บท 116: Devourer Ring and it's very effective
(Arthur POV)
Watching James Blaze gradually rise to success, I felt a surge of happiness - not just for him, but for myself as well. I'd finally completed the mission of making James a rising star, and the system rewarded me with something extraordinary:
[Devourer Ring (One of the Ancient Rings): This ancient artifact allows the host to store vast amounts of magic mana within it, serving as a reservoir for personal power. The ring also has the ability to devour incoming powerful magic or energy attacks, absorbing and neutralizing them. Stored magic can be channeled back to enhance your spells, offering amplified spellcasting by adjusting the ring's magic output mode.]
[Level 1: The ring can hold up to 50,000 magic mana and can devour intermediate-level magic spells and energy attacks.]
[You may level up this ancient artifact using Entertainment Points!]
Excited, I quickly pulled the ring from the system storage. It was a golden band, exuding power and mystery. I slipped it onto my finger, expecting some dramatic change, but felt nothing out of the ordinary.
I sighed, "Maybe I should level up this ring," I muttered, admiring how cool it looked on my hand.
As I examined it closer, I noticed ancient runes embedded in the metal. They quickly faded, becoming transparent, and suddenly information about the ring flooded my mind.
I learned about the ring's four modes, the first being "Bloodthirst Mode". Despite its ominous name, it was actually the weakest.
This mode allowed the ring to absorb magical or energy attacks - its basic function. It could consume spells from a limited range and feed on their mana. At its current level, the ring could absorb up to 10,000 mana from a single attack, storing it for later use.
The first mode could enhance my magical spells, turning even a basic fire spell into a formidable attack.
"Wrath Mode," the second setting, boosted magical output. When activated, it increased spell power by 20 percent, consuming 5,000 mana with each cast. This mode packed more punch than the first.
The third, "Abyssal Mode," could autonomously gather mana from the surroundings, potentially even during combat. Despite its usefulness, I hesitated to use it. The risk of attracting attention from powerful figures who might detect the ring's energy seemed too great. This mode also offered an even more potent magical boost, though at considerable risk.
"Nightmare Mode," the fourth setting, was both the most powerful and the most dangerous. It would create a defensive barrier around me, absorbing any incoming attacks. Then, it could unleash devastating magical assaults using all the stored magical power. A last-resort option, no doubt.
I examined the ring, noting how I could switch between modes. For now, I'd have to adjust them manually. But with further upgrades, I'd be able to switch modes with a mere thought.
At level 1, the ring wasn't reaching its full potential. I decided to invest some entertainment points to upgrade it. The cost? A steep 1 million points to reach level 2.
I gritted my teeth. It felt like a pay-to-win scheme, but the potential benefits outweighed the cost. I made the investment.
At level 2, the ring's capacity doubled, now able to store 100,000 units of magical mana.
It was incredible. For perspective, my own magical mana capacity was about 10,000 - already impressive, thanks to my recent level up and the boost from my Primal Morningstar bloodline ability. As I trained this ability to transform, my body and mana reserves had been steadily increasing.
I pushed further, upgrading the ring to level 3 for five million points. Now it could store a staggering 1 million magical mana.
The potential upgrades didn't stop there. Level 4 would allow 10 million storage, level 5 a whopping 50 million for 100 million points. But level 6, the max level, was something else entirely.
At level 6, the ring could store unlimited mana, continuously feeding on energy. All four modes would merge, allowing the ring to consciously adjust to any situation. Impressive, yes, but the price? Astronomical. 1 billion entertainment points!
You've got to be kidding. It might take years to accumulate that many points.
I wondered what I'd even do with the current 1 million capacity. Filling it seemed a distant goal.
Yet, I couldn't help but ponder the catastrophic potential of such a ring. Unlimited magical mana storage? The possibilities seemed endless, and frankly, a bit terrifying.
Curiosity got the better of me. I decided to test the ring, channeling my full 10,000 mana into it.
To my shock, the ring devoured my entire magical reserve in an instant. I couldn't even react fast enough to stop it.
Dizziness washed over me. "Damn it. This ring is a glutton," I muttered, feeling utterly drained.
I hadn't expected it to consume my mana so quickly. As I sat there, exhausted, I realized I might have underestimated the power - and the danger - of this ancient artifact.
With a thought, I switched the ring to "Abyssal Mode". Instantly, an unsettling quiet fell over my office. It was as if the ring had absorbed even sound itself, creating an eerie, unnatural peace.
My devil cat, usually so composed, suddenly bristled. Its hair stood on end for a moment before it slumped to the floor, unnaturally still.
I gasped, the realization hitting me like a ton of bricks. "This... This ring is absorbing all the magical mana in the office, even from my cat!"
***
(3rd Person POV)
Unbeknownst to Arthur, the ring's influence extended far beyond his office.
