Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Multiple sets of armor pulsed with hidden energy. Plate mail of shimmering silver, leather jerkins that absorbed the light, creating patches of shadows across their surface like camouflage, and helms adorned with gemstones that flickered with internal fire. Some armors were sleek and elegant, while others bristled with spikes.

Four swords, a mace, three bows with quivers, and a whip was all that remained of the weapons. Many of them had runes carved across their surfaces, creating intricate designs, and all of them gave off auras of danger.

Almost everything Ruin touched blurred in his vision, and a Notification appeared informing him what level was required to see the details along with the level needed to equip it. Level fifteen was the lowest he found among the armor and weapons on the first wall, with one exception.

Ruin lifted the longbow off its rack, feeling the cold sink into his skin.

Name: Frostbite Bow
Description: A bow created from chaotic ice, with a string made from Netherbeast tendon. This bow freezes the air around each arrow.
Effect (Passive): +20 Frost Damage added to all arrows.
Effect (Triggered): Frostbite - Once per hour, fire an arrow that creates a freezing explosion, dealing 50 Frost damage and slowing all enemies in a 20-foot radius by 20% for 5 seconds.

Ruin had never used a bow, but since it was the only weapon he could equip in here, he decided to take it. He grabbed the quiver that hung under the weapon.

Name: Twilight Quiver
Description: A dark leather quiver that fades into the shadows, allowing the user to move more stealthily.
Effect (Passive): +10% Stealth while equipped.

Effect (Passive): Auto nock.

Effect(Passive): Every ten seconds, refill quiver to 12 arrows.
Effect (Triggered): Shadow Curtain - Once per hour, fire an arrow that leaves a trail of darkness, obscuring vision and reducing enemy accuracy by 20% for 10 seconds.

The bow and quiver made for an incredibly powerful starter set, and it justified why the Val’dor had kept something so low-level in their vault.

Ruin equipped the quiver and bow and stepped over to the bookshelf on the right wall. He glanced through the books, which didn’t trigger any level restrictions. He needed to get Rami in here as soon as possible to absorb and summarize all of them.

The earliest level to view any of the potions was twenty, and with dwindling hope, Ruin turned to the back wall. His expectations already smashed, he quickly dragged his hand across the piles of jewelry, clothes, and light armor.

To Ruin’s surprise and joy, multiple items indicated he could use them despite only being level one. He went much slower a second time and removed the gear he planned on using right now.

Name: Tempest Bracer
Description: A leather bracer with inlaid silver designs shaped like storm clouds and lightning bolts.
Armor Class: 50
Effect (Passive): Increases the wearer’s movement speed by 10%.
Effect (Triggered): Storm Bolt - Once per hour, summons a bolt of lightning to strike a target within 30 feet, dealing 100-160 Lightning damage. Has a 50% chance to arc to nearby enemies for half damage.

Name: Ring of Shadows
Description: A black onyx ring that absorbs light, leaving a faint shadowy aura around the wearer.
Effect (Passive): +5% Willpower.
Effect (Triggered): Shadow Root - Once per hour, use an enemy’s shadow to anchor them in place for 2 seconds.

Name: Void Crown
Description: A circlet made of dark metal, adorned with small onyx stones that seem to swallow light.
Armor Class: 75
Effect (Passive): +20 Intelligence.
Effect (Triggered): Once per day, the wearer can thin the threshold allowing the Void to seep through and deal 75-125 Void damage to all enemies within a 20-foot radius.

Name: Cloak of Phasing
Description: A lightweight cloak that’s invisible to normal sight.
Armor Class: 100
Effect (Passive): Cancels any critical damage when backstabbed.
Effect (Triggered): Once per hour, the wearer can phase out of the current plane for 3 seconds, avoiding all damage.

Name: Ambush Pants
Description: Dark leather pants designed for silent movement and swift strikes.
Armor Class: 150
Effect (Passive): +10% Critical Strike Chance.
Effect (Triggered): Vanish - Once per hour, the wearer can enter stealth instantly, regardless of conditions.

