Chapter 854 - 854: 854: More Enchantments: Breaking the Bounds of Vitality

"More Enchantments?" Jean murmured, pausing in quiet reflection before looking up. "It sounds as though the entire enchantment framework is receiving a comprehensive expansion."

A murmur of mild confusion rippled through the gathering. Enchanting was undeniably potent, yet its perceived value had peaked during their earliest days in the world.

With so many high-tier expansions currently online, standard enchanting had not quite fallen into total obsolescence, but it had become generalized and commonplace. When the mechanics of enchanting were first unveiled, the revelation had caused immense excitement. Inscribing fundamental rules directly onto steel turned standard blades into divine armaments. During the early days of development, such power was unmatched.

As newer modules were introduced—SlashBlade, Electroblob's Wizardry, and the Twilight Forest—the limitations of baseline enchanting became painfully clear. SlashBlades commanded localized spatial severing, delivering base damage far beyond standard enchanted blades. Wizardry provided unmatched casting utility, and modern firearms had carried the front line through forty-nine days of apocalyptic siege.

Compared to those overwhelming systems, basic enchanting felt modest.

Standard enchantments were still mass-produced, but largely to round out SlashBlade modifiers or reinforce high-grade armor. The resources were valued, yet no longer viewed as rare treasures. The Millelith and allied garrisons saw enchanted armor daily on zombie hordes throughout the siege, dulling the novelty.

Yet if enchanting were revitalized as a dedicated module, its baseline and ceiling would shift dramatically. An outdated mechanic was about to be completely overhauled.

No one questioned the terrifying potential of an integrated module. Everything tied to system expansions proved indispensable. Even Vein Miner and Lucky Blocks remained their two most vital logistical cornerstones for resource acquisition.

The leaders retrieved their notebooks, pens poised in anticipation.

Seeing the room focused, Ryen leaned back, his voice carrying clearly across the hall. "The More Enchantments module was chosen after careful deliberation. It is an exceptionally formidable addition. Integrating this system will comprehensively empower every weapon-related framework we possess, including SlashBlade, Electroblob's Wizardry, and Twilight Forest."

He tapped the table lightly to emphasize his words. "In simple terms, this serves as an interconnecting foundation that elevates everyone's baseline floor. Its broader, more destructive modifiers will exceed your initial expectations. Once this framework is active, enchanting may very well rival the SlashBlade system in total combat value."

The leaders straightened, their expressions sharpening. Ryen was casual in his daily habits, but when outlining system mechanics, his assessments were always precise.

"This expansion introduces a total of one hundred and thirty brand-new enchantment modifiers," Ryen announced.

A sharp intake of breath echoed across the room. One hundred and thirty new modifiers was a staggering volume. The party currently had access to barely thirty or forty standard enchantments in total. While basic enchanting was familiar, expanding the library on this scale would revolutionize their standing armies.

"These modifiers are organized across twelve primary categories," Ryen continued, outlining the breakdown. "First are the advanced variations of vanilla enchantments. Advanced Flame, Advanced Power, Advanced Punch, Advanced Looting... Essentially, every standard enchantment now possesses an advanced counterpart. These advanced tiers amplify the original effects by more than double."

Pens moved furiously across parchment as the leaders underlined the term. Doubling an enchantment's potency carried terrifying implications. If a standard suite of enchantments elevated an ordinary soldier to the combat prowess of a Vision-bearer, doubling that baseline would push regular infantry toward the upper tier of martial masters.

Applied to protective armor, standard high-tier Vision strikes would struggle to leave a scratch on rank-and-file infantry. Forged onto a SlashBlade, a single vanguard soldier could suppress an elite champion in open combat. From an institutional perspective, the advanced modifiers alone were invaluable for national defense.

"Advanced modifiers are merely the intermediate threshold," Ryen said, waving his hand slightly. "Beside them sit lesser variations of vanilla enchantments: Lesser Sharpness, Lesser Flame, and so on. As the names imply, they are slightly weaker than standard enchantments. They may seem redundant for our frontline troops, but they serve as prime commodities for commercial trade across Teyvat, where demand for enchanted gear remains massive. Lesser modifiers carry low threat, making them easy to regulate. Releasing them into the general market generates revenue without risking internal security. How you choose to distribute them is up to your respective governments."

