NOVEL WEB Chapter 29: Severance
Lucien was thrilled with his new trait's revelation. Pale Skin. His excitement peaked when he thought about how strong the trait could become if he fused it with something else that has the property of Palebranch wood.
Suddenly he got an idea to fuse with the corpses, however as he lunged for the dead monster corpses, but the moment he rose from the heap, they disintegrated into a spray of white light that vanished.
Disappointment struck. However, scanning the trees around him, he noticed they bore an uncanny resemblance to the Palebranch Wights themselves. They were labeled:
[Palebranch Tree Lv. ???]
Player information about anything remained limited unless they possessed a special appraisal skill—something Lucien desperately needed. In his case though, he could simply fuse with one rather than operate it as a conventional skill. Quite convenient, except skills could grow through levels while his traits couldn't. Still, he could fuse his traits together.
Skill merging was possible too, but according to the forums, only special quests, certain NPCs, and fewer than five players could achieve such feats.
Lucien approached the Palebranch tree. The moment he touched it, terrible cold dread overwhelmed him. Instantly, his pale skin grew frigid and even more pallid.
[You are too weak to fuse with the Palebranch tree.]
[You have been rejected by the divine]
Lucien jerked his hand away, looking at the tree scornfully for a few seconds.
'Too weak? Rejected by the divine? What the hell?'
Confusion flooded his mind. How did the divine factor into a tree? He'd fused with a wolf—why couldn't he fuse with a tree?
What made the Palebranch tree so special?
Only one way to find out.
Lucien opened his palm and summoned his item drop.
A pale, white spear materialized in his grip. From a distance, it resembled a simple white rod or blade. No distinction existed between shaft and blade—everything blended seamlessly.
[PALEBRANCH SPEAR]
Type: Long Spear (Piercing / Reach)
Grade: Unique (Curse-type)
Slot: Main Hand
Required Level: 60
Attack Rating: 3,120
Weight: Light
Durability: 510 / 510
Elemental Affinity: Decay / Nature
—
[CORE ATTRIBUTES]
+15% Attack Range
+30% Damage against Mutated or Corrupted enemies
Attacks ignore 25% of enemy armor if they are under any DoT (Bleed, Poison, Rot)
Passive: [Whisperroot] — Critical hits plant a decaying seed in the target; explodes after 3s for 180% weapon damage in a 3m radius
Attacks apply [Wither] — Reduces target's healing received by 50% for 4s
—
[EVOLUTION]
Evolution Potential: High
Condition:
(1) Inflict Wither on 1,000 different targets
(2) Stand still in a corrupted forest for 10 uninterrupted minutes while holding the spear
Next Form: ???
—
[INFORMATION]
Fashioned from the petrified limb of the Elder Palebranch tree that rotted beneath the world, the Palebranch Spear was first wielded by the Verdant Apostate, Ossyn. It grows sharper with every life it helps decay, feeding on stillness and silence.
———
"Wow… this is incredible."
With everything noted, this weapon could stack damage effortlessly as long as he kept striking—and it excelled against decay and nature-type monsters. The Palebranch Wights themselves fell under that classification.
Lucien grinned.
"The more the merrier."
He focused on the information at the bottom. Unfortunately, he couldn't extract useful details about the tree beyond the fact that an elder specimen had been used to forge the spear, and that the wielder was the same person these woods were named after.
Moreover, he was called a Verdant Apostate.
'No clue what that means… I should compile a research list.'
Lucien exhaled and surveyed the forest. He wanted to venture deeper, but Godzilla was calling. Really calling.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, rubbing his chin as he spoke aloud.
"Here's the plan. I'll engage Godzilla in battle, and when I've exhausted my fused potions and feel death approaching, I'll retreat here. Hunt some monsters to grow stronger, then return to continue the fight."
He slammed his fist into his palm.
"Perfecto."
Before leaving, however, he had business to attend to.
Lucien reopened his profile, focusing on the Fusion panel this time. He carefully examined all his traits, considering which ones might complement each other.
'Steel Rend and Cleave… Cleave's low-level, but it should work, right?'
Lucien issued a mental command, and a new display materialized:
[Do you want to fuse common trait, Steel Rend, with common trait, Cleave for 350 fusion points?]
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the traits on the display blazed with radiance and merged, radiant light swirling around them before dimming.
A new trait emerged.
[You have acquired Trait, Severance (Rare - Active)—a lethal fusion of Steel Rend's understanding of structural weakness and Cleave's devastating linear power. You can sever not with your hands, but your mind.]
Lucien's jaw dropped. He covered his mouth with both hands.
Standing, he faced the tree before him.
The wind shimmered, and the tree trembled slightly.
Lucien rushed forward and spotted a thin, clean line carved along the white bark.
'It worked!'
Though somewhat insignificant given the tree's durability, Lucien was thrilled to discover he could actually cut things through thought alone.
This mental trait was still far from threatening stronger enemies, but it was a beginning. He knew his path forward now.
Excited, ready for the real challenge, and unable to contain his anticipation, Lucien finally decided to leave Ossyn Woods.
The challenge of the Godzilla, at last, awaits him.