The third option added the bloodthirsty feature, allowing units with this trait to gain a bloodsucking effect on their attacks. Currently, this option's bloodsucking percentage was only 10%.
Although the bloodsucking effect is quite useful for providing endurance to summoned creatures, my summons have a limited duration, Chen Mo considered. They automatically dissipate when their time is up, even at full health. So, this sustain effect is practically useless at this stage.
With this in mind, Chen Mo directly chose the Corpse Poison effect, which had persistently appeared as an option several times.
"Complete your selection to claim your crafted item!"
"The synthesis recipe used this time has been recorded in the recipe list!"
Recipe: "Blue Undead Corpses" *3 + Rare Dark Crystal = Toxic Corpse Squad·Orange (100% synthesis success rate)
"You can directly input the corresponding materials in the future and select this recipe to synthesize this item!"
Toxic Corpse Squad·Orange
Profession: Skeleton Mage
Cooldown: 5 seconds
Effect: Consumes 100 Energy to summon one hundred Skeleton Monsters that last for 180 seconds. (The Skeleton Monsters' professions are random, and they will wield corresponding phantom weapons). The Skeleton Monsters' attributes are linked to your Wisdom and Spirit.
The attributes of the Skeleton Monsters you can currently summon are: Health 100, Physical Attack 30, Magic Attack 30, Physical Defense 0, Magic Defense 0, Traits—Bomb, Revival, Corpse Poison.
Corpse Poison: Any damage dealt by this unit to a target will apply one stack of Corpse Poison. Each stack reduces all of the target's life value recovery effects (including natural recovery, medication, bloodsucking, etc.) by 1%. Corpse Poison can be continuously stacked and lasts for 15 seconds. Stacking refreshes the duration. When Corpse Poison reaches 100 stacks, it triggers a poison explosion, dealing damage equal to the square of the target's current number of Corpse Poison stacks. It triggers again for every subsequent 100 stacks. (The poison explosion deals Poison-type damage and is reduced by Poison Attribute Resistance.)
According to the description of Corpse Poison, stacking 100 instances on a target could directly blast away 10,000 of the opponent's Health. Stacking 200 instances could blast away another 40,000 Health. It was quite a thrilling debuff.
Of course, stacking that many instances wasn't easy; many elites and BOSSes had abilities to clear abnormal statuses.
However, if enough summoned creatures could all strike the target simultaneously, that would be quite a sight.
Chen Mo had read the description of Corpse Poison's effects several times, but his focus wasn't currently on this new trait.
"Huh? The skill's basic effects have changed so much!"
Chen Mo noticed that after the skill became an intermediate-tier Orange skill, its effects had changed somewhat.
Previously, whether it was a White, Green, or Blue skill, it merely summoned basic Skeleton Monsters—those without any profession or equipment, only capable of scratching with their bone claws.
Now, the skill could summon Skeleton Monsters with professions and equipment, which was a pleasant surprise for Chen Mo.
He had previously thought that even if he summoned a large number of Skeleton Monsters, considering their effective attack range, those on the periphery wouldn't be able to reach enemies in the center.
But with archer and Mage Skeleton Monsters, that would no longer be an issue.
With the changes to its basic effects, the attributes of the Skeleton Monsters Chen Mo could summon also changed.
Previously, the Skeleton Monsters only had the Physical Attack attribute; now, they also had Magic Attack.
Of course, their defensive power was still as pitiful as ever.
Intermediate-tier is truly intermediate-tier, Chen Mo mused. The improvement over lower tiers isn't minor at all. No wonder intermediate-tier items are so expensive!
Seeing the Orange skill's improvement, Chen Mo decided to strike while the iron was hot and began working on synthesizing a Yellow skill.
However, this time, the initial preparations took quite a while. After all, he needed to craft two more Orange skills, starting all the way from White ones.
The stack of Skill Books in front of Chen Mo visibly shrank. A Yellow skill required a total of eighty-one White Skill Books to synthesize. Chen Mo had only bought a little over a hundred, and they were nearly all used up in an instant, leaving just a small pile.
Finally ready, Chen Mo, filled with anticipation, placed the three Toxic Corpse Squad·Orange scrolls into the synthesis slot.
...You have inserted Toxic Corpse Squad·Orange*3!
"The quality of this synthesis is medium grade. Additional special material required: Rare Dark Origin Stone."
Just as Chen Mo had anticipated from the recipe detection, the Rare Dark Origin Stone he had purchased in advance was indeed the key material for synthesizing the Yellow Skill Book.
Chen Mo directly added the prepared Rare Dark Origin Stone.
The result appeared quickly.
"Congratulations, synthesis successful!"
"Please select one of the following three options as the final synthesis result!"
"One: Invisible Corpse Army·Yellow (Bound)"
"Two: Giant Corpse Army·Yellow (Bound)"
"Three: Blood Corpse Army·Yellow (Bound)"
"Wow, it's only a fifth-tier skill, and it can already summon an Undead Army!" Chen Mo exclaimed.
Chen Mo eagerly checked the skill effects.
Indeed, calling it an 'Army' was no boast; it could summon five hundred Skeleton Monsters at once.
The sheer number was astonishing!
Chen Mo couldn't even imagine the scene of summoning five hundred Skeleton Monsters at once to form an Undead Army.
After noting the summoning quantity, Chen Mo focused on the three new effects.
Though called 'new' effects, two of them were familiar.
Invisible Corpse Army enhanced the invisibility ability, allowing the Skeleton Army to enter an invisible mode when not attacking.
Blood Corpse Army was an upgraded version of the Bloodthirsty Corpse Squad option from the previous synthesis. This time, the bloodsucking ability had improved to 20%.
Chen Mo quickly skimmed past these two familiar options and focused on the Giant Corpse Army in the middle.
The second option reduces the summon quantity by a staggering 90%! Chen Mo thought. Although it increases the individual size of the Skeleton Monsters and enhances their attributes for more combat power, compared to losing 90% of the numbers, I'd much rather have quantity. Five hundred Skeleton Monsters can stack Corpse Poison far faster than a mere fifty.
Chen Mo immediately dismissed the second option. He had no desire for an effect that traded quantity for quality.
Thus, he had to choose between the first and third options.
This time, Chen Mo didn't hesitate much; he directly chose Invisible Corpse Army!
When the invisibility ability first appeared as an option, Chen Mo had been tempted by it.
The art of war often involves surprise, he mused. If an army of hundreds or thousands could infiltrate the enemy's rear undetected, the impact would be devastating. While the invisibility ability might not directly impact damage output, it holds immense strategic significance and numerous practical uses in combat.
By consuming a mere eighty-one inexpensive White Skill Books, Chen Mo had easily mastered a top-grade Yellow skill that was practically priceless.
And he was only Level 1. If others knew, they might suspect Chen Mo was the illegitimate son of some high-ranking figure from a powerful family. After all, it was virtually impossible for an ordinary person to master such a high-tier skill at Level 1!