197: Chapter 197: Approval Rating Rises!

Looking at the upgraded attributes of the blade of eternal silence, Lu Yin was quite satisfied.

Not only had the various attributes increased tenfold, but a brand-new skill had also appeared.

Moreover, according to records in books, a Professional's exclusive weapon or artifact would gain more attributes as its level increased.

For example, for the first ten levels, each upgrade might only increase attributes by 100 points.

But after level ten, it was possible for a single upgrade to increase them by 200 or even 20,000 points.

Lu Yin's fingertips brushed over the cool blade of the blade of eternal silence; the description of the new skill made his heart stir slightly.

Absolute Damage.

This meant it could ignore all defense and damage reduction mechanisms, becoming a sharp blade that could reverse the tide of battle at critical moments.

“Three-day cooldown and massive consumption, but it's worth it.”

After giving his evaluation, Lu Yin put the blade of annihilation back into his inventory.

Lying on the bed, he turned his attention back to reflecting on the gains from the previous fierce battle.

“The Athena Projection's ‘Oracle: Heavenly Punishment’ has an extremely short cooldown and poses the greatest threat.”

“The control duration of Momentary Eternity is compressed too severely when facing god-level existences.”

“When I challenge it again tomorrow, I must allocate the control chain more exquisitely.”

“Or... create a decisive advantage before ‘Oracle: Heavenly Punishment’ is activated.”

He recalled the scene at the final moment, summoning thousands of Meidou Shi for a simultaneous volley.

Human wave tactics still have their value when facing extremely high-tier individuals.

Especially when the opponent is briefly controlled and he possesses a skill with special effects that ignore defense.

“Tomorrow, the number of the Death Legion can be further increased; in the instant the Athena Projection is controlled, even more damage can be dealt.”

“Perhaps a single burst of damage will be enough to secure victory.”

As his thoughts churned, a notification suddenly sounded from the system panel.

【Ding! Holy Demon Race approval rating increased from 8% → 15%!】

Lu Yin's expression hardened, and the fatigue in his eyes was instantly replaced by sharpness.

“The approval rating increased by this much so suddenly?”

“Has Di Gulov made a move?”

The increase in approval rating undoubtedly meant that more demons of the Holy Demon Race had learned of Lu Yin's name.

Or rather, they had learned the news that the sovereign of their race, Aiolia, was still alive.

But regardless of which case it was, this was not a good sign.

“Could it be that Di Gulov is going to take action ahead of schedule?”

Pulling out his communicator, Lu Yin dialed Xiao Wanguo's number.

“Officer Xiao, there's unusual movement from Di Gulov. We might not have half a month left.”

From the other end of the communicator came Xiao Wanguo's solemn voice.

“Is the news certain?”

“The system prompted that the approval rating jumped from 8% to 15%. The increase is abnormal.”

Lu Yin nodded seriously, his expression calm yet sharp.

“Without a large-scale battle or the spread of an event, such a jump is absolutely impossible.”

Xiao Wanguo fell silent for a moment on the other end of the communicator; Lu Yin could almost imagine him with his brows furrowed, tapping his fingers on the desk.

“I understand.” Xiao Wanguo's voice was very low, carrying a heavy sense of an impending storm.

“The reconnaissance department also just sent over a detection map of abnormal signals. It seems they might be coming earlier than expected.”

“...”

Hanging up the communication, the possibility of Di Gulov attacking early slightly dampened his previous excitement.

Late at night, the third floor of the Gods Dormitory was silent.

Lu Yin lay on the soft bed, completely devoid of sleepiness.

The faint light from outside passed through the diamond-shaped window panes, carving intersecting geometric patterns of light and shadow on the floor.

He stared at those swaying traces of light, repeatedly simulating the combat details against the Athena Projection in his mind.

“Control chain... burst window...”

His fingertips unconsciously traced patterns in the air, mimicking the rhythm of skill chaining.

The rewards from this Dungeon were gratifying, but it also required a corresponding amount of time.

Today was the first run, and it took nearly fourteen hours.

If it were a normal Dungeon, he wouldn't feel tired.

But the battle with a god's projection had left him exhausted after just a few minutes.

It wasn't about how much mana he had consumed, but the constant mental pressure he endured every second.

After an unknown amount of time, he was finally swept away by sleepiness.

The next morning, Lu Yin woke up to the continuous notification sounds of experience gain.

A few hours of deep rest, coupled with the many buff effects of the third floor of the Gods Dormitory, had already restored his state to its peak.

The fatigue from yesterday's long battle and the mental tension had vanished without a trace.

In its place was a more refined focus and a clear perception of power.

Without any delay, he grabbed a quick bite to eat and immediately entered the Dungeon.

With yesterday's experience and a more powerful Death Legion, the process this time was exceptionally smooth.

When he entered the temple again, within the hall condensed from divine light, the Athena Projection stood silently before the divine throne.

Her golden eyes reflected the figure of the intruder, devoid of joy or sorrow.

Compared to yesterday, her posture seemed slightly more solid.

The divine might flowing around her had become more restrained, yet it appeared even more profound and terrifying.

“We meet again.”

Lu Yin muttered to himself, his eyes as sharp as knives.

The experience and reflection from yesterday's battle, along with the enhancement of the blade of eternal silence, gave him more confidence.

The seven Legion Commanders lined up behind him, their auras heavy and settled.

The Death God Temple seemed to provide a special BUFF for them as well, helping them recover quickly.

Their states had returned to their peak, and having experienced the life-and-death struggle with a god's projection yesterday,

their auras now contained an extra hint of restrained murderous intent.

There were no redundant probes or declarations.

“Attack!”

The moment Lu Yin's thought was transmitted, the seven Legion Commanders simultaneously unleashed their strongest offensive!

“Arrow of Silence!”

The hum of Krausi's vibrating bowstring merged with the whistle of the arrow piercing the air.

The pitch-black arrow, carrying the power of withering stars, was the first to strike the light shield flowing with divine runes.

-1,546,871!

As the damage number jumped up, the divine runes on the shield's surface fluctuated violently.

“Gospel of the End!”

At the same time, Herl's skill arrived with murderous intent.

-2,894,561! -3,654,122!...

“Dark Elegy!”

“Soul-Locking Kill!”

“Black Flame Knights!”

“Thousand Army Charge!”

“Destruction Storm!”

Ying Yu Ye, Herl, Kasa, and Yarberna also took action one after another.

Just yesterday, the Athena Projection's calm yet divinely powerful words seemed to still echo in the temple.

But today, the battle began with the most violent and precise rhythm.

The Athena Projection suffered a devastating blow right from the start, her body shaking violently.

However, the brief injury did not cause the Athena Projection to fall into a panic.

She held the spear of victory high, and her emotionless voice rang out leisurely.

“Oracle: Heavenly Punishment!”

The air in the entire temple suddenly froze as the heavenly might symbolizing divine punishment appeared once more.

This time, it was released earlier than before, but it also happened to fall right into Lu Yin's trap.

Almost at the exact same time, Lu Yin had already closed in.

“Momentary Eternity!”

Silver energy swept through, causing everything to freeze in place.

Over 3,500 pitch-black magic circles lit up, and an equal number of Death Soldier stepped out.

This was the realization of Lu Yin's reflections after yesterday's battle—a theoretical limit burst.