Draco stood back and focused his fire on the Prison Warden, while Eva rushed forth. The HP for this mini-boss was impressive.
｢Name: Prison Warden – Lieutenant Rank monster
Level: 30
HP: 75,000/75,000｣
Eva quickly laid waste to the various undead guards and soldiers with her two short swords that were coated in light energy. She could've stayed at Draco's side, but she had become slightly bored of attacking them from range.
After all, she had been throwing knives over the course of her past life in all engagements within Boundless and even before then. She wanted to stretch her legs a bit this time.
In his past life Draco had been unable to use the bow, as an Avenger. This might explain why he was focusing so much on Archery over his swordsmanship recently. He was like a little boy who had received a Christmas gift and was really getting hooked on shooting enemies with the Hawkeye Bow.
As he saw his men getting slaughtered, the Prison Warden finally kicked his desk in their direction, forcing Eva to evade. Taking out a long spear, he twirled it around like a wheel. The Boss managed to deflect the incoming Phoenix Cry Arrow, but he still lost health and had to stagger back ten steps from the impact.
-100 HP!
His dark black eyes flashed with seriousness as he realized that this Immortal Adventurer Archer was extremely powerful, strong enough to face him head on without fear.
As such, he waited for Draco's next shot as he leapt forward, aiming to claim the arrow in exchange for closing the distance, even just a little bit. After all, if he tried to block it, the recoil would send him further from his target.
Every close combat - or medium range - fighter despised long-range fighters for this very reason. The only way to take them down was to close the distance as rapidly as possible.
Once that was done, the long-range combatant would be like a shota trapped in a room with an older woman. There would be no escape whatsoever and everything one had to endure to get to this stage would be repaid tenfold.
Draco smirked as he aimed the Phoenix Cry Arrow at the head of the Prison Warden. Putting aside the Eyes of Caelo, his own combat sense ensured that the Prison Warden's thoughts were laid bare before him.
If the fellow planned to receive a blow in exchange to get closer, Draco wouldn't stop him.
The Prison Warden rushed towards Draco, having to stop then deflect the arrow. He was pushed back more than ten steps this time, as he was in motion when he was struck. Still, he was now a bit closer to this shameless fellow.
Like before, he lost another 100 HP just from deflecting the arrow. Looking at this, the Prison Warden couldn't help but ponder just what kind of entity this fellow was. He was higher leveled than the Immortal Adventurer and was of the Lieutenant Rank, which was a Mini-Boss tier monster.
Usually it would require at least a party of 10 players with top equipment to even stand at the same level. For this reason, even the expert players tried not to face those monsters without having around 3 levels above them. … Yet here he was getting extremely suppressed by just one player who was 5 levels below him!
Draco repeated his actions, using the speed and raw power of the Star Shot Technique to abuse the Prison Warden, shaving away 100 HP with every shot. It seemed like a tiny amount compared to the damage one felt Draco should do, but there were layers to combat in Boundless.
Firstly, level suppression.
Secondly, base combat stats.
Thirdly, passive/active skill modifiers (percentage boosts, berserk).
Fourthly, equipment/potion modifiers.
Finally, technique modifiers.
These were the five main criteria that the AI calculated when combat occurred for the launch version of Boundless. It was possible that other factors played a role, but these five were the ones the playerbase managed to confirm. Every aspect was listed in order of effect and importance, with level suppression playing the biggest role while the rest factored into it.
Draco's base combat stats were average, that much was unavoidable. Everyone would have the same base stats for their level, assuming they didn't get an external source before level 1 to achieve optimal status.
It was his skill modifiers that turned him into a monster. With skills like Dragon's Legacy that boosted all combat stats by a factor of 10, Sword of Promised Victory which boosted one handed sword damage by a factor of 10, and Bloodline Resonance which boosted Draconic skills and techniques by a factor of 5, Draco was terrifying to fight against.
Aside from the Final Battle in the Four Point Valley, Draco had never truly gone all out in this life.
