Skills with no cooldown? I become the Undead Scourge! - Chapter 22

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Ye Hongyi had just gifted an Epic-tier item—right off the bat!

Let alone an Epic-tier piece of equipment; even a mediocre one would fetch an astronomical price on the market!

Lei Tai squinted at it, then muttered, “The Treasure Gourd? The summoner’s legendary Treasure Gourd?”

Ye Hongyi nodded, smiling at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran was honestly flustered. He scratched his head. “This is too generous. Besides, I’m only Level 10—I might not even be able to use it.”

Ye Hongyi shook her head. “This one has no level restriction.”

Lu Ran gaped at her. An Epic-tier, level-free item—just handed over like it was nothing?

Ye Hongyi explained, “The Treasure Gourd itself has modest stats, but as a caster item, it grants +100 Intelligence, boosting your mana pool. Since your skills have no cooldown, mana is critical for you. However, that’s not its main appeal.”

She leaned in slightly. “Its true value lies in its ability to store a summon—though only one at a time.”

This was precisely why it was considered a summoner’s holy grail.

Summoners, as everyone knew, could call forth powerful beasts to aid in battle—similar to a Necromancer’s [Summon Undead], but their summons were far stronger and could synergize with the summoner’s skills for devastating combos.

The catch? Even if a summoner’s cooldown refreshed, they couldn’t summon a second beast—unless they had a Treasure Gourd.

By storing one summon inside the gourd, a summoner could call a second beast through their skill, then release the stored one—effectively controlling two creatures at once!

Unlike a Necromancer’s disposable undead, a summoner’s beasts were formidable. The difference between controlling one and two was game-changing, which was why high-level summoners coveted the Treasure Gourd—and why its price was sky-high.

For a Necromancer, though, the gourd’s utility was limited. They could already summon freely; storing a skeleton inside or outside the gourd made little difference.

The real issue was that a Necromancer’s stronger summons had brutal cooldowns.

Take the [Abyssal Bone Dragon], for example—a three-hour cooldown. You’d be lucky to use it once per dungeon. If the dragon died? Tough luck.

“But you’re different,” Ye Hongyi said, her eyes gleaming. “Your skills have no cooldown, and thanks to your second trait, you can redirect damage to your summons. So, if you store an undead in the gourd, even if you’re ambushed, the attack will first drain the summon’s HP. In that split second, you can already start spamming [Summon Undead]—making it nearly impossible to assassinate you!”

The others exchanged startled glances.

This was a critical point. While Lu Ran could transfer damage to his summons, he couldn’t realistically haul around a squad of skeletons 24/7. Right now, without any summons out, he was still vulnerable to a sudden kill!

The Treasure Gourd gave him a massive safety net.

“Of course, skeletons are too flimsy for ideal protection,” Ye Hongyi added. “Once you hit Level 25 and unlock [Ancient Golem], store one of those inside. At that point, assassinating you would be next to impossible.”

Lu Ran immediately grasped the potential.

The [Ancient Golem] was a tank-class undead. Paired with the gourd and his [Damage Transfer] trait, no one could burst him down—and if they tried, he’d just drown them in an endless tide of golems!

Who could kill him then?

“This is incredibly useful. Lu Ran, equip it—and toss a skeleton inside for now. It’s the best we can do at your level,” Yu Qingcang urged.

“Then… thank you, Guild Leader Ye!” Lu Ran said firmly.

This item was an absolute game-changer for him.

Plus, the Treasure Gourd was an accessory, occupying only one of three accessory slots without conflicting with other gear.

“Guild Leader Ye? Call me sister!” Ye Hongyi pouted, feigning offense.

The legendary leader of the Scarlet Pavilion—the enchantress countless adventurers dreamed of—was insisting Lu Ran address her so intimately. He couldn’t help but blush.

But under her expectant gaze, he relented. “Thank you… Sister Hongyi.“

She beamed, satisfied.

Then, Liu Xinxin stepped forward.

“Speaking of mana,” she said, producing an item, “I happen to have a level-free piece for you too.”

It was a ring—a crimson Epic-tier item: the Moonfrost Crystal Ring!

“A level-free Moonfrost Crystal Ring?!” Even Ye Hongyi was shocked.

Liu Xinxin smiled. “Its stats are simple: +300 Intelligence. A massive boost for any caster’s offense—and your mana pool.”

Three hundred points?!

Lu Ran nearly bit his tongue.

Sister Hongyi’s Treasure Gourd had only given +100, yet this ring tripled that! (Of course, the gourd’s true value wasn’t in raw stats.)

Dazed, Lu Ran accepted it. “Thank you, Sister Xinxin!“

He slipped the ring on.

Just these two items alone had skyrocketed his Intelligence by 400 points—at Level 10!

Most notably, this granted him an additional 4,000 mana!

Combined with his existing gear and free attribute points, Lu Ran now had 560 Intelligence—higher than most Level 30 mages!

This meant 5,600 mana, allowing him to summon 560 skeletons in one go—over a thousand with minimal downtime.

Even his [Corpse Explosion] damage had multiplied several times over!

Then, Lei Tai shuffled forward awkwardly, empty-handed.

“Lu Ran, don’t think I’m stingy,” he grumbled. “I’m heavy-armor—got no caster gear for you. Tell you what, tonight, big bro’s taking you for a massage. Real relaxation—”

Thunk!

The strike came from an unexpected source: the usually reserved Liu Xinxin.

She’d somehow materialized a staff and bonked Lei Tai on the head.

“Massage your head!” she scolded. “Have you lost your mind? Lu Ran’s still young—don’t you dare drag him into your shady escapades!”

Yu Qingcang let them bicker for a moment before interjecting.

“Lu Ran, Yao Yao—wait for us in the adjacent meeting room. We need to discuss further.”

Once the two had left, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

Yu Qingcang’s expression turned grave.

“Lu Ran’s abilities cannot be leaked. Beyond those present, no one—not even other Celestial Alliance members—can be fully trusted. The fewer who know, the better. So, his leveling plan…”

Ye Hongyi didn’t hesitate. “I’ll personally take him grinding.”

“Me too!” Lei Tai blurted.

Liu Xinxin nodded. “It’s safest if we oversee his progression ourselves.”

Watching from the sidelines, Xu Jie and Qin Lie were thrilled.

In all the world, across every hidden class—who else could claim such an honor?