The entire Hellfire HQ seemed caught in the eye of an invisible storm. Employees went about their business, chatting and working as usual. The atmosphere felt oddly peaceful, yet no one seemed to notice anything amiss.
Then, without warning, fatigue swept through the building like a wave.
"Wha-what's happening? I suddenly feel tired," one employee mumbled.
"Me too," another nodded, struggling to keep their eyes open.
Lilith's voice drifted from her desk, "I feel sleepy. I think I might take a nap." Her head dropped onto her desk, and she was out cold.
Klein felt his eyelids growing heavy. He looked around, seeing his colleagues slumping over their desks one by one. Fighting against the overwhelming urge to sleep, he slapped his cheeks. "He-hey, guys. We are in... in the middle of work!" he shouted, but his voice came out weak and ineffectual.
More and more employees succumbed to the mysterious fatigue.
Klein swayed on his feet, fighting a losing battle against the encroaching darkness. Finally, he too collapsed to the ground, his snores joining the chorus of sleeping coworkers.
The ring's influence stretched far beyond Hellfire HQ, its absorption intensifying with each passing moment.
On the streets outside, passersby suddenly felt their strength ebbing away.
"Yawn. Weird, I just slept soundly earlier," a dwarf mumbled, scratching the back of his head in confusion.
A high school magic student, more attuned to the arcane, muttered, "Why do I feel like my mana's being absorbed?" Before he could ponder further, his eyes grew heavy, and he slumped to the ground.
The neighboring buildings weren't spared either.
"Hmm... It feels so good to sleep..." a demon boss murmured, slumping over his desk, drool pooling beneath his cheek.
The phenomenon spread rapidly across the entire district. Hundreds succumbed to sudden exhaustion, either falling asleep where they stood or struggling against an overwhelming fatigue.
Meanwhile, in the Hellfire HQ office, Arthur noticed the ring had mysteriously accumulated 1 million magical mana and ceased its absorption. It even returned his initial ten thousand mana, leaving him feeling better than before.
Oblivious to the chaos outside, Arthur left his office in high spirits, his sleeping cat cradled in his arms. He marveled at how his office alone could provide so much mana for the ring.
As he descended to the first floor, an eerie quiet settled over him. "Why does it feel so strangely silent?" he wondered, still unaware of the widespread effects of his magical experiment.
Little did Arthur know, his simple test of the ring had inadvertently plunged the entire district into an unnatural slumber, leaving him as perhaps the only conscious person for blocks around.
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บท 117: Don't underestimate the ring, Arthur.
(Arthur POV)
The eerie silence unnerved me as I headed to the workstation. What I saw there left me stunned.
My employees were sprawled across their desks, sleeping so deeply they might as well have been in comas.
"...what the heck is happening?" I muttered, my mind racing.
Then it hit me. I glanced at the cat in my arms, still out cold, then at the ring on my finger.
"...fuck..." I slapped my forehead, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.
I'd been wondering how the ring accumulated a million units of magical mana in my office alone. Turns out, it had drained the entire building dry!
And here I was, thinking using "Abyssal Mode" in my office would be discreet. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Shaking my head, I surveyed the sleeping employees. How the hell was I going to fix this mess?
Deciding to let them sleep it off, I headed to the parking lot, planning to retreat to my penthouse to study the ring further. But as soon as I stepped outside, I froze.
People were passed out on the sidewalks. Vehicles had stopped in their tracks, some even crashed. Drivers slept soundly, even those with minor injuries.
"This..." I looked around, seeing the eerie quiet stretch as far as the eye could see. "This is bad..."
I bolted back to my office, slamming the door behind me and pacing frantically.
"It seems that I've underestimated this ring gravely..." I muttered, staring at the seemingly innocent band of gold.
I couldn't believe it. I'd only used the "Abyssal Mode" for about thirty seconds - not even a full minute! Yet the effects were far more massive than I could have ever imagined.
Examining the ring more closely, I discovered that "Abyssal Mode" had four settings: low, mid, high, and ultra. To my horror, I realized the mode was set to ultra by default!
I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to scream. "Why the hell did the system set the mode to ultra? And make it the default setting?!" I felt like cursing the system to high heaven.
***
(3rd Person POV)
The strange event in the New District didn't go unnoticed by those just beyond its borders.
In a modest house adorned with the Solarus Circle symbol, an old mage felt an eerie aura brush against him, chilling him to the bone.
"Wha-what was that?" He trembled, peering out the window towards the New District. "Something ominous... Something terrifying... What could it be?"
Kneeling, the old mage - a bishop of the Solarus faith - gazed at the bright sun. He made the sign of the circle and prayed, his voice carrying the weight of his ecclesiastical authority:
"Lord Solarus, your light guides us through darkness. As your humble servant and bishop, I beseech you to grant me strength to face whatever evil approaches. If it is your will that I should fall in defense of your teachings and your flock, I go gladly into your radiant embrace. May my faith be a beacon to others in these troubled times."
