Chapter 88: The Agony of Essence

Li Nanke opened the exchange list to inspect the rewards available in this dream.

The ordinary list was mostly filled with commonplace items, though there were a few decent weapons and armor pieces, such as the Wolf-Head Greatsword, the Archbishop’s Litany Scepter, the Commander’s Heavy Plate Armor, and the Golden Great Bell.

But Li Nanke was not short of gear at the moment. Besides, those items were either inferior to what he already had, or lacked the versatility he wanted. There was no need to waste exchange points on them.

His gaze shifted to several items with special functions.

Accessory: Disfiguring Golden Mask — Cost: 300

Accessory: Ring of the Maiden of Eternal Pain — Cost: 450

...

Item: Whip of Agony — Cost: 200

Item: Small Statuette of the Thorned Father — Cost: 100

...

Vehicle: Elite Warhorse of the Punishment Army — Cost: 50

...

After some consideration, he exchanged for the Ring of the Maiden of Eternal Pain.

Ring of the Maiden of Eternal Pain

Type: Accessory / Hand Slot

Quality: Superior

Rating: 82/100

Details: A plain metal ring stained with patches of blood. It was a parting gift from the elder brother Reno to his younger sister Aniya when she entered the Holy Assembly. When worn normally, the ring remains invisible; it only manifests when you suffer any kind of ranged damage, using the pain it has accumulated to greatly absorb that damage on your behalf. Pain can be restored by inflicting extreme agony upon enemies.

Current Pain Value: 100/100

Note: Come on, let’s hurt each other.

As for the remaining exchange points, Li Nanke had originally considered spending them on a riding horse. After all, one could not always find a means of transport in every forbidden dream. But after thinking it over, he decided to use them to replenish ammunition and energy instead.

The powered protective armor and the linear laser cannon were both immensely powerful pieces of equipment, but they were also energy-hungry beasts that required exchange points to keep running.

Special Exchange List

Weapon: Holy Sword of Judgment

Weapon: Battle Axe of Slaughter

Weapon: Radiant Tower Shield

Weapon: Sacred Blood Spear

Weapon: Skeleton Death Scepter

Armor: Judge Legion Armor

Item: Defensive Litany Scroll — Barrier Light Curtain

Summon: Carrion Bell-Ringer, Non-elite Monster

Summon: Maiden of Eternal Pain, Aniya

Trait: Flame Torrent

Trait: Sunset Flame

Trait: Soul Strike

Trait: Whisper of the Dead

Essence: Pain, available for unconditional exchange, does not count toward the exchange limit

Trait: Underworld Tyrant, requirements not met, unavailable

Trait: Calamity Summoning, requirements not met, unavailable

Essence: Twisted Sorrow, requirements not met, unavailable

Summon: Scorched-Visage Holy Mother, requirements not met, unavailable

Summon: Thorned Father, requirements not met, unavailable

...

Li Nanke had not yet unlocked the entire special exchange list, but even the many options visible before him were enough to make one’s heart leap.

“The Maiden of Eternal Pain, Aniya, can even be exchanged for...”

He checked the item details. After losing the divine blessing of Pain, Aniya no longer had the ability to bear injuries. Aside from recovering a somewhat beautiful face, she was little more than a decorative vase with no real use.

Perhaps if he ultimately gave up the hidden node and chose to return directly, he might be able to bring out the Aniya who still possessed the ability to take on injuries.

Compared with a summon, he still preferred the hard-hitting, hard-to-kill Carrion Bell-Ringer.

Unfortunately, the Carrion Bell-Ringer in the exchange list was not the elite monster Li Nanke had first encountered upon entering the gorge, but the ordinary, smaller bell-ringer that had later chased after him. It was not worth spending precious exchange capacity on.

The exchange list also contained a series of traits. Every trait available for exchange had its attributes displayed. For instance, Sunset Flame was the ranged spell-flame used by the chief priests and assistant priests; it was a Tier 0 trait aligned with spirituality.

Soul Strike and Whisper of the Dead were also spirituality-aligned, both Tier 1 traits, and both were spell-like litanies with disruptive properties.

After carefully browsing the options, Li Nanke exchanged without hesitation for Flame Torrent, because Reno’s signature finishing move was a Tier 2 trait aligned with humanity.

Trait: Flame Torrent

Alignment: Humanity

Tier: 2

Level: 0/10

Details: This trait allows your melee weapon to instantly enlarge and ignite with unparalleled flames of destruction, enabling it to unleash vastly increased killing power on your next attack. If you possess the prerequisite trait, Flame Breath, then the power of Flame Torrent will also rise accordingly with Flame Breath’s growth.

As this trait levels up, the destructive force unleashed by Flame Torrent will continue to grow.

Note: Keep the rhythm going, and let the wild fire run free.

“At last, I’ve got a real explosive killing technique...”

There was no need to elaborate on Flame Torrent’s power. It could deal terrifying damage to an enemy in an instant.

However, the trait also consumed an enormous amount of energy. If one compared the mental power drain of the Armament trait to drinking water through a straw from a bucket, then Flame Breath was like lifting the bucket and gulping down great mouthfuls, while Flame Torrent was like grabbing the bucket and flinging the water everywhere...

Gaining the Tier 2 trait Flame Torrent also made Li Nanke understand that, unlike essence, the level cap of a higher-tier trait was not affected by whether a lower-tier trait had been maxed out.

The final exchange permission he used on the Defensive Litany Scroll — Barrier Light Curtain.

Defensive Litany Scroll — Barrier Light Curtain

Type: Item / Consumable

Quality: Rare

Rating: 67/100

Details: This scroll bears a small defensive spell litany designed for individual use. Once torn apart, it generates a protective spell formed from six light curtains above, below, left, right, front, and back, enclosing you within it. You may adjust the size of the defensive area; the larger the protected area, the weaker the duration and defensive strength. Until Barrier Light Curtain is shattered, everything inside it will be immune to all physical and energy damage.

Note: Because I’m just too afraid of pain, I put every point into defense.

This consumable could be considered a weakened version of the original body. Its effect should be far inferior to the light curtain of the Great Cathedral of All Saints, but it was still a powerful lifesaving item for critical moments.

After exhausting the special exchange permissions, Li Nanke turned his attention to the final essence: Pain.

Essence: Pain

Alignment: Bestial

Tier: 2

Level: 0/10

Details: This essence uses the extraordinary power of Pain to strengthen your flesh in all aspects. When the human body is stimulated by intense suffering, it makes corresponding adjustments to endure that stimulus, producing overcompensation, also known as supercompensation. The extraordinary power of Pain exploits the body’s own mechanisms to continuously enhance the functioning of your organs and systems, as well as the strength of your flesh.

As this essence levels up, the strength of your flesh will continue to increase!

Note: Your power is greater than you imagine!

“Still a bestial essence, huh... But to obtain a Tier 2 essence so quickly, that’s an absurd rate of advancement, like riding a rocket...”