Chapter 12: Divine Shield, Eye of Holography

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[Successfully wounded the Platinum-9 Headless Knight, dealing 30,000 damage; gained 30,000 experience points.]
[Successfully wounded the Platinum-9 Headless Knight, dealing 20,000 damage; gained 20,000 experience points.]
[Successfully wounded the Platinum-9 Headless Knight, dealing 30,000 damage; gained 30,000 experience points.]

Boom!
Finally, under the overwhelming, frenzied barrage of Su Mu's firepower, the Headless Knight was blown to pieces, erupting into a mass of emerald-green flames in the void.
Simultaneously, a golden shield and a pair of tea-colored glasses clattered onto the ground.

Boom!
The War Tree also exploded at the same moment, dissolving into a blinding burst of light.
War Trees usually possess a formidable guardian, and it was clear that the guardian of this particular War Tree was the Headless Knight. They shared a symbiotic bond; with the death of the knight, the life of the War Tree also reached its end.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully killing the Platinum-9 Headless Knight. Gained 30,000 experience points. Current Attack Power: 45,000.]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully destroying the War Tree. Gained 30,000 experience points. Current Attack Power: 75,000.]

The system notifications chimed in Su Mu's ears right on cue. The Gatling gun in his hands reached its cooldown and automatically vanished. The cooldown period was quite long—seven days. This meant that if Su Mu wanted to use this weapon of mass destruction again, he would have to wait a full week.

"The war is finally over. I actually survived this battle!" Su Mu was filled with boundless joy.
They say that fortune favors the bold, and he had chosen to take two major risks tonight, but the rewards were massive.

"Status Panel!"
Su Mu summoned his interface.
[Name: Su Mu]
[Level: LV1]
[Attack Power: 75,000]

"I’ve actually become a Platinum-4 warrior! I wonder what level 'Blade Flash' and 'Little Dragon' are at now?"
Su Mu opened the panels for Little Dragon and Blade Flash...
[Undead: Skeleton Warrior]
[Level: LV1]
[Attack Power: 90,000]
[Loyalty: 100]
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...
[Divine Servant: Hell Dragon King]
[Level: LV1]
[Attack Power: 45,000]
[Loyalty: 100]

"I am already a Platinum-4 warrior!"
"Blade Flash is at Platinum-6, about to hit Platinum-7!"
"Little Dragon is at Platinum-4, about to hit Platinum-5!"
Su Mu couldn't stop grinning; he felt tonight's grand adventure had been worth every bit of effort. Moving from Bronze to Platinum in just one night—surely, among this batch of new lords, no one could upgrade as fast as he had.

The surroundings remained shrouded in endless darkness, but Su Mu no longer felt any fear. He had Blade Flash, he had Little Dragon, and he had the System. Su Mu was destined to become the most powerful lord in the entire world, bar none.

"Time to check my loot!"
Su Mu knew that every time a mini-boss was defeated, it was bound to drop something good. He didn't know why, but that was what the textbooks taught. The golden shield and the tea-colored glasses were the items dropped by the Headless Knight. Curious about what they were, Su Mu walked over and picked them up.

Information about the two items appeared on his panel:
[Item Name: Shield of Holy Protection]
[Grade: God-tier (Upgradeable)]
[Effect: Within the range of the shield's holy light, the attack power of all creatures is halved. Once 'Absolute Protection' is activated, to break through the holy light barrier, an attacker must be at least 10 levels higher than the holder. For instance, if the holder is Platinum-6, one would need to be at least Diamond-6 to break the protection.]
[Initial Holy Light Range: 3,000 meters]
[Upgrade Condition: For every level the holder gains, the range of the holy light increases by 3,000 meters. If the holder reaches the 11th Tier, known as the Super-God Realm, the range can envelop an entire medium-sized city!]
[Mobility: The shield moves with the holder; wherever the holder goes, the holy light follows.]
[Usage: Requires an incantation.]

"What a fantastic piece of gear!"
A gleam of delight flashed in Su Mu's eyes. This Shield of Holy Protection was an absolute monster-slaying tool. Halving the strength of all creatures within range meant that even if he encountered opponents of a higher level, they would be at his mercy once they entered the holy light.
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Platinum fighting Diamond, Diamond fighting Star-Gold—it was going to be glorious. Moreover, the shield provided protection for his companions. If he ever encountered an opponent he truly couldn't defeat, he could activate 'Absolute Protection' and make a clean getaway. In short, this shield would significantly boost his survival rate.

Next, Su Mu opened the panel for the tea-colored glasses.
[Item Name: Eye of Holography]
[Grade: God-tier (Non-upgradeable)]
[Effect: Capable of scanning detailed information on any creature below the 11th Tier. Features include early warning, precision targeting, path optimization, and the ability to see through all forms of invisibility.]
[Usage: Wear to activate.]

"This is also excellent. I can use it to deal with invisible monsters, and it can display a holographic map—it could completely replace electronic maps."
Su Mu smiled in satisfaction and put the glasses on. With a shimmer, they turned semi-transparent; without looking closely, one wouldn't even notice he was wearing them. He then recited the incantation from the panel, and the shield transformed into a badge that hung on his chest.

"Let's go, Blade Flash, Little Dragon. Let's head over to the War Tree and see if there’s anything left to find."
With that, Su Mu set off with his companions toward the spot where the War Tree had stood. Generally, destroying a War Tree could yield loot, but it wasn't guaranteed; sometimes, you could end up with nothing at all. This was knowledge Su Mu had gleaned from his books.

After the explosion, only a foot-long stump remained, still engulfed in smoldering flames. Through the Eye of Holography, Su Mu could clearly see countless thread-like veins inside the stump flickering with light. However, those glowing veins were fading rapidly, indicating that the War Tree was dying quickly.

Not bothering to study how the War Tree functioned, Su Mu began a carpet-search around the stump. Within a radius of one hundred meters, not even an ant could escape his gaze.
He was disappointed. After searching three times over, he hadn't found a thing.

"Don't tell me I'm this unlucky? I finally took down a War Tree and I'm not getting a single reward?"
Su Mu felt a bit dejected. He turned to his two pets and said, "Blade Flash, Little Dragon, help me search."
The trio searched again. Suddenly, Little Dragon let out an excited dragon roar. Su Mu turned back to see the dragon circling above a crater two meters wide and three meters deep, flapping its wings incessantly.

Su Mu rushed to the edge of the crater, peered inside, and his eyes lit up.
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