Other religious figures in the Horn Kingdom sensed the disturbance too, each interpreting it through their own faith's lens.
A dwarf knelt before an altar, his voice steady despite his fear, "Great Forgemaster, temper my spirit as you would the finest steel. Let the weapons and armor crafted by your wisdom be our shield against the coming storm."
Meanwhile, a beautiful elf touched her crescent moon pendant, her whisper barely audible, "Mistress of the Night Sky, illuminate the path before us. May your celestial wisdom guide us through this encroaching darkness."
Little did they know, they were vastly overestimating the situation. While they braced for some abominable creature to suddenly appear, the reality was far less apocalyptic.
The Solarus bishop, convinced of impending doom, penned a dramatic farewell in a communication scroll to his fellow bishops: "My dear friends, as I write this, a powerful and mysterious force has emerged in the demon realm. Should I not survive the coming storm, know that I faced it with unwavering faith..."
A few hours later, the dramatic expectations of the religious figures dissolved into bewilderment as they arrived at the New District.
Instead of apocalyptic scenes, they found people sleeping in the streets, looking foolish rather than frightened. Reporters and photographers swarmed the area, capturing the bizarre spectacle.
As one demon finally stirred from his slumber, journalists pounced, peppering him with questions. The demon, still groggy, looked confused.
"Did you know that you've been sleeping on this cold ground for a few hours now?" a reporter asked.
The demon's eyes widened. "A few hours? I only wanted a short nap!"
"Did you notice anything unusual before falling asleep?" another pressed.
The demon yawned, looking around bewildered. "Wait, why are you all surrounding me? Is me sleeping in public really newsworthy?"
"No," the reporter rolled her eyes. "It's because you're not the only one who strangely fell asleep in the middle of the day."
As realization dawned on the demon, seeing the stopped cars and sleeping figures scattered around, he began answering questions more eagerly.
The next day, news of this weird yet shocking event spread like wildfire across the Horn Kingdom. It didn't stop there. The story reached the Morningstar Kingdom, Thorn Kingdom, and even parts of Empirica and Evros.
It turned out some of the reporters who witnessed the strange phenomenon in New District were international correspondents. Their presence ensured the news spread globally with ease.
The headlines blazed across newspapers and news crystals, each more sensational than the last:
"MYSTERIOUS MASS SLUMBER: Entire Horn Kingdom District Falls Asleep Mid-Day!"
"MANA DROUGHT: Experts Confirm Hundreds in New District Drained of Magical Energy"
"OMEN OF DOOM? Mass Sleep Incident Sparks Apocalyptic Fears"
These reports captivated audiences far and wide, turning a local incident into a global sensation.
Even though life in the New District had largely returned to normal, the area buzzed with unusual activity. Reporters lingered on street corners, accosting passersby for their accounts of the previous day's events.
"Excuse me, sir! Can you tell us what you experienced during yesterday's mysterious slumber?"
"Ma'am, did you notice anything unusual before falling asleep?"
The streets also saw an increased police presence. Officers patrolled with heightened vigilance, their postures tense and alert. It was no secret that their superiors had reprimanded them harshly for succumbing to the inexplicable sleep, and they were eager to prove their worth.
Adding to the mix were figures from various religious orders, their robes and symbols standing out among the crowd. They moved through the district with purpose, some offering blessings, others seemingly searching for signs of the divine – or the diabolical – in the aftermath of the event.
***
Meanwhile - the demon responsible for the news that became worldwide was welcoming guests with a warm smile.
"Welcome, welcome," Arthur greeted the studio representatives visiting his studio for a private viewing of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Though aware of the chaos he'd caused, he maintained his composure, knowing that panicking would only arouse suspicion.
Eric from Bryan Brothers nodded to Arthur. Sheldon from Science Pictures, Ray from Lava Brothers, and Jerry from Righteous Film Studio were also present, along with other unfamiliar faces from various studios.
Frank Law from Martial Studio, a major player in martial arts films, spoke up. "We're expecting great things from your film, Mr. Morningstar. It is a martial arts film, after all."
Arthur simply smiled as he led them to the private theatre, anticipating his guests' eagerness to see the martial arts film he'd created.
As they settled into their seats, the representatives wondered if Arthur would deliver another masterpiece.
While some were genuinely curious about the martial arts film and interested in distribution rights, others - like Bryan Brothers - were merely attending out of politeness, not particularly interested in martial arts films even if Arthur's work was decent.
Their attendance was more a gesture to maintain connections with Arthur. After all, he might produce a film in the future worthy of their attention, and they'd be willing to acquire licensing rights for it, regardless of the cost.
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