Assassin at Range: The Sniper's Lethal Power-Chapter 96 - : Loot Explosion

Using the impact from the Black Tide Giant Snake, Tristan successfully increased the distance to a safe level and vanished into the shadows once more.

The confidence for this came from his Shadow Prism.

ExoGenesis was incredibly realistic. While Shadow Prism could deflect impact damage, the force of the collision couldn’t be completely neutralized. Tristan’s strength wasn’t enough to directly withstand the Black Tide Giant Snake’s power. Being knocked back was inevitable—but it wasn’t a bad thing, at least not in this fight.

Watching the Black Tide Giant Snake rage from a distance, Tristan felt at ease. This giant snake, which was nearly unbeatable in the water and capable of wiping out dozens of players, was about to fall under his blade.

"Ding! You have killed the Level 20 Gold Grade Boss, Black Tide Giant Snake. You have earned 15,000 experience points. As the kill was 5 levels higher than your own, you also earn an additional 7,500 experience points."

"Hunting Moment activated. You have earned 1 evolution point!"

"You have reached Level 16!"

"You have gained 5 free attribute points!"

"The power of shadows gathers within you. You gain 5 additional free attribute points!"

"Beast Blessing activated. You gain 5 more free attribute points!"

As the Black Tide Giant Snake fell, Tristan also leveled up. He’d accumulated a lot of experience during the previous battles in the valley, and on his way back to Davi City, he gained even more. Add to that the crocodiles he killed while swimming and this victory, and it was enough to push him to Level 16.

This also solidified his position as the top player in the leaderboard.

Tristan opened the Level Leaderboard.

[No. 1, Blackshade, LV16]

[No. 2, Ivan, LV13]

[No. 3, Ghostblade, LV12]

[No. 4, Victoria, LV11]

[No. 5, NightStalker, LV11]

...

From rank 4 onward, all the players were at level 11, and this continued down to rank 100. Several of them were players from different regions, indicating just how competitive the first tier of players was.

Tristan couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as he noticed some familiar names. These players had endured through the God’s descent phase and had earned their place in the top global rankings. Many of them were well-known powerhouses.

Seeing so many familiar faces, Tristan couldn’t help but feel motivated. They were all progressing, and he knew he couldn’t afford to fall behind.

Taking a deep breath, Tristan swam over to collect his loot. The Black Tide Giant Snake’s massive size meant a generous loot drop: four pieces of Gold Grade gear.

[Black Tide Poison Dagger: Gold Grade]

Attack: +1200, Agility: +60

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Level Requirement: 20

Special Effect: Attacks inflict 200 poison damage.

Tristan couldn’t help but feel both happy and a bit troubled. The dagger he received was top-tier, and its attributes were phenomenal. The attack value alone exceeded the combined total of his Bone-Cutting Twin Daggers. To put it into perspective, even with the set bonus on the Bone-Cutting Twin Daggers, their total attack was just 800, and when accounting for the off-hand penalty, it was closer to 710.

Meanwhile, the Black Tide Poison Dagger had an attack of 1200, plus an additional 60 Agility and poison damage. It was superior in almost every way.

But there was one problem: Bone-Cutting Twin Daggers offered Rampage Charge, a mobility skill that couldn’t be replaced by Blink alone. Tristan had been working on collecting other mobility skills, but progress had been slow. For now, he’d have to continue waiting.

The Black Tide Poison Dagger was an excellent addition to his arsenal, but for the time being, it would remain in his bag. He’d continue using the Bone-Cutting Twin Daggers, as he wasn’t lacking in damage. When the Rampage Charge skill went on cooldown, he could simply switch to the Black Tide Poison Dagger.

"Let’s hope this trip to the ruins pays off," Tristan thought to himself.

He checked the next piece of gear.

[Black Tide Gloves: Gold Grade]

Defense: +200, Health: +2500, Agility: +60

Level Requirement: 20

Special Effect: Increases attack speed by 15%.

Another top-tier item. This would be useful for any class that relied on normal attacks, providing both increased Agility and attack speed. Paired with the Black Tide Poison Dagger, it would help Tristan deal continuous poison damage, significantly boosting his overall output.

However, as a ranged Assassin, these gloves weren’t ideal for him. Still, the attributes were too good to ignore.

He quickly equipped them, thanks to the Proof of the Overlord that removed equipment restrictions. Now, he no longer had to worry about meeting level requirements for gear.

[Black Tide Pauldrons: Gold Grade]

Defense: +200, Health: +2500, Agility: +60

Level Requirement: 20

Special Effect: Increases attack speed by 15%.

This item was identical to the Black Tide Gloves, with the same attributes and special effects. The only difference was that it was for the shoulder slot. Tristan’s luck seemed to be on a roll, as he was getting an entire set of these excellent gear pieces.

He couldn’t help but call out in awe, "Good grief." ExoGenesis really loved to cut corners, didn’t it? The gear was essentially the same, just different slots and names. It was almost like they were mass-produced. Still, this kind of loot was a blessing, even if it was a little too repetitive.

If this gear had been part of a Gold Grade set, the additional bonuses would have been insane. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

After equipping the Black Tide Pauldrons, Tristan’s stats went up even further.

Now, for the last piece of loot.

[Black Tide Belt: Gold Grade]

Defense: +200, Health: +2500, Agility: +60

Level Requirement: 20

Special Effect: Increases attack speed by 15%.

"!!!" Tristan was speechless.

Of course, the last piece of gear would be the same. Three pieces of Black Tide gear, with only the name and slot differing. If Tristan didn’t know better, he’d think these were mass-produced items from some wholesale market.

Still, getting three pieces of the Black Tide series was a stroke of incredible luck. These were leather armor pieces, making them ideal for agility-based players like himself. He couldn’t complain too much, even if the set was rather lazy in design.

Tristan tucked the Black Tide Poison Dagger into his inventory for now. He then took a look at his stats.

[Attributes]:

Strength: 176 + 205

Constitution: 141 + 120

Agility: 493 + 245

Spirit: 150 + 20

[Attack]: 1090

[Defense]: 1382

[Health]: 16,020

[Mana]: 1900

His health was now absolutely massive—he could probably take on a Heavy Warrior like Drake and still come out on top. Combine that with the damage reduction from his gear and the new Shadow Prism ability, his ability to tank damage would leave any main tank in the dust.

This boosted his confidence even more for the upcoming ruin exploration. Especially with Shadow Prism, with all five charges available, it was like having five extra lives. It would give him the confidence to deal with any unexpected events.

With his new gear, Tristan dived down again, heading toward a glowing spot in the distance.

Soon, he reached his destination.

After passing through a water tunnel, he arrived at an underwater cave. Thanks to the good sealing of the cave, there was air inside.

Ahead, a massive black gate stood. Intricate and mysterious symbols were etched into its surface. They seemed to form a kind of script.

But Tristan knew better.

This was ancient writing, used in the ruins of ExoGenesis’s distant past, often found in temple-like areas.

Tristan’s eyes gleamed as he translated the symbols from memory.

"Shadow, ever-present."