In addition to his integrated skills, Howard had awakened three active skills and three passive skills.
Upon opening his skill panel, Howard couldn’t help but inhale sharply in awe.
The effects were astonishing!
The power of Stellar Stealth not only enhanced his movement speed but also increased the multiplier of his first attack after revealing himself to a staggering 500%!
It also came with the power of stellar, marking the target.
If Howard could hit the marked target five consecutive times, it would trigger the explosion of the mark, dealing immense damage.
For targets marked, Howard gained a lock-on ability at an incredible range of 50 yards.
His ranged attacks would never miss, and his melee strikes were guaranteed critical hits.
As for the other skills, Celestial Descent was an AOE skill with a 30×30 yard radius, lasting a full five seconds.
If Howard could hit the target with at least three Star Arrows, the target would enter a Stellar Seal state, unable to move or even use their skills.
In other words, they couldn’t even use their life-saving skills unless they were deployed before the Stellar Seal state was activated!
Supreme Star Dominion was a single-target damage skill with a base damage of 2000%, coupled with a piercing effect.
If used against a marked target, it would trigger a damage multiplier of ten times and extend the attack range.
Celestial Annihilation Arrow, also a single-target damage skill, had an astonishing base damage of 10000%. ..𝒎
If the target perished, the skill could continue to inflict damage on a second target, with the original damage receiving a significant boost.
If the target survived, it would enter a state of annihilation, with all its attributes reduced by 20%.
The effects of the three active skills left Howard in awe of their transcendent power.
Even a mentor-level warrior, if caught off-guard by the Celestial Annihilation Arrow, would risk sustaining severe injuries, wouldn’t they?
However, the Solitary Stellar Marksman class, as overpowered as it seemed, came with its own set of requirements for skill activation.
That key requirement was the presence of moonlight.
During the day, it was imperative to activate the Stellar Realm effect of the Starry River Map to utilize the other skills.
Even the passive effects, Celestial Force and Radiance of the Astral, adhered to this rule.
Celestial Force bolstered his own strength, while Radiance of the Astral allowed him to absorb the power of starlight, building up momentum.
Once charged, using a skill under this effect would significantly enhance both its impact and damage.
At full capacity, those three active skills could unleash several times their normal skill damage without any issue.
As for the final passive skill, Gleaming Way of the Galaxy, it allowed Howard to drop starlight when he was attacked at night.
Both Howard and his allies could benefit from this starlight, gaining HP restoration and special buffs upon contact.
Each activation also boosted Howard’s attributes by 1%, with no upper limit!
This buff would only reset if he disengaged from combat for 30 seconds.
In essence, Howard became invincible in group battles. The longer the fight, the more formidable he grew.
“I finally understand why the Starry River Map is deemed a Supreme Treasure!”
Howard couldn’t help but express his realization: “Just the effects of the Starry River Map alone surpass those of ordinary Supreme Artifacts. Add to that the class and skill enhancements it brings to me, and I wouldn’t trade it for ten Supreme Artifacts.”
“Heh, as you level up, the Starry River Map will unveil even more powerful skills for you to master,” Rick said with a light chuckle. “So, what’s your plan now? Will you follow me to the frontline, or return to Holy Abyss Academy?”
Hearing this, Howard pondered for a moment before deciding, “I think I’ll head back to the academy. I haven’t thoroughly explored the Mystic Realm there, and besides, all my friends are at Holy Abyss Academy.”
“That’s a good choice. At Holy Abyss Academy, you can learn a lot of systematic knowledge, which will be beneficial for you,” Rick nodded in approval. “Even while at the academy, make sure you venture out often and engage in as many battles as possible! Actual combat is always the quickest way to enhance your strength.”
Monica, on the other hand, looked at Howard in surprise.
She had assumed that Howard had already graduated from Holy Abyss Academy, given his ability to effortlessly defeat all enemies and secure the Starry River Map.
The revelation that Howard was returning to continue his studies took her aback!
She was at a loss for words, her initial plan to find an excuse to accompany Howard now seeming impossible.
After all, as an outsider, she couldn’t enter Holy Abyss Academy!