His equipment modifiers were no less heinous, with the increases from the Dragorugio set as well as his Special Ranks; Lightbringer and Richmond's Herald.
Then finally, the techniques he used like the Star Shot Technique or his various sword skills, all of which had a much smaller effect unless they were truly exemplary. With Control being added to the mix, they were able to display great technical effects, like increased force output and impeccable precision.
All of the above combined to create the monster that was Draco, a person with extremely great modifiers, the ability to use any weapon and learn any class skill, a person with a bloodline that allowed him to do the impossible and a person with in-depth knowledge of the world around him.
This was what reincarnation meant. This was what would happen when a person reincarnated into the past with the ability to remember everything that was bound to happen with perfect clarity.
Not to mention that due to…'forced'… circ.u.mstances in the previous timeline, Draco's potential had been drawn out and nurtured, allowing him to rise to the top with much effort and hard work.
As if that was not enough, this time around Draco had learned about the Lineages and his own Bloodline had been unsealed. This was no different from an experienced race driver getting an even more powerful car and learning that suddenly there were two extra shifts.
Ironically, this was also the reason why Draco felt so pressured in this timeline. He was immensely strapped for time in terms of utilizing his knowledge before the 'due date' arrived and it would become redundant.
He had to deal with the Lineages first, which was, to say the least, a slightly big hurdle to him. Then, there was the even bigger hurdle that was the World Council and the entire human race.
If he wanted to obtain absolute sovereignty and freedom from any troubles to allow his children to live, he would have to battle these two entities in one way or another.
In the real world, there was no Dragon Soul, Dragorugio set or Eyes of Caelo. There also was nothing like the Seal of Camelot or Heart of the Woods allowing him to summon armies or boost his power by huge amounts. Most importantly he could not respawn, as death was final. He did not dare to speculate if whatever entity had allowed for his second chance would be willing to give him a third.
He only had his Control, His bloodline, Eva and his wits. With these four, he would carve out his own kingdom out there. Still these were all worries for another time. As for now...
Draco continued to harass the Prison Warden to death, chipping away 100 HP with every shot he fired. Draco could feel his Star Shot Technique reach completion with every single accurate hit and even though Eva dispatched the other undead quickly, she did not help him fight the Warden. She knew Draco's character better than anyone, so she was content with getting rid of the cannon fodder.
Draco's red eyes flashed with a strange glow as he began to see something different. His Void of Perfection began to maintain a finer control over the arrows he shot out, allowing him to twist them and either increase or decrease its speed.
His Body of Godliness stopped going for raw power in every shot, but applied a more precise measurement to each shot that melded with the information that was brought in by the Void of Perfection. In other words, his shots were no longer as forceful and speedy as they could possibly be, but varied in terms of both, based on the judgments Draco made with his Void of Perfection.
This also complemented his Void of Perfection, as it made the fired arrows more manageable when hurtling towards their target.
When Draco fired the final shot with all of this in mind, he allowed it to approach the Prison Warden at the usual speed and angle. The stifled and enraged Prison Warden once again defended the shot by spinning his spear like a wheel.
The Prison Warden swore that if he was going to die, it wouldn't be before landing a single hit on Draco! However, his eyes flashed with despair when he saw the arrow suddenly slow down ever so slightly, then speed up when switching angles, allowing it to slip through the gaps of his defense and pierce through his cranium.
How was this possible? That fellow had been firing in a very typical way, just like any average archer, although his power and accuracy were absurdly high.
But this kind of professional skill and technique… had he been hiding his true skill all along? Was all of this just a cruel joke to him?
The Prison Warden would never get an answer as he died and turned into pixels. From his body some materials and items dropped, as well as a good amount of silver.
Draco picked it all up. The items and materials were of the Uncommon tier. While this was not too useful to him, one man's trash was another man's treasure. Since he couldn't connect to the Guild Menu while in a dungeon, he would dump it all in the store later.
The Evil Duo walked up to the cell room. When they got there, they saw that Mila was lying on her belly weakly, her claws drooping as she bathed in her despair and loneliness.
