Chapter 370: Claiming the Rewards
December 16th, that night.
The Darkland Parliament Hall was brightly lit.
Although nearly forty members of parliament had perished in the catastrophe, the remaining six hundred still arrived in full attendance.
In a world where supernaturals existed, a change of kings was nothing extraordinary. Of Bryston's seven kings, including Charles VI and Charles VII, four had met untimely deaths.
From the very moment a king ascended the throne, plans for both his funeral and his successor's coronation were already in place—an operation known as "Project Hudston Tower." It also served as the signal of a monarch's passing.
Speaker Ulysses slammed the table forcefully. "There are two items on today's emergency agenda. First, to execute Project Hudston Tower. Second, to discuss how to deal with Wayne Sturwell."
At the mention of Wayne Sturwell's name, the gathered MPs exchanged uneasy glances, unsure what to say.
Most of them had, through various channels, learned of Wayne Sturwell's performance—and had also received a meaningful remark from Grand Archbishop Stuart Crow of the Church of Ascetic.
He claimed that Wayne Sturwell was very likely the emissary of some hidden deity and might one day become a Saint—or even an Angel. Moreover, that deity's rank was by no means inferior to most of the orthodox gods.
That statement alone was worth pondering. Almost no one wanted to offend a powerhouse like Wayne Sturwell, especially when he might ascend to sainthood or angelhood in the future.
Although the fact that he had slain the king was indisputable—and by law, punishable by hanging—the evidence surrounding Charles VII made things quite clear. He had been an ambitious madman, one who would inevitably drag the entire Bryston Kingdom into ruin.
Thus, only a handful of MPs proposed arresting Wayne Sturwell on the spot—and were promptly met with looks as though they'd lost their minds.
Arrest him? Who would dare? This was a man who could kill an evil god.
After a fierce round of debate, the final decision was made: on December 17th, Chief Justice Bert Bryce would conduct an in absentia trial for Wayne Sturwell, judging him for endangering royal safety. The tragedy caused by Charles VII would from then on be buried beneath the earth.
It would also become the only in-person absentee trial in Bryston's history.
——
By the time he returned home, it was already deep into the night.
Zhou Ning pushed open the door, pulled up a chair, and sat down, exhaling deeply.
Melancholy aside, there was still much to do.
After this incident, Zhou Ning felt an urgent need to strengthen himself.
Now that he possessed the skill "Protagonist's Halo," while it granted him incredible advantages, it also meant that countless troubles would inevitably come knocking.
And besides, he had no intention of letting the Curse God Cult or the Life Alchemy Society off the hook.
First things first—claim the quest rewards. Considering how insanely difficult this mission had been, the three random rewards were bound to be extraordinary.
He chose to claim them, and the system interface immediately popped up a message:
[Drawing rewards… Draw complete.]
[Your reward type: Item]
[Please choose one of the following three rewards.]
[1. Firearm: Gaan's Savage Spear-Gun.]
[2. Alchemical Formula: Advanced Psychic Awakening Potion.]
[3. Skill Fusion Cards ×5.]
Zhou Ning was slightly taken aback. Sure enough, the rewards were excellent—it had been a while since he'd seen a "choose one of three" screen.
The first reward was a unique firearm—devastating in output and usable in close combat. Quite impressive.
The second was an upgraded version of the Psychic Awakening Elixir. He still had plenty of the low-tier ones gathering dust in his inventory, but this high-level variant would likely be highly valuable later.
As for the third—though it looked ordinary, it was actually very useful to him right now.
Normally, composite skills couldn't be merged, but this Fusion Card was an exception. It could forcefully combine two composite skills into a brand-new one—its power unknown.
Receiving such a reward right when he was about to create a new class felt almost scripted—ridiculously convenient.
Without hesitation, Zhou Ning chose it. Still, there was no rush to use it yet; he'd wait until after completing his class-change mission.
[Drawing rewards… Draw complete.]
[Your reward type: [Item]]
[Please choose one of the following three rewards.]
[1. Random Dungeon Crystal.]
[2. Dark Knight · Zhou Ning (Outfit) – Includes a random Batman suit, multi-functional utility belt, bat cape, grappling gun, batarangs, and other full accessories.]
[3. Skill Fusion Cards ×5.]
Zhou Ning couldn't help but click his tongue. This time's selection was even harder to choose.
The Dungeon Crystal's value went without saying—always a safe pick.
The second reward, however, was similar to the Phantom Thief outfit he'd gotten before—a complete Batman set, including the batsuit, bat-signal, and more. The black bodysuit was admittedly a bit embarrassing to wear—but what's wrong with a man being a little eccentric?
As for the third reward, he already had enough Fusion Cards—no need for extras.
After some thought, Zhou Ning chose option two. If it worked like in the movies, not only would it look intimidating, it'd be both stylish and practical. Paired with Alchemist Turing's armor, the Phoenix Battle Suit could finally retire.
[Drawing rewards… Draw complete.]
[Your reward type: Specialty]
[Please choose one of the following three rewards.]
[1. Judgment of the Earth Goddess (Elite): +10% resistance to abnormal states, +8% defense, and +35% damage to enemies afflicted by abnormal states.]
[2. Giant's Bloodline (Legendary): Body size increases by 70%, Attack +30%, Defense +15%, Mental Resistance +15%, and deals crushing damage to creatures less than half your size.]
[3. Fearless Marksman (Legendary): All damage +25%, Abnormal State Resistance +15%, but Defense –10%.]
Zhou Ning rubbed his chin in thought. Two Legendary options and one Elite—excellent as always.
He'd seen the first before and had wanted to choose it then—it would fill one of his key weaknesses.
But, much like the "Ascetic Follower" specialty, he avoided it because of its religious nature—it was a general specialty for members of the Earth Circle.
In a world where gods actually existed, such divine-linked traits were best avoided.
The second specialty was theoretically the strongest, but he couldn't accept a 70% increase in body size—he had an image to maintain. His player persona was "handsome, strong, and tragic," and a giant stomping around human lands was out of the question.
That left the third. Boosting attack power and abnormal resistance was downright broken, and the defense reduction wasn't a big deal. A roaming marksman rarely let enemies get close anyway. Plus, the mental resistance suited him perfectly—an ideal fit.
After claiming all his rewards, Zhou Ning felt himself grow stronger once again. Then, he opened the Traversal Simulator, entered Template Cultivation Mode, and checked on the two templates he'd been nurturing.
First up was the one set in the Date A Live world—"Star Celebrity Zhou Ning." The cultivation time had already reached 24 hours. Without hesitation, Zhou Ning clicked Claim.