Free Web NovelChapter 43: Chapter 38: Have You Heard My Whistle?
The tedious yet blissful monster grinding and leveling continued for a week.
For that entire week, Isabel faithfully carried out Luh Yao’s commands, furiously reaping Corrupters in her Forest Sword form. When her Mana ran low, she would temporarily retreat, only to resume the assault once it had naturally recovered.
Luh Yao figured that, counting the ones that revived after death, she must have slaughtered over ten thousand of them.
However, after reaching Level 26, Isabel got stuck and couldn’t level up anymore.
"My Lord, the Corrupters’ Tier is too low. Fighting them no longer grants me any experience or insights for my abilities."
Isabel explained.
’Luh Yao felt a small pang of disappointment.’
’It seemed the strategy of grinding Corrupters to get Isabel to the level cap wasn’t going to work after all.’
Still, the week of monster slaying had yielded immense rewards.
Now, when she activated the Holy Sword, Isabel’s combat panel looked like this.
...
[Apostle Lv. 26] Forest Sword Isabelle
Life Value: 325/325
Mana Value: 615/615
Damage: 39
Defense: 37
Speed: 18
[Wisdom Lv. 26]
Wisdom is the key for an Apostle to hear the Divine Will. The higher the level of Wisdom, the easier it is to improve and comprehend various abilities.
[Mourning Prayer Lv. 6] (30 Mana)
Pray to the Sea of Mourning to temporarily awaken the slumbering dead and gain their aid. The type of Dead depends on the ability level and Mana.
[Forest Sword Lv. 1] (100 Mana)
[Isabel’s Exclusive Ability] Isabel summons the Holy Sword, comprehensively boosting her combat Attributes. The duration and boost depend on the ability’s level and Mana. After a battle, Isabel will create some Forest Elemental Creatures; their number and type depend on the ability’s level and the strength of the opponent.
...
Isabel’s stats had improved dramatically.
Just relying on her incredible speed and rapid attacks, she could now take out a Corrupter with a single combo of piercing strikes from her Holy Sword.
The whole process looked like something out of a legend: a peerless warrior on a mighty steed, effortlessly carving through a swarm of cannon fodder.
In addition, the extra effect of [Forest Sword] was also frequently triggered, creating an Elemental Creature called [Forest Wolf] from the numerous Corrupter corpses.
...
[Forest Wolf Lv. 13] [Isabelle Creation]
Life Value: 248/248
Mana Value: 40/40
Damage: 8
Defense: 8
Speed: 7
[Evasion Lv. 7]
Allows it to evade some damage from attacks. This chance is higher against weaker beings.
[Gregarious]
Gains greater combat power when in a group. The larger the group, the greater the boost.
[Forest Element Lv. 1]
A Forest Elemental Creature that contributes to the rapid growth of a forest. All of its Attributes are boosted within a forest. The effect depends on the ability’s level and Life Value.
...
A single Forest Wolf’s stats were weaker than a Corrupter’s, and its attack was even lower than the lower-leveled [Striped Lynx]. It wasn’t built for one-on-one combat, but its [Gregarious] ability was a powerful buff.
This time, by killing over ten thousand Corrupters, Isabel created a total of 60 Lv. 13 Forest Wolves.
When these 60 Forest Wolves gathered, the [Gregarious] ability would alter their stats.
...
[Forest Wolf Lv. 13] [Isabelle Creation]
Life Value: 248/248
Mana Value: 40/40
Damage: 10
Defense: 10
Speed: 9
...
Luh Yao did a quick calculation.
’The quantity coefficient for the Gregarious ability is about 0.5%. That means if 100 Forest Wolves move together, each wolf’s combat stats would effectively be multiplied by 1.5.’
In a group battle, the Forest Wolves would actually have an advantage against the Corrupters. The more wolves there were, the stronger the pack.
Considering the Forest Wolves’ balanced stats, solid offense and defense, and decent speed, they were a gifted combat species.
Luh Yao ordered Isabel to have the pack of Forest Wolves station themselves in the mountains, cutting off the main path between the Salt Pool Tribe and the Garlic Tribe. This would prevent the Corrupters from suddenly going berserk and launching an outward attack that could endanger the Garlic Tribe.
The situation was largely under Isabel’s control; the newly spawned Corrupters from the Salt Pool Tribe were no longer any threat to her.
’He had reaped just about all the benefits he could from the Corrupters. Isabel’s level and power were up. It was time for the next test.’
Luh Yao issued his command: Go into the castle and see what’s there.
...
Isabel charged into the castle.
Luh Yao clicked on the castle and, as expected, the view shifted to a new instance.
The castle’s interior was far larger than it appeared from the outside. It opened into a great hall paved with stone. Headless corpses hung from the ceiling, and the floor was covered in bloodstains that traced a path deep underground.
Corrupters constantly rushed out to attack along the way, but Isabel cut them down one by one as she continued her exploration deeper within.
The area below ground was carved into numerous pits. Each pit was filled with a white powder, and Corrupters would occasionally crawl out of them.
Other Corrupters were throwing various mutilated corpses into these pits, seemingly creating more of their own kind from the corpses.
Small grooves ran along the edges of these Corrupter-spawning pits. A viscous green liquid flowed within the grooves, making it look as though some evil ritual was being performed.
Following the trail of slime, Isabel fought her way to the deepest part of the catacombs.
The cavern opened up into a wide chamber. Chained to the massive stone wall at the far end was the corpse of a giant.
Four curved horns grew from the giant’s head, which was now nothing but a bleached skull. A faint flame flickered within its dark, empty eye sockets.
Its body was crisscrossed with gashes. The wounds and flesh had long since rotted away, oozing a viscous green fluid. This fluid flowed down to the floor, filling the grooves and becoming the catalyst that birthed the Corrupters.
Facing this decaying giant, an exclamation mark suddenly appeared above Isabel’s head.
"Forrest?!"
’The name seemed familiar to Luh Yao.’
’Wait, isn’t that the Forest God’s chief Apostle?’
’So it was this giant all along?’
Luh Yao woke the cactus ball in the nearby pot. "Xiaohuo, was Forrest a giant?"
The Cactus Ball Attendant replied respectfully, "Lord God, Mr. Forrest did indeed come from the Giant Race. He was a reliable and powerful Apostle, the Forest God’s most capable right hand."
’A pity that after the Forest God’s fall, his chief Apostle’s body had been turned into a machine for manufacturing Corrupters.’
Luh Yao turned his attention back to the screen.
He noticed something strange about Giant Forrest’s posture. Forrest was kneeling, his arms pulled up and spread out like a cross, as if he were atoning for some sin or worshipping something.
Behind the giant’s husk stood an even taller stone statue.
It was a strange statue, resembling a humanoid tree. Its body was covered in branches of various lengths, but there were no leaves.
Luh Yao moved his cursor over the statue, and a nameplate popped up.
[Whistleblower Statue].
—Stranger, did you hear my whistle?
The words sent a shiver down his spine.
Luh Yao finally realized what the stone statue truly was.
It was a person covered from head to toe in short whistles.
The whistles grew out of him like organs, sprouting from his head, shoulders, chest, arms, and face. The image was so viscerally unsettling that Luh Yao subconsciously shied away from the thought.
On Forrest’s skull, a tall knight clad in black armor slowly materialized.
The name displayed above his head read: [Blood Knight Necied].
"Blasphemer, die."
Wielding a crimson greatsword, the Blood Knight became a blur as it charged toward Isabel.