When she saw the Evil Duo approaching, she jumped up to her feet and rushed to the walls of the cell. "Hello!! Hellooooo!! Would you kindly free me? My husband is waiting for me and this place is far too drear. He is everything to me, I'm willing to become your slave if that's what it takes, just please let me see my husband again."
Draco and Eva shared a look.
Really, like husband, like wife. In fact, that saying even applied to them, as they had far too many similarities and habits. It was a strange thing to acknowledge, but it made them feel happier about their unity.
Draco cut open the cell with ease, which was something that even Mila herself could probably do with her claws. However, if she did so, wouldn't she have been beaten to death by the guards who had been outside before the Evil Duo came along?
"Thank you! Thank you! Can you please escort me to Creo? I'm sure my poor husband must be worried sick by now!"
Mila bounced about as she implored them with all her strength.
"Follow us and be quiet." Eva said lightly, with her arms folded across her chest.
The Evil Duo didn't wait for her response as they continued through the Underwater Wreckage dungeon. The quest screen was updated once again.
｢The Underwater Rescue – Legendary Quest
Description: Assist Creo in saving his wife, Mila.
Stage 1: Enter the Underwater Wreckage. - Complete
Stage 2: Navigate to the prisons section of the Underwater Wreckage. - Complete
Stage 3: Escort Mila to the entrance of the Underwater Wreckage.
Rewards: Epic item, 10,000 gold｣
Draco and Eva though, did the exact opposite of heading back. They went deeper into the Underwater Wreckage, slaughtering every single Undead while only looting every single valuable at the Uncommon-tier. Anything below that did not even deserve a second glance.
They were like scourges, or more like bandits, as they cleaned out the large ship. It was three times the size of the galleon they had taken to get here, which was already taller than most modern houses.
It took them an hour to go through every room and hall in the Underwater Wreckage, with almost half a thousand new Undead monsters falling to their projectile weapons.
They had gained a lovely 400% experience each, which had immediately been placed into their Epic items. They had also taken 250 Uncommon materials, 30 Uncommon pieces of equipment and 14 Uncommon consumables.
This was a harvest that would make the current playerbase bang their heads on a wall with desire and confusion, but it was basically souvenirs in the eyes of Draco and Eva. It was something neat they had picked up and planned to gift their guild members.
The difference in perspective and circ.u.mstances really rubbed in the dissimilarities between the opulent and the commoners…
Draco and Eva eventually reached the treasury, which was filled with 30 Common, 10 Uncommon and just 1 Rare Treasure Chest. They collected everything, as well as the various materials and items, before leaving the ship with Mila who had been scared silly by the prowess of these two.
The monsters that had captured her with ease and had been like insurmountable walls in her eyes were nothing more than playthings to these two. If Gentle Flower, the Guildmaster of Kamisuo, were to learn that Draco and Eva had managed to come this far in a matter of hours, while it had taken her guild over a month to reach this stage, she might have fallen into a coma from the shock.
When they reached the ramp that lead into the wide cavern, the group was met with a battalion of undead guards who were glaring at them menacingly. In the back was a large sized fellow who wielded a tower shield and a naginata.
He was the second and final mini-boss of the Underwater Wreckage dungeon, the Vice Captain of the ship.
｢Name: Vice Captain – Lieutenant Rank monster
Level: 31
HP: 94,000/94,000｣
He was of an even higher level than the Prison Warden and was much more powerful. As such, Eva took the lead in rushing him while Draco handled crowd control.
He put away the Phoenix Cry Arrow and used the various Rare arrows he had leftover in his inventory.
Rain of Arrows!
With his Star Shot Technique having reached the first level, Rain of Arrows' power and accuracy was nothing like before. His accuracy penalty was forcibly reduced to 10%, meaning that 90% of his arrows landed.
However, since he wasn't using the overpowered Phoenix Cry Arrow but Rare arrows, his damage output was no longer enough to one-shot enemies. Especially since he had swapped the Lightbringer title for 'Richmond's Herald' title.