Name: Ranger Vest
Description: A reinforced leather vest adorned with various pockets and pouches for quick access.

Armor Class: 100
Effect (Passive): +15 to Ranged Accuracy.
Effect (Triggered): Arrow Punch - Once per hour, the wearer can release a volley of arrows that deal 50-75 Physical Damage to all enemies in a cone in front of them.

Name: Assassin Treads
Description: Black leather boots designed for quick and quiet movement.
Armor Class: 100
Effect (Passive): +20% Movement Speed.
Effect (Triggered): Kidney Pierce - Once per day, the wearer can appear behind any visible target within one hundred feet.

To have such gear at level one would greatly speed his growth. Belonging to a rich and royal family had its benefits.

As Ruin put on the gear inside the vault, he noticed a section of blank wall next to the bookcase. From this angle, he could see it had two doors like a clothes cabinet. Maybe they kept cleaning supplies in there or something. When he finished dressing, he strode over and pulled open the doors.

Ruin didn’t move for five seconds, staring at the contents. He carefully reached out to verify his guess.

The left side of the tall cabinet contained over a hundred crystals that came in three sizes and many different colors. The smallest size looked like the thing Lylan had described as a Legacy Shard which had either activated her blood magic or strengthened it, he couldn’t remember. The Shards were grouped together by color and then by size.

The right side of the cabinet contained gems—a riot of colors and shapes. Ruin recognized these as Paragon jewels. These gems altered a person’s attributes and spiritual network. In fact, Varthon had just mentioned them as a method to reconnect the pathways between a person’s center and a Meridian.

It turned out the house of Val’dor had not sold off everything of value.

Ruin’s skin prickled and he turned around, scanning the empty vault. It felt like someone had stood right behind him. He shook his head and returned his attention to the precious cupboard.

Running a finger gently down the rows of Shards caused pop-ups to appear briefly for each one.

Legacy Type: Shard
Heritage: Ravager
Node Effect: +5% Physical Damage

Legacy Type: Fragment
Heritage: Forgotten
Node Effect: Invisibility

Legacy Type: Gem
Heritage: Forgotten
Node Effect: Alter Memory

Legacy Type: Shard
Heritage: Exiled
Node Effect: +5% All Resistances

Legacy Type: Gem
Heritage: Inferno
Node Effect: Ignite Blood

Lylan had described her blood as containing eight slots, or Nodes, and it appeared they could accept a Shard, Fragment, or a Gem. It took three Shards to make a Fragment and three Fragments to make a Gem. Each step up gave better effects.

Ruin ran a finger down the Paragon Jewels, and as he read the pop-ups, his hand shook.

Paragon Type: Attribute
Effect: +5 Willpower

Paragon Type: Fire Pathway
Effect: 11% chance to connect Fire Pathway to Center

Paragon Type: Chaos Pathway
Effect: 7% chance to connect Chaos Pathway to Meridian

Paragon Type: Core
Effect: Increase Density by 1%

Paragon Type: Node
Effect: 0.5% chance to open a node

Paragon Type: Heritage
Effect: 0.001% chance to Awaken a Heritage

Paragon Type: Light Pathway
Effect: 5% chance to increase durability of Light Pathways by 1%

Paragon Type: Death Pathway
Effect: 10% chance to widen Death Pathways by 2%

Paragon Jewels could improve every part of a person’s physical and spiritual body. Ruin wondered at the value of these gems. Once he harvested his own Paragon Jewels from the rifts that had begun appearing, he could judge better.

Once again, Ruin felt like someone else was with him in this vault. He didn’t turn but focused all his Perception and senses on his surroundings, but he detected nothing. When he finally turned, the vault remained empty.

Ruin scolded himself for his imagination and closed the cabinet door. He would come back later and make a detailed inventory.

Some of the Paragon Jewels had also referenced Nodes and Heritages, which only increased Ruin’s curiosity about those displays. He decided to skip cleaning up his Inventory since he could move now, and immediately opened the Inheritance screen.

It was time to understand what a Heritage entailed and how Nodes and Legacy Shards were related to them.

Ruin willed himself back to his body.