CHAPTER 86: CHAPTER 86: ASSASSIN’S SLEEVE CROSSBOW

[Ruin Spear]

[Quality]: Purple-quality

[Requirements]: Strength over 30

[Effect 1]: +8 Strength

[Effect 2]: Thousandweight: The Ruin Spear can adjust its weight, up to 1,000 kg.

[Effect 3]: Wide Sweep: spend 4 Energy. Your next attack has longer reach and hits all enemies within 10 meters in front of you for 150% damage.

[Note]: A weapon for the strong. The weak don’t deserve it.

...

[Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow]

[Quality]: Purple-quality

[Requirements]: Level over 20, or both Strength and Speed over 20

[Effect 1]: +4 Strength, +4 Speed

[Effect 2]: Energy Arrow: spend 1 Energy to form an arrow and shoot it. Hits targets within 100 meters. No cooldown.

[Effect 3]: Explosive Arrow: spend 5–10 Energy to form an explosive arrow with a range of 50 meters. On hit, it explodes and damages enemies within 5 meters. The more Energy you spend, the higher the damage. Cooldown: 3 hours.

[Note]: If you can kill the target and leave no witnesses, that’s a perfect assassination.

...

[Universal Painkiller

[Quality]: Purple-quality

[Use Requirements]: None

[Item Effect 1]: Pain relief and calming. After taking one Universal Painkiller, you gain a pain-numbing, calming effect. For the next six hours, your pain is reduced by 70%.

[Item Effect 2]: Health recovery. If you take more than 10 pills in a short time, you gain a healing effect: you recover 10% health per minute for 30 minutes. No cooldown, but there is a side effect.

Side effect: your level drops by 1.

[Item Effect 3]: Overdrive. If you take 20 pills at once, you gain an overdrive effect: +5 Strength, +5 Speed, +5 Defense for one hour. No cooldown, but there are side effects.

Side effects: you randomly lose 5 attribute points, and taking large amounts many times in a short period can cause death.

[Note]: If you feel unwell, take one. It works right away.

Ethan looked over the items that Ford, the Deputy City Lord of the Ice City settlement, was showing and thought them through carefully.

The Thousandweight effect on the first Ruin Spear did tempt him a bit.

He felt this weapon was like the big black war hammer Shane used: big, sweeping moves that kill with raw power.

Still, between the [Ruin Spear] and the second Purple-quality item, the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow], the crossbow was the one Ethan wanted more.

Ethan had never really had a good ranged option, and the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow] came with two ranged effects.

You could say that if he chose the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow], he would finally have a way to fight back against enemies attacking from afar.

However, just like the [Ruin Spear], Ethan could not meet the requirements to equip either one yet.

As for the third Purple-quality item, the [Universal Painkiller], Ethan only glanced at it and then passed.

Its side effects were too heavy. It was not worth it.

Besides, Ethan’s talent was [Pain Resistance], so he did not really need something like the [Universal Painkiller].

So Ethan chose the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow].

Ford put away the [Ruin Spear] and the [Universal Painkiller] without hesitation, then said to Ethan:

"Alright. You still have 1,000 contribution points with the Ice City settlement. In seven days, I’ll be free. I’ll take you to the settlement’s treasury myself so you can redeem items."

Ethan frowned a little. Seven days felt a bit too long.

Time is money, especially in the early game of Dawnfall Online.

It’s like a snowball: the bigger it is at the start, the faster it grows as it rolls.

If he could quickly turn those 1,000 contribution points into things that boost his strength, he’d get stronger even faster

So Ethan asked: "Seven days? That’s a bit long."

Ford gave an apologetic smile and said:

"Here’s the thing. The underground cave issue in Frost Valley is solved, but there’s still a lot of follow-up work."

"I know there are some good items in the Ice City settlement’s treasury that suit you. If I go with you, I can help you pick better ones."

He paused, looked at Ethan, and asked:

"If you really can’t wait, you can also go redeem them in a bit."

Ethan thought for a moment. Rather than wait seven days, he’d rather go to the Ice City settlement’s treasury in a bit and redeem items now.

As for the "good stuff" Ford mentioned, it didn’t interest him much.

Right now he wanted items that could raise his level or his stats.

That way, he could equip the [Shadow Belt] and the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow] right away.

The [Shadow Belt] gives +5 Strength and +5 Defense, and the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow] gives +4 Strength and +4 Speed.

Once he could equip them, his power would jump a lot.

So Ethan simply nodded and agreed.

A flicker of annoyance flashed in Ford’s eyes, and then it was gone.

Soon, with Ford leading the way, Ethan, Shane, Ryan, and the others headed toward the Ice City settlement.

On the road, Ethan suddenly remembered there was an Orange-quality Intel reward in his [Inventory] that he hadn’t checked yet.

He opened his wrist device and glanced at it.

[Ice Calamity Intel]

[Quality]: Orange-quality

[Use Requirement]: Level above 20

[Description]: Cold and death are coming. The area near the Ice City settlement is about to face a devastating crisis. With offerings from seven "Siphoners", a terrifying being called the Ice Calamity will appear in seven days. When it comes, it will destroy the entire Ice City settlement. Use this Intel to get information on the Siphoners and the Ice Calamity, including their locations, weaknesses, abilities, and more.

Seven "Siphoners"? Ice Calamity? Seven days?

Ethan instinctively looked at Ford, the Deputy City Lord of the Ice City settlement.

Just now, Ford said he could take him to the Ice City treasury in seven days to redeem items.

Was that a coincidence, or does Shane know the Ice Calamity will appear in seven days?

Ethan was about to think it through when he noticed Ford, sensing his stare, quietly turn to look at him.

Wrapped in a tiger-fur coat, Ford fixed him with a stern look and asked slowly:

"[Windchaser], is something the matter?"

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected Ford’s senses to be that sharp.

To avoid drawing attention, Ethan scratched his head and said:

"Deputy City Lord, it’s just that I got a little excited thinking I can redeem items from the Ice City treasury soon."

Ford nodded, didn’t think much of it, and looked away.

Ethan finally let out a breath. On the surface he acted excited, but in truth he was still analyzing things.

When trouble comes, Ethan likes to plan for the worst. The good thing about that is he’s ready for any surprise.

So he assumed right away that Deputy City Lord Ford showing up in Frost Valley wasn’t an accident. He must have some special connection to the "Siphoner" in the cave.

That raised a few questions: Is Ford an enemy of the Siphoner, or not? Was the Siphoner in the cave really destroyed?

And why did Ford say he’d only take Ethan to redeem items in seven days?

If he answered all of that in the worst way, the picture in his mind became clear.

Deputy City Lord Ford is working with the Siphoner in the cave. He didn’t destroy it.

The seven-day wait is just a stalling tactic to make Ethan, a player, sit tight.

In that worst case, if Ethan were Ford, what would he do next?

Kill the witnesses. Leave no loose ends.

Ethan quietly glanced at Shane, Ryan, and the others.

If he were the worst-case Ford, he would get rid of Shane, Ryan, and the rest before they returned to the Ice City settlement—and do it out of sight of players.

The best way would be to use his authority as Deputy City Lord to send Shane and the others to "handle something" before heading back, then kill them afterward.

Ethan thought of this and another question popped up: if Shane did the job himself, how would Ford make sure that when Shane got back to the Ice City settlement, he wouldn’t tell anyone about the underground cave?

Either Ford would make him wait somewhere, or Ford would go with him to keep him from talking. And if it was the second option, it would mean Ford probably had other helpers too—enough to handle any backup on Shane’s side.

Ethan thought to himself, "I’ll know soon if my guess is right."