｢Richmond's Herald – Special Rank
Mana capacity 100%
Mana recovery 100%
Skill cooldowns lowered by 50%｣
Thanks to this, Rain of Arrows' 1-minute cooldown was halved, and Draco was able to continually spam the 30 second duration attack like the broken cheater he was.
On Eva's side, she was locked in a vicious battle with the Lieutenant Rank Vice-Captain, her form continually entering the shadows before emerging at various areas around the Mini-Boss.
The Lieutenant Rank monster was extremely suppressed by Eva's speed and unpredictability. Her lethality too, was over the charts as every single swing of her short swords was aimed at various weak points.
Even with the huge tower shield to block most of his openings, Eva's blade always seemed to find a chink somewhere, allowing her to pile up damage on the Mini-Boss.
Every cut from her blade dealt over -1,000 damage, even though she didn't use Light Energy. After all, she didn't have a piece of equipment or skill that produced light magic yet. She couldn't waste all her Bloodline Energy on these enemies just to save time.
The Vice-Captain roared as he waved his tower shield about, trying to use his own skill and combat sense to predict where Eva would pop up next. As long as he could stun her for one second, or even just surprise her, he could make a meaningful counterattack!
However, he was destined to be cut to death as Eva deployed her Control to the max. Within her Void of Perfection, every single movement the boss made was directly fed to her mind, allowing her to remain one step ahead of him.
This was why Control was extremely sought after and extremely respected by anyone who heard of it. Draco had been able to make whole agencies, mafias and even entire groups of armed enemies cower before him.
This was due to the fact that Control allowed one to do things that were only believed to exist in fiction, rendering many ways to kill them redundant. A Control master was like a c.o.c.kroach, extremely resistant to death.
One had to use explosives, set elaborate traps, or just use extremely overwhelming numbers to kill one.
Eva continued to suppress the Vice-Captain with her attacks, relying on continually using stealth to escape his line of sight before re-appearing elsewhere to land a hit.
Since she had the Abyssal Ring equipped, her stealth and concealment techniques were boosted by 300%. If she was hard to detect before, she was almost intangible unless she came out of it.
The Vice-Captain, realizing he was trapped in a conundrum, roared as he rushed forward in a charge. Eva easily avoided this, though she was already not really in the specific direction the Mini-Boss chose to take.
Eva's eyes sharpened as she realized what the fellow was trying to do. He wanted to reach a corner of the cavern and place his back against it, relying on his tower shield to protect his front. That way, Eva's avenues of attack would be so limited that she would be unable to harm him.
This showed the difference in combat sense from Lieutenant Rank monsters and the various Specialist and Sergeants in the cavern right now. The previous two could only make a futile effort to rush Draco, but kept getting mauled by his infinite arrow storm.
Short Blink!
Eva disappeared from where she was, reappearing to the side of the charging Vice Captain. She stretched her leg out and…!!
Tripped the fellow…?
BANG!
Like a cement block, the fellow made a great tremor as he crashed face first into the earth. He had placed all his speed and focus into his charge, neglecting all else, so his momentum was great.
Draco's lips twitched as he watched his soulmate climb on the back on of the Mini-Boss and plunge her short swords into the nape of his neck repeatedly and so quickly that it was almost comical to see.
-5000! -4500! -4780!
Every stab into that weak point took unholy amounts of HP away, until the poor Mini-Boss let out a sorrowful cry before he died and turned into ash.
This move… didn't it look familiar?
Didn't he do that in the real world to that rapist guy?
F.u.c.k, was he really so much alike Eva? Were they really so similar that they even performed the same fighting techniques every now and then?
Draco cleaned up the remaining monsters, putting away his bow and arrow with a strange expression on his face. He picked up the Uncommon materials and items this Mini-Boss dropped, as well as the money.
Eva waved her hands and sheathed her blades in the ether, which was another thing that Draco always did, making the fellow almost black out.
Damn, was he really such a bad influence on his wife... or was it the other way around?!