Second World

Strength of Hope

Passive ability: +30% strength, +30% HP

Active ability: Fully restores HP, all attributes +300%, increases damage by 70%, all damage received is reduced by 50%, recovers 100 HP every second, HP +10,000. Duration: 30 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours

*

When Jack used the Divine Might Potion, it allowed him to fight Arther who was almost ten levels higher than him. The active ability of Strength of Hope gave him a similar buff. Even though it was for a shorter duration than the Divine Might Potion, this Strength of Hope would allow him to fight a much stronger opponent for half an hour.

"The leader of the good God is truly not disappointing, his gift is a godsend," Jack commented. He then asked the others, "How about yours?"

Paytowin answered first, "My Unyielding Hope gave me a 30% boost to endurance and defense. Its active ability also fully restores my HP. I will become invulnerable for two seconds. After that, I receive a 90% damage reduction for thirty seconds. When that is over, I receive a 50% damage reduction for five minutes, then a 20% damage reduction for the next one hour. All recovery effects on me are also doubled during the skill's active time. The cooldown is the same as yours, twenty-four hours."

Jeanny informed hers next. "My Beacon of Hope gave a 15% passive boost to dexterity, reflex, HP, and defense."

"Oh, your boost was less but affect more stats," Jack remarked.

"My active ability is the nerfed version of yours, but it affects allies," Jeanny said. Her active ability affected both her and all allies within a 25-meter radius. It fully healed HP, gave 50% buff to attributes, 10% buff to damage, 10% reduction to damage received, 1,000 to max HP, and recovered 10 HP each second. Its duration was thirty minutes and the cooldown was also twenty-four hours.

Peniel also added that the full healing of Jeanny's active ability affected allied natives as well. Their HP would be fully healed, not just the amount of her max HP like the Priest's Full Heal spell. This gave her a tremendous tactical advantage if she used this ability on wounded high-grade natives.

But in terms of healing effect, Grace's was even more powerful. Her Generosity of Hope gave a passive effect of +30% to Wisdom and +15% to HP and defense. Her active ability also affected allies in a 25-meter radius area. But while Jeanny's one took effect around her position, Grace could cast her active ability at a distant area. Grace could place her AOE at a distance of 300 meters away.

Her Generosity of Hope fully healed allies, including natives. Aside from that, it gave them a constant recovery of 100 HP each second for thirty minutes. Within these thirty minutes, if any of the affected allies were killed, they would be automatically revived with 70% HP. If none of the allies died in those thirty minutes, they would instead be fully healed again when the thirty minutes ended.

"What about yours?" Jack asked John.

"My Reason for Hope gives me a 30% increase in intelligence and MP," John answered.

"And…?" Jack asked again when John stopped speaking.

John shrugged. "That's it. My Reason for Hope has no active ability."

"Really? Are you getting the short end of the stick?" Paytowin asked.

"I don't think God Hope blessed us unfairly," Grace said.

"He did say this guy is not his ideal choice. Maybe that's why he only gave this dude half of what we got," Jack said. He then laughed at John, "Serve you well for being an a*shole. Haha!"

John rolled his eyes. "I might not get an active ability and my passive ability only mentions the boost to my intelligence and MP, but I get something else not mentioned in the description."

"Stop trying to dress it up! Just take the loss," Jack uttered.

"It's pointless speaking to a brute," John said and turned to Peniel. "I know now about the solution you mentioned about the coin income for our country's coffer. It is the World Commerce Center, isn't it?"

"How do you know?" Peniel asked in surprise.

John grinned. "That's what I'm trying to tell everyone. I somehow know about a lot of the things about this world. I think Hope bestowed me with his knowledge. Hahaha. Now I no longer need you, tiny fairy!"

"Hey! Is that how you talk to me?" Peniel protested.

"See? This guy, when he no longer needs any benefit from you, he turned one-hundred-eighty. Remember to not be too nice to him," Jack said.

"What's a World Commerce Center do?" Paytowin asked.

"It doesn't concern you, old trio," John answered.

Paytowin had the urge to call Brave King out and teach this detestable fellow a lesson.

"Suffice to say it will grant the kingdom lots of coin income," Peniel was a bit more tolerable, but she didn't elaborate further either.

"So, you now have Peniel-level knowledge?" Jeanny asked John.

"I'm not sure about Peniel-level, but I think I have Hope-level knowledge," John answered.

"Good, that should help you better in managing the kingdom," Jack said.

"Oh, yes. Especially the research paths. It's all in my head now. I can map out which techs to research first for the most optimal outcome."

"We better go back now. Everyone should be worried about us," Jeanny said.

Jeanny summoned her hippogriff. Jack summoned Pandora. Paytowin called his Pegasus.

"You people like the sky so much, I prefer the sea," John said and blew his steed whistle.

A horse covered in scales instead of skin appeared beside John. Its color was slightly greenish. Long dorsal fins covered its neck instead of a mane. Its four legs also had fins. Its tail ended with something that looked like a flipper.

When Jack and the others used Inspect, they learned that this horse was a Kelpie. It was a unique-grade steed.

"You also have a unique-grade steed already? Not bad," Jack complimented.

"I sent players to the merfolk to do trades and help them with quests. Their sea mother gave me this kelpie as a sign of appreciation for our friendship," John said.

None of them believed John's words. They thought it was more likely that John swindled the merfolk into giving him this Kelpie.

Everyone then turned to Grace, who was the last one to take out her whistle. Everyone else had at least unique-grade steeds. Grace would be left behind if she rode lesser steed.

Grace understood their expressions. She chuckled. "Don't worry, I also have a unique-grade steed. However, my steed is land-based."

She blew a whistle and a gorgeous white horse with a dazzling blue mane came into being. At the top of its head was a long golden horn. Jack and the others didn't need to use Inspect to identify this horse. It was a very famous fantasy creature. A unicorn.

Seeing everyone was ready to leave, Jack took the lead. "Okay, everyone. Let us return to the army!"

The five rode their unusual steeds. Three flew in the air while the other two galloped on land. All five traveled with incredible speed.