Tess flopped onto her bed after she finished unpacking, letting out a sigh of contentment. “The hoverer and the hotels were nice and all, but it really just feels good to be back home.” She noted idly, looking over at Ellie. “Thanks for helping me unpack, I appreciate it.”
“Of course.” Ellie replied. She opened her mouth to continue, then started. “Wait right there, I’ll be back in a second.” She said, dashing out of the room. A couple of minutes later she returned, hands held suspiciously behind her back. “So, um, today’s been kind of nuts, and I don’t know if you remembered or not, but…it’s your birthday.”
Tess blinked. She had forgotten, at least partially. There had been just too much going on to really sit down and process it, but she was 18 now, and that was a bit of a strange feeling for her. It was like a milestone in her life had passed and she had just sort of…missed it, at least partially.
While she was thinking about that, Ellie continued what she was saying. “I…um, I got you a present.” She said shyly, bringing out a small, wrapped box from behind her. She handed it to Tess, blushing.
Tess tore off the wrapping paper, opening the box to find…a core. A decently big one, too.
“It’s from a monster called the Blightbringer.” Ellie continued, growing ever redder. “I did some searching and found a core I thought would suit what you had going for you given what you told me about what Skills you got. It’s a boss of a decently high level dungeon and I think it’ll help you out.”
“I…don’t even know what to say.” Tess replied, “That’s…really thoughtful of you.” She grabbed the core in a fist, absorbing it.
You have absorbed a Blightbringer Core! Slots filled: 9/25 You have gained 1,380 EXP in Monster Breeder! Monster Breeder has leveled up!
New core absorbed! Scanning for abilities…
New Skill detected! Attempting to degrade and obtain Blighted Air… Congratulations, you have successfully obtained Miasma! Attempting to degrade and obtain Blightbringer… Congratulations, you have successfully obtained Blight’s Harbinger! Attempting to degrade and obtain Contamination Factory… Congratulations, you have successfully obtained Mass-Produced Contamination!
Miasma: Rarity: Epic Type: Passive Description: You emit a foul air in an area 25 meters in radius centered on you. Every second, all other breathing creatures within this area have a 5% chance to be inflicted with Poison, dealing 5% of the user’s max HP as damage every thirty seconds for five minutes. This poison’s expiration timer does not start until after the target leaves the miasma. Herbs in a mask won’t help.
Blight’s Harbinger: Rarity: Legendary Type: Passive Description: Any Poison effects you inflict have a 50% chance to become Blight instead. Blight effects deal double the damage of the original Poison effect and deal the damage twice as often, but last half as long. Blight is treated as Poison with two exceptions: a target may have both Poison and Blight at the same time, and when Blight is cured by any means except the expiration of the effect, it is instead downgraded to Poison. A taste of the suffering to come.
Mass-Produced Contamination: Rarity: Epic Type: Passive Description: Any Poison effects you inflict have a 25% chance to recur after expiring. This recurrent Poison lasts for half the length of the original and deals half the damage. A Poison inflicted by this recurrence may recur again, cutting length and damage in half again. Further recursion is possible and has no effect on the damage or duration of the Poison. If you act now, we’ll make this Poison an inflict-one-get-one-free deal!
Blightbringer Core: Level 62 Estimated Power: 773 Estimated Maximum Power if Enhanced: 1,500 Current Skills: Blighted Air Blightbringer Contamination Factory
Current Attributes: Blighted Body Firmly Rooted Living Structure Immobile Metal Shell Structural (Fundamental)
New Attributes Discovered!
Blighted Body: The creature’s body becomes a host for Blight, granting immunity to all Poison effects and causing any who attack it from within 2 meters to have a 10% chance to receive a Blight, dealing 25% of the damage inflicted by the original wound every two and a half seconds for two and a half minutes.
Firmly Rooted: The creature becomes firmly rooted when placed on ground, causing it to be unable to move from that spot without spending 25 Stamina, but granting immunity to any effects that cause knockback and significantly increasing the strength needed to pick up and move the creature.
Living Structure: If the creature is a structure, it does not receive any immunities to conditions normally granted by being a structure. Outwardly the structure’s makeup appears unchanged, but damage will reveal layers of flesh, blood, and bone beneath the exterior. This Attribute does nothing to creatures that are not structures. If placed on a creature that is a structure, this Attribute removes power instead of adding it for the purpose of power limitations on a core.
Immobile: The creature becomes unable to move under its own power. This Attribute removes power instead of adding it for the purpose of power limitations on a core.
Metal Shell: The creature becomes coated in a thick layer of metal, cutting its Agility in half but increasing its Defense and Magic Defense by 50%.
Structural: The creature becomes a structure, decreasing its Agility by 90%, removing all biological needs, and granting immunity to conditions such as Heavy Bleeding or Poisoned that only affect living targets.
New Skills discovered! Blighted Air: Rarity: Legendary Type: Passive Description: You emit a foul air in an area 50 meters in radius centered on you. Every second, all other breathing creatures within this area have a 10% chance to be inflicted with Poison, dealing 10% of the user’s max HP as damage every thirty seconds for five minutes. This poison’s expiration timer does not start until after the target leaves the miasma. You’re a walking plague.
Blightbringer: Rarity: Mythical Type: Passive Description: Any Poison effects you inflict have a 100% chance to become Blight instead. Blight effects deal double the damage of the original Poison effect and deal the damage twice as often, but last half as long. Blight is treated as Poison with two exceptions: a target may have both Poison and Blight at the same time, and when Blight is cured by any means except the expiration of the effect, it is instead downgraded to Poison. The first seal has been broken, and Pestilence unleashed.
Contamination Factory: Rarity: Legendary Type: Passive Description: Any Poison effects you inflict have a 50% chance to recur after expiring. This recurrent Poison lasts for three-quarters the length of the original and deals three-quarters the damage. A Poison inflicted by this recurrence may recur again, cutting length and damage by three-quarters again. Further recursion is possible and has no effect on the damage or duration of the Poison. It’s never truly over.
