Chapter 274: Ancestral Gun-Fu
There was nothing to think about—Zhou Ning strode straight toward the three doors without pause, trying to get as far away as possible from the monsters behind him. To his relief, the creatures didn't chase after him; instead, they lingered in place, circling aimlessly. The mere thought of turning back made his scalp prickle.
The middle door stood slightly ajar. A fully skeletal corpse lay in front of it. Though the clothing had weathered, one could still recognize it as Ruins-style—a silk coat with a touch of Turkish flair. An alchemic array that absorbed light had been set within; even with night vision, his sight couldn't pierce the darkness.
It had taken only forty-seven seconds to kill Queen Dalian earlier. Counting his escape, he still had a full two minutes of clan training effect left. Obviously, pushing forward took priority. Zhou Ning reached out to the left-hand door. His instincts told him that side was dangerous.
Just then, a clicking sound came from the door—a trap being triggered. Suddenly, over a dozen magical arrows rained down on him.
What was the point of this? Still under clan training status, Zhou Ning couldn't even be bothered to block. He simply shifted his body slightly, weaving between the storm of arrows with ease, as if they weren't even there.
Stepping through the stone gate, the light dimmed abruptly. In the center of the chamber, three obsidian gargoyles beat their wings, gliding low and slow. Between them rested a massive silver coffin, five meters long and two meters wide, its surface etched with intricate patterns.
As expected, nothing new. Most likely, there would be a hidden compartment on the left wall, but he'd have to finish the gargoyles first.
Under clan training, his Stand ability had received a full boost. This time, it only took him two tries to manifest successfully, and the concentration required had lessened. One gargoyle altered its path and flew directly at him.
Its stats appeared on his panel:
———
Obsidian Gargoyle
Level: 69 Boss Creature
Attributes: Strength 165, Agility 170, Endurance 170, Willpower 79, Intelligence 145, Charisma 1
HP: 45,000 / 45,000
Status: None
Specialties: Magic Resistance, Super Tough Life, Vital Immunity, Slow Regeneration
Skills: Flight, Heavy Strike (Advanced), Piercing Screech (Advanced), Storm Strike (Expert)
———
Honestly, its six attributes weren't that extreme. It had four specialties, but aside from a big HP pool, its combat strength didn't seem higher than a Mithril Golem. What made it Boss-tier was probably its cost of creation—and that Expert-level skill, Storm Strike.
Zhou Ning's eyes immediately locked onto that skill. In the previous fight, it had been the only move to leave a lasting impression. Its destructive power was shocking.
Under his control, the gargoyle unleashed its ultimate. From its tooth-filled maw swirled a forming twister. After a brief charge, a tornado erupted, surging at blinding speed toward the other two gargoyles still gliding along their preset paths.
The whirlwind swept bottles, jars, stones, and gravel from the ground, along with the two gargoyles caught in its line. Even the silver coffin at the center was pulled into the air.
-4675! -5238!
A string of additional damage followed, and in moments, the two gargoyles had lost a huge chunk of health.
The damage output was insane—even Zhou Ning, who had seen plenty, couldn't help but whistle.
Moments later, the tornado lost power and dissipated.
Crash! Everything tumbled back down, including the silver coffin, which shattered into pieces upon impact.
On his skill bar, [Gun-Fu · Deadly Rhythm] flickered to life.
Bang!
Zhou Ning lunged forward, sprinting at high speed as he drew his ebony and ivory pistols. In one fluid, strange stance, he fired at the two gargoyles still falling from the sky.
Any player watching would recognize it instantly: the Mozambique Drill, a classic Gun-Fu technique—two rapid shots to the chest followed by a quick shot to the head. The gargoyles, just steadying themselves for takeoff, were struck before they could flap again. Their balance broke, and they were launched back into the air, trapped in a ridiculous floating state.
Zhou Ning's shooting performance began. Shot after shot hit dead on, keeping the two gargoyles bouncing between rise and fall, never allowed to stabilize.
Amid this dazzling display, he suddenly felt a new clarity about Gun-Fu.
[You are using [Gun-Fu · Mozambique Drill] and [Gun-Fu · Deadly Rhythm]. You have grasped new Gun-Fu techniques. (1/75)]
"A new skill comprehension triggered?"
His eyes lit up. This was another way to create new skills in Apocalypse besides skill fusion—but the conditions were incredibly strict. He hadn't expected to be this lucky.
A few more shots confirmed it: as long as he hit, his proficiency increased. His heart surged with motivation. His gaze on the gargoyles turned cold and lethal.
[You are using [Gun-Fu · Mozambique Drill] and [Gun-Fu · Deadly Rhythm]. You have grasped new Gun-Fu techniques. (75/75)]
[You have comprehended the skill [Ancestral Gun-Fu]]
[Ancestral Gun-Fu: Beginner (0/8500): A fusion of the Mozambique Drill and dual-wield Gun-Fu. Greatly enhances shooting precision and flair. Firearm accuracy +2%, shooting speed +2%, an extra +2% when equipped with revolvers.]
Not bad at all. Zhou Ning immediately poured experience into it, leveling it straight to Expert. The pistols in his hands suddenly felt like extensions of his body.
Bang! Bang!
A minute later, the final two bullets struck the gargoyles still bouncing in midair, stripping away their last sliver of HP. From beginning to end, Zhou Ning hadn't moved a step or lost a drop of blood.
Thud!
The gargoyles crashed to the ground, smashing a pit as their structures collapsed.
[You have slain Obsidian Gargoyle (Lv70), gaining 114,000 EXP.]
[Progress: Slay or Defeat 10 Boss-class Creatures above Level 60: 10/10]
[You have slain Obsidian Gargoyle (Lv69), gaining 96,000 EXP.]
At that moment, his clan training effect also ended.
Exhaling in relief, Zhou Ning bent to pick up two gargoyle cores, then turned to the left wall. As expected, it bore many symbols and inscriptions.
"The owner of this tomb was Goodwin Cecil—chief alchemist of the Elven Court, and at the same time, the grand astrologer, polymath, and linguist of the Ancient Elven Kingdom."
After studying the name on the wall, Molly spoke a word that nearly made Zhou Ning jump out of his skin.
Damn… In that instant, he felt a powerful sense of destiny, as if everything had been preordained.