The leaders showed little enthusiasm for the lesser tier. Given that standard enchanted gear was already in circulation, weaker variants held minimal strategic appeal.

"Beyond the advanced tiers lies the true pinnacle: ultimate-tier enchantments," Ryen said, his tone turning measured.

The gathering focused intently.

"Supreme Sharpness, Supreme Smite, Supreme Bane of Arthropods, Final Fire Edge, and Final Flame Arrow. Taking Supreme Sharpness as an example, it possesses five distinct tiers. Yet even Supreme Sharpness I grants damage far exceeding the advanced variants. Each successive rank increases damage output exponentially. Upon reaching Supreme Sharpness V on a standard diamond blade, a single basic strike carries enough force to cleave a standard Iron Golem in half."

Shock rippled through the hall.

Iron Golems served as the core perimeter patrols around their cities, renowned for their immense physical resilience and heavy mass. If a diamond sword with Supreme Sharpness V could execute an Iron Golem in a single swing, it would cut through elite elemental monsters in Teyvat with equal ease. In terms of pure physical damage, it surpassed standard Vision strikes. Even Hu Tao and the senior fighters could rarely dispatch high-tier elemental lifeforms in a single blow without triggering elemental reactions or Unleashing Elemental Bursts.

Furthermore, given how the block realm's rules scaled when interacting with Teyvat's physics, Supreme Sharpness would prove even more devastating in practice.

The leaders noted down the ultimate modifiers, drawing heavy stars beside the entries. These weapons would form the backbone of their elite assault battalions.

Allowing a moment for notes to settle, Ryen continued, "Beyond direct combat enhancements, we have specialized utility enchantments for tools: Auto-Smelt, Adaptation, Moisture, Tilling, Serrated Edge, and Potential Surge. Auto-Smelt refines mined blocks instantly without requiring a furnace. Moisture keeps tilled soil hydrated indefinitely without nearby water sources. These offer immense logistical value for infrastructure, and you can allocate them as needed."

He turned to the next section. "Following utility comes specialized shield enchantments. Parrying reflects incoming kinetic force back at the attacker. Blazing Shield ignites assailants upon blocking. Combustive Shield reflects incoming damage while setting the attacker ablaze. Defensive stability and counter-strike utility are both significantly improved, making them ideal for heavy phalanx formations."

Nods of approval circulated the room. These modifiers alone were sufficient to revitalize melee combat, drastically elevating the operational efficiency of heavy cavalry and infantry lines.

Seeing their satisfaction, Ryen continued, "Next are the armor-specific defensive additions. Physical Protection directly mitigates incoming melee trauma. Magic Protection dampens arcane and elemental energy damage. Blazing Thorns functions as a retaliatory damage enchantment. Magma Walker mirrors Frost Walker, allowing the wearer to traverse open lava lakes with solid footing. Berserk scales your offensive output as your health diminishes, more than doubling damage output at critical thresholds. Evasion grants a fixed probability to completely negate incoming strikes."

While earlier modifiers adhered to standard enchantment logic, the new armor enhancements ignored physical conventions entirely. Walking across magma, multiplying damage at low vitality, and completely dodging attacks through absolute system chance made even the Archons take keen interest.

"Aside from these, there is one paramount defensive enchantment," Ryen said, pausing as he met the room's expectant gaze. "Vitality. At maximum tier, it expands your baseline maximum health by fifty percent."

Even Zhongli and Makoto showed visible surprise.

Despite unlocking numerous system modules, this was the very first mechanic capable of directly expanding a living being's maximum health pool. Other modifiers required tactical experimentation to optimize, but an outright fifty percent increase to vitality was universally understood. It meant vastly greater endurance and survival margins under heavy fire.

"Vitality," Makoto repeated softly, carefully writing the modifier in bold strokes. While other enchantments could be distributed selectively, Vitality was an upgrade every frontline combatant needed immediately.

"Those are the modifiers that align with familiar logic," Ryen added with a faint, knowing grin. "What comes next is unusual even by my standards. Have you ever considered enchantments that scale directly with weather conditions, or the rising and setting of the sun?"

The leaders froze, their pens suspended over their parchment in stunned silence.