling portal formed within the alcove, twisting like liquid energy drawn into a vortex. We stepped through, and the world shifted around us. Moments later, the surroundings were replaced by cracked earth stretching endlessly in every direction, jagged rock formations cutting against the sky like broken teeth. The land felt hostile even before any monsters revealed themselves, as though it rejected the presence of divine warriors outright.
We moved without hesitation, following a route Boris, Michelle, and I had already etched into memory. Along the way, monsters watched us from afar but did not dare approach. Our combined presence was enough to deter anything below Daleth rank, and those foolish enough to ignore the warning were dealt with swiftly and efficiently by Michelle’s arrows.
At last, an inverted pyramid came into view, rising against the horizon. The sight of it stirred a strange sense of familiarity within me.
“Before we go into the dungeon, you two should touch this map piece.” I took out the quest item for this dungeon, the one I’d obtained after defeating Graham, and handed it to Tuilë and Lucian. There was no real necessity for the quest to be generated, aside from the fact that it fulfilled one of the class advancement prerequisites.
Once they received the quest, we moved toward the half-buried alcove. It was a narrow gap wedged between two collapsed slabs of stone—the main entrance leading inside; it was the same one we discovered in the past.
Forgotten Vault
A long-lost ruin buried deep beneath the Great Wilderness, believed to predate the current divine era. It serves as both a labyrinth and a mausoleum, housing ancient constructs and sealed relics from a forgotten civilization. There is a residual divine energy inside, hinting that it may have once been a sanctum devoted to an extinct god—or an ancient order erased from history. Only those strong enough to survive the guardians within may uncover the secrets buried inside.
Difficulty:C+(Recommended Level: 120+)
Note: This place is deadly for Gimmel-rank divine warriors and below
As we passed through the dark corridor beyond, our path was abruptly blocked by two colossal figures standing ahead. Each of them towered easily five times over us. Their bodies were carved from solid black stone, crisscrossed with molten fissures that pulsed like veins of lava. From their hollow visages, twin eyes burned with furnace-like light, radiating an oppressive heat that felt almost alive. To make matters worse, each of them wielded a massive battleaxe that was proportional to their body size.
“At last, we meet again,” I said with a faint smile. “Two old friends.”