Fortunately, Ice Ghost seemed to read Monica’s mind and directly instructed her to return home and convey his orders to the awakened members of her family.
All feasts must come to an end, as Sword Seven had already departed.
After Monica left with the members of the Solomon Sacred Assembly, Rick, Ice Ghost, and the others also said their goodbyes.
Rick took Howard and headed straight back to Adia City, not even passing through Saint City.
After returning to Adia City, Howard parted ways with Rick and headed straight for the commercial district.
His recent venture into the Dark Mausoleum, though not marked by a high number of monster kills, had been fruitful in terms of loot collected while watching the unfolding dramas.
After selling his spoils, Howard had managed to earn over twenty gold coins.
Adding this to the rewards from previous missions, he found himself in possession of over nine hundred gold coins.
With this wealth, he made his way to a store specializing in archer equipment.
Dressed in a magus robe, Howard didn’t seem like a typical customer to the store’s attendant, who assumed he was just browsing.
Approaching Howard, the attendant casually inquired, “What are you looking for, sir?”
“Do you have any longbows around Level 30? And what about skills commonly used by archers?” Howard asked directly.
Hearing Howard’s request for basic items, the attendant became even more convinced of his initial assumption.
Nevertheless, aiming to make a sale, he replied, “We have Level 30 equipment including longbows and crossbows, ranging from Iron-grade to Diamond-grade. As for skills, most are around C-level and D-level. We only have two B-level skills: Seven Stars Consecutive Shot and Torrential Rain Arrow. The prices vary according to the level. What exactly are you interested in?”
“What level of longbows do you have in the largest quantity?” Howard asked earnestly. “And the same for skill books. I need at least 60 copies of whatever level is most abundant.”
“Such a high quantity?”
Hearing this, the attendant’s expression finally shifted to one of surprise.
If Howard were to purchase equipment and skill books in such large numbers, even if they were of lower levels, it would mean a significant commission for him.
At this point, the attendant’s attitude towards Howard shifted to one of respect.
“The most abundant longbows we have are of the Bronze-grade, totaling 72 pieces. As for skill books, we have the most copies of the D-level skill Double Shot and the C-level skill Powerful Shot, around 39 and 20 copies respectively,” he informed Howard.
Upon hearing this, Howard quickly made his decision.
72 Bronze-grade equipment could potentially be fused into one Legendary-grade equipment.
As for the skill books, merging two SS-level skills seemed feasible.
“I’ll take them all!” Howard declared.
At Howard’s confirmation, the attendant was overjoyed, hastily calculating the total cost for Howard.
After Howard completed the payment, the attendant swiftly handed over the weapons and skill books within a matter of minutes.
Over a hundred gold coins had been spent, and even with his substantial wealth, Howard couldn’t help but feel a pang of loss.
He then promptly headed towards Margaret’s shop.
The reunion of the couple after a long separation was intense, but Margaret’s frail constitution soon became evident.
After just an hour, she passed out.
Although Howard hadn’t had his fill, he couldn’t continue and was forced to activate his supreme talent skill.
He summoned a box and threw both the equipment and skill books into it.
System notifications chimed crisply, one after another.
[Ding! Congratulations Awakened Howard on a successful synthesis. You have obtained a Silver-grade equipment — Hunter’s Bow!]
[Ding! Congratulations Awakened Howard on a successful synthesis. You have obtained a Gold-grade equipment — Hunter’s Faith Bow!]
[Ding! Congratulations Awakened Howard on a successful synthesis…]
[…]
[Ding! Congratulations Awakened Howard on a successful synthesis. You have obtained the legendary-grade equipment — Bow of the Songweaver!]
[Bow of the Songweaver]
[Level: 30]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Equipment Attribute Bonuses:]
1. Agility +1000
2. Strength +450
3. Restores 5% of MP with each skill cast
4. 10% chance to trigger the Songweaver BUFF when attacking targets, granting self and allies a 20% increase in movement speed and attack speed for 30 seconds
5. Ranged attacks activate Chant of Songweaver, healing allies within 30 yards. The healing effect is based on the user’s intelligence and spirit attributes